Monthly Archives: May 2016

Cambodia Stuck in the Middle Over South China Sea

PHNOM PENH — On the thorny issue of Southeast Asia’s territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Cambodia finds itself caught in the middle. On one side, its fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) say the regional bloc should be central to dealing with the disputes. On the other, China—the world’s […]

Indonesia considering South China Sea patrols with Malaysia, Philippines: Military chief

JAKARTA: Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines may conduct joint patrols in parts of the disputed South China Sea, said Indonesia’s military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo. At a meeting in Yogyakarta on May 5, foreign ministers of the three ASEAN countries had agreed to conduct patrols to combat piracy in the Sulu and Sulawesi Sea. However, […]

South China Sea: 2 Chinese Fighters Conduct ‘Unsafe’ Intercept of US EP-3 Recon Aircraft

On Tuesday, in international airspace over the South China Sea, two Chinese fighter jets flew dangerously close to a U.S. EP-3 Aries signals reconnaissance aircraft. Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, confirmed on Wednesday to NBC News that “two tactical aircraft from the People’s Republic of China” had attempted […]

Chinese Intercept U.S. Military Spy Plane Over South China Sea

Two Chinese military aircraft intercepted a U.S. military reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea Tuesday. Defense Department spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza said that the U.S. maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft was flying in a “routine patrol” in international airspace on May 17 when “two tactical aircraft from the People’s Republic of China” intercepted the […]

Obama, Duterte affirm alliance

Pedestrians walk past a Philippine flag tarpaulin bearing the image of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte along a main road in Davao City yesterday. Miguel de Guzman Rody eyes bilateral talks with China DAVAO CITY, Philippines – US President Barack Obama became the first head of government to congratulate Rodrigo Duterte, relaying at the same time […]

Ma reaffirms Taiwan’s stance on maritime rights

President Ma Ying-jeou urged May 16 The Hague to recognize the status of Taiping Island as a bona fide island with requisite rights to a continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, adding that the international community should not turn a blind eye to any violation of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. […]

Philippine authorities detain 2 Chinese fishing ships flying inverted Philippines flags

NETWORK) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Coast Guard apprehended on Monday (May 16) two Chinese fishing vessels flying an inverted Philippine flag off the country’s northernmost coast. The ships were the Shen Lia Cheng with 12 crew members and the She Kou with 13 crew members. The authorities […]

The New Political Risk in the South China Sea

Fed up with elites, voters flock to a populist outsider with an admired but checkered past, a macho persona and a record of insulting women, foreigners and the pope. He distrusts allies and promises to cut deals with adversaries. Is he destined to be a destabilizing leader? Or would responsibility moderate him? http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-political-risk-in-the-south-china-sea-1463505005