SINGAPORE – Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says that he expects the Trump Administration will realize continued engagement in the Indo-Pacific region is in the interest of the U.S., during a speech at an annual regional security summit in Singapore. In a wide-ranging speech that was well-received by the audience, Turnbull also urged China to […]
China was criticised for “unilaterally” altering the status quo in the East and South China seas at a regional security forum at the weekend, although envoys for Beijing argued their nation follows international law. Defence ministers from the United States, Japan and Australia also voiced support for a ruling by an international arbitration panel last […]
How we judge the success of the U.S. Navy’s freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) near Mischief Reef last week depends on what it was supposed to achieve. Was it intended to address a legal problem or a strategic one? To be more specific, did it aim to contest China’s claim of a 12-nautical mile territorial […]
PM Modi has termed sea lanes passing through South China Sea as “main arteries” of global trade. SINGAPORE: The US today praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on having freedom of navigation and adhering to the international norms for peace and economic growth, amidst China flexing its muscles in the disputed South China Sea. Speaking […]
The European bloc is cautious about China’s militarization of islands. EU officials are set to bring up discussions about the South China Sea during a summit on Friday, possbily in a careful manner to avoid the tense situation seen last year. Premier Li Keqiang will meet top EU officials at the summit in Brussels to […]
The US will not accept China’s militarisation of man-made islands in the South China Sea, Defence Secretary James Mattis has warned. Speaking at a security conference in Singapore, he said such moves undermined regional stability. China’s territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea are contested by several nations. At the same time, Gen Mattis […]
SINGAPORE—Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Saturday that North Korea posed a global threat and praised China’s efforts to influence Pyongyang, while also criticizing Beijing over its continued “militarization” of the South China Sea. President Donald Trump — who frequently denounced China on the campaign trail — has turned to Beijing to help rein in North […]
Unlike in past years, China is not likely to be in the spotlight. Instead, it’s the United States that will be in the hot seat as observers watch what it has to say about its commitment to the region. It will be all ears when General James Mattis speaks at the first plenary of the […]
Trump administration’s first freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea is a key indicator of US commitment to the region Pundits have been keeping a close eye on if, when, and how the Donald Trump administration conducts a freedom of navigation operation near disputed features in the South China Sea. The willingness to […]
These past few months, in more than one occasion, President Duterte has been quoted as criticizing Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for “just talking” and not doing anything about the South China/West Philippine Sea dispute. What a strange thing to say about the man who has in fact done the most about the issue, to […]