XI ASSERTS TERRITORIAL CLAIMS IN MEETING WITH US DEFENSE SECRETARY Chinese President Xi Jinping strongly asserted China’s determination to defend territory it claims, including in the South China Sea, in a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. While the tone of Mattis’ visit to Beijing was largely upbeat, Xi made sure to reinforce his […]

In recent weeks, there have been several commentaries reporting a temporary new norm in the South China Sea (SCS) – realpolitik’s triumph over moralpolitik and the rapid decline of regional U.S. soft power. But current developments suggest otherwise. Years of ill-advised U.S. acquiescence and accommodation (strategic patience and wishful thinking) in the SCS appear to […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, the location of several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region. BEIJING — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs […]

China’s sprawling Belt and Road Initiative has spread development funding around Asia, Africa, and Europe. But foreign governments have warned the terms of BRI deals could pose risks to the countries signing them. Now officials in Beijing appear to be acting on their own concerns about unsustainable spending and unwieldy debt. Since announcing its Belt […]

Despite differences, defense secretary urges U.S.-China military exchanges to stabilize ties BEIJING—Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping on China’s buildup of military bases on disputed islands in the South China Sea as Xi defiantly stated Beijing would not give up the newly reclaimed islands. Randall Shriver, assistant defense secretary for Asian and […]

China wants to control the entire South China Sea. Every inch of it. That’s why will lose all of it, one day. In the South China Sea game, China is one player playing against all the rest: The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China is also playing against the navies of US, Japan, France, […]

Contrary to the view that the South China Sea disputes are driven by a regional hunger for seabed energy resources, the real and immediate prizes at stake are the region’s fisheries and marine environments that support them. It is also through the fisheries dimensions to the conflict that the repercussions of the recent ruling of […]

In China, if you upset the government, you could be burned. Literally. Researchers in the country have reportedly developed a prototype laser assault rifle of similar dimensions to an AK-47, dubbed the ZKZM-500, according to South China Morning Post. The difference is that ZKZM-500 can reportedly set a person on fire — by using lasers. […]

Beijing’s recent decision to transfer administrative control of its coast guard from civilian to military authority from July is causing headaches for Japan. Given China’s tradition of using the coast guard to patrol areas to which it lays territorial claims, the move is being viewed as worrying and possibly significant. A sweeping government overhaul announced […]