Much of what needs to be said of the recent report on the People’s Liberation Army downsizing has been said. As part of the “transformational changes” undertaken so far, China’s army now accounts for less than 50 per cent of all PLA troops, with almost half of the non-combatant units made redundant and the officer […]

The U.S. failure to counter China’s “gray zone” tactics stems from a lack of will, not a lack of options. Although the Trump administration is taking an increasingly harder line vis-à-vis Beijing, there is little doubt that the United States has failed to counter Chinese expansion via salami-slicing in the South China Sea (SCS). Current […]

The Philippines is considering a review of its 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty with the US. Secretary of National Defence Delfin Lorenzana said a review could look at ways to “maintain it, strengthen it, or scrap it”. The possibility that the Philippines might withdraw from the treaty has caused considerable consternation in US-Asia policy circles. Some […]

Manila (The Philippine Daily Inquirer) – President Duterte’s spokesperson on Thursday said the Philippines “maybe should be thankful” for the “maritime rescue center” that China had launched on Philippine-claimed Kagitingan Reef in the South China Sea. The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua announced the opening of the facility on Tuesday. Not bad? It said China […]

When boat QNG 90675 limped into the Vietnamese port at Quang Ngai on Dec. 12, it showed signs of a confrontation at sea with a Chinese coast guard ship. According to local officials, the coast guard boarded the boat, forced the crew of seven to stand with their hands behind their heads, and confiscated their […]

SINGAPORE/BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s state energy giants are set to raise spending on domestic drilling this year to the highest levels since 2016, focussing on adding natural gas reserves in a concerted drive to boost local supplies. Responding to President Xi Jinping’s call last August to boost domestic energy security, China’s trio of oil majors […]

She says while both countries are friends, they are still learning to manage their differences Bishop, who resigned from her post last August, said there was no evidence linking the detention of Yang Hengjun to Canada’s arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer, echoing a point made by Defence Minister Christopher Pyne on Monday. The detention […]

The high-tech railgun uses electromagnetic energy to propel devastating rounds at more than seven times the speed of sound. Once only present in science fiction, the weapon requires massive amounts of power but its hugely destructive hypersonic projectiles have the potential for a long range and high accuracy. And China appears to have beaten both […]

INDO-PACIFICKONSEP ARSITEKTUR INDO-PASIFIKNATUNA ISLANDSSOUTH CHINA SEASTRAIT OF MALACCA A new military base was inaugurated by the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander, Air Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto on 18 December 2018 in Natuna Besar, a disputed territory between Indonesia and China in the South China Sea. The two countries have conflicting interests and rights on this island, which […]

President Duterte’s spokesperson on Thursday said the Philippines “maybe should be thankful” for the “maritime rescue center” that China had launched on Philippine-claimed Kagitingan Reef in the South China Sea. The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua announced the opening of the facility on Tuesday. Not bad? It said China also deployed another rescue ship to […]