MANILA, Philippines — Chinese fishing vessels comprise the largest number of ships operating in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea so far based on satellite imagery. Gregory Poling, director of Washington-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, noted that satellite imagery reveals most of these ships congregate in the […]
Despite warmer ties over the past two years, China’s maritime row with the Philippines did not escape discussion during President Xi Jinping’s historic visit to Manila on November 20 and 21. It was tackled in the context of dispute management, confidence-building and the pursuit of practical cooperation, however, reaffirming both sides’ commitment to the present […]
Beijing has announced that its so-called carrier killer anti-ship missile has been deployed to the country’s northwest, just a day after the U.S. Navy sailed a warship past disputed islands in the South China Sea. China’s DF-26 ballistic missile, which reportedly has a range of 3,000-4,000 km, was mobilized to the country’s northwest plateau and […]
THE UK’s plan to build an Asian naval base is “clearly a muscle-flexing gesture targeting China”, according to an academic at an institute funded by China. The UK has announced plans to establish a new Asian naval base. The base will likely be in Brunei or Singapore. It is a move Taiwan has welcomed but […]
China has mobilized its long-range DF-26 ballistic missiles, according to Chinese media. The nationalist Global Times warned that the “far-reaching, anti-ship ballistic missile” is operational, noting that the news comes just days after a US destroyer challenged China’s excessive claims to the South China Sea. The warning also comes a few weeks after a Chinese […]
BEIJING — China may further fortify man-made islands in the South China Sea depending on threats faced by the outposts, a Chinese naval officer said Wednesday. Navy academy researcher Senior Capt. Zhang Junshe repeated China’s stance that it has the legal right to take whatever measures it deems appropriate on the islands in the South […]
BEIJING: U.S. naval operations in the South China Sea could spark conflict and the United States would be to blame if a clash occurred, a Chinese military researcher said on Wednesday. The warning came as Chinese and U.S. trade teams ended talks in Beijing that have raised hopes an all-out trade war could be avoided, […]
In June 2005, I published a cover story in the Atlantic, “How We Would Fight China.” I wrote that, “The American military contest with China … will define the twenty-first century. And China will be a more formidable adversary than Russia ever was.” I went on to explain that the wars of the future would […]
The January 5 edition of the South China Morning Post reported that the US passed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) to reaffirm and reassure its “allies” that America is committed to protecting and promoting democracy in the Asia-Pacific. To do so, America will spend US$1.5 billion annually for five years to “show its presence” […]
In the first week of 2019, as China grabbed headlines for landing a spacecraft on the far side of the moon, a New Year’s Day editorial in the nation’s official military newspaper told its readers that “war preparations” should be a top priority for the year. The following day, President Xi Jinping offered a forceful […]