The People’s Liberation Army Air Force announced on its social media account on Saturday that a fleet of the aircraft from the Western Theatre Command flew thousands of kilometres to simulate an airdrop over an island in the contested waters before returning the same day. The exercise was conducted in mock combat conditions and […]
BEIJING — When the Australian government set out to write a new foreign policy paper, it faced hotly contested questions shaping the country’s future: Will China replace the United States as the dominant power in Asia? If so, how quickly? The government’s answers came in a so-called white paper released last month by […]
Last week the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) deployed J-11B fighters to Woody Island in the South China Sea. Simultaneously, Y-9 transport aircraft from the Western Theatre Command flew to the same maritime area to support mock combat operations. In the light of such activity, it is an ideal time to address […]
As Filipino fishermen set sail for the Scarborough Shoal, they hope for three things: a bountiful fish catch, their safety, and benevolence from the Chinese coastguard. For the past two years, Paolo Pumicpic, captain of the JJ2 fishing boat, has been at the mercy of the sea; he hasn’t been lucky with any of […]
HCM CITY — While the East Sea (South China Sea) situation remains uncertain, nations should build “strategic trust” to maintain peace, stability and development in the region, a Vietnamese official told an international conference held in HCM City yesterday. Nearly 200 senior officials, business executives, experts, academics and diplomats are participating in the […]
The government in Beijing has made no official statement to this effect, but connect the dots and here’s a picture: It has mothballed for now a quest to landfill new islands in Asia’s major disputed waterway, the South China Sea. Land reclamation had alarmed five other Asian governments that vie with China for sovereignty […]
The Trump administration has endorsed the Turnbull government’s foreign policy white paper which tilted more hawkish on China, with a senior US diplomat saying the document outlines “issues of concern” that are shared by the US and Australia. In contrast to China’s response that Australia should stop making “irresponsible” comments about territorial disputes […]
Tran Duc Anh Son, a historian in Danang, Vietnam, says his government is afraid to use the records he uncovered to challenge Beijing. “That’s why we have many documents that are kept in the dark.” Credit Quinn Ryan Mattingly for The New York Times DANANG, Vietnam — Eight years ago, officials in Danang asked […]
A team of Chinese air force bombers has carried out a series of patrols over the disputed South China Sea, in an exercise the People’s Liberation Army said showed its capability to breach the cold war era line of containment. By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy The air force […]
A closer look at steps toward finalizing a long-anticipated Code of Conduct. At the recently concluded 31st ASEAN Summit Meetings in Manila, the leaders of ASEAN and China formally announced the start of negotiations on the fine print of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. The agreement comes just three […]