INFANTA, Pangasinan—The Chinese Coast Guard has increased its presence in the West Philippine Sea by deploying five ships to patrol the Scarborough Shoal, making local fishermen more fearful about venturing back to the disputed isle. Carlos Montehermozo, a crew member of FB Joenel 3 based here, said he was surprised when they traveled to the […]
America is dusting off a military alliance with the Philippines that languished in the back of the closet for decades. You can practically hear them at the Pentagon trying it on for size: Hey, how’d we ever forget about this great thing? A glance at a map of Asia, and recent headlines, shows why the […]
Over the last few weeks any lingering doubts have surely been erased when it comes to China’s so-called ‘intentions’ in the South China Sea. There is clearly only one goal, a single strategic objective: to dominate this important body of water and ensure Beijing holds de-facto sovereignty from the waves that move from Malaysia all […]
REUTERS/U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS A top U.S. official on Thursday said China’s land reclamation and militarization in the disputed South China Sea was raising tensions and serious questions about its intention. On a visit to Vietnam, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would continue to play a constructive role in supporting its […]
The Japanese destroyers Ariake and Setogiri make a port call at Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay on April 12. TOKYO A maritime security net is closing in on China in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building artificial islands on reefs to erect military facilities in disputed waters. The U.S. plans to start joint patrols […]
Photo provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows construction on Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef in the Spratly Islands. STAR/Armed Forces of the Philippines, file MANILA, Philippines — China’s efforts to land a military plane to a Manila-claimed reef in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea was provocative, the Department of National […]
FILE – Filipino student activists set fire mock Chinese ships to protest recent island-building and alleged militarization by China off the disputed Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea, in Manila, March 3, 2016. FILE – Filipino student activists set fire mock Chinese ships to protest recent island-building and alleged militarization by China […]
Ambient tension in the South China Sea is high as Beijing continues to assertively push its claim for sovereignty over 3 million square kilometres, or 90 per cent of the South China Sea. Tension is set to rise further around April-end and early May when the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivers […]
The latest in tensions between the United States and China is the landing of a Chinese military aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef, one of several man-made islands built by China in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea. The Chinese claim the landing was for a humanitarian operation to evacuate three ill workers, […]
As it watches China build up its presence in the South China Sea, one reclaimed island at a time, the US military is betting on a new technology to help retain its edge — submarine drones. During the past six months, the Pentagon has started to talk publicly about a once-secret program to develop unmanned […]