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China ordered to submit counter-argument in sea dispute by Dec. 15 Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/105670/china-ordered-to-submit-counter-argument-in-sea-dispute-by-dec-15#ixzz33oE9C04E Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

MANILA, Philippines–China has been ordered by the international Arbitral Tribunal handling the maritime dispute case filed by the Philippines to file its counter-memorial, or counter-argument, by Dec. 15, despite its position that it will not participate in the arbitration. “In Procedural Order No. 2, the Arbitral Tribunal fixes December 15, 2014 as the date for […]

Designs of China’s planned base on Mabini Reef surface

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese designs of a proposed man-made island on Philippine-claimed Mabini (Johnson South) Reef in the South China Sea were recently released by an arm of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The Ninth Design and Research Institute of the state-owned contractor bared three-dimensional design plans for reclamation project on disputed waters showing an […]

Japan, Lawfare and the East China Sea

In an article published by The Diplomat on May 29, Jerome Cohen makes an impassioned and well-reasoned argument for states in East Asia to utilize independent, third-party arbitration mechanisms wherever possible to challenge China’s maximalist claims. This was very much the theme of a question I asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his opening keynote […]

Reed Bank: South China Sea flashpoint

The Philippines is seeking to develop the seabed hydrocarbon resources of Reed Bank in the South China Sea, an area under dispute with China. Should Manila put plan to action, Beijing is likely to dispatch enforcement vessels to disrupt such activities. Given the deteriorating bilateral relationship, tensions between the two countries are in danger of […]

China: S. China Sea claims lawful, based on historical record

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Deputy Chief of China’s PLA General Staff, Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong answered press questions about the Nine Dash Line, the demarkation line used by China for its South China Sea territorial claims. Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, speaks during the fourth […]

South China Sea Standoff: The U.S. Must Get Off The Sidelines

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Within days of President Obama concluding his recent trip to Asia, which was meant to reinforce America’s commitment there as the Chinese threat grows, China attacked Vietnamese vessels to advance its claim over disputed waters and to test Washington’s resolve. A firm, multilateral response is needed to avoid escalation and to demonstrate […]

Signs of rule of law in Asia’s Wild West

One reason the world pays so much attention to a white-knuckle struggle over East Asia’s seas and islands is that the watery clashes resemble the bad old days of America’s Wild West. Brute force competes with the law. Crude power tries to trump principles applicable to all. A grand battle is underway to create a […]

Chinese General: South China Sea Disputes May Turn China into ‘Qualified Enemy’ of US

Chinese Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu told The Wall Street Journal this week that he believes the United States is making “very, very important mistakes” with regard to territorial disputes in the South China Sea and that continuing the approach preferred by the Obama Administration will force China to become a “qualified enemy” of the U.S. Zhu […]

Vietnam, others could haul China into world court: academic

HANOI — Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines could try going to an international court in a coordinated push against China, Trinh Hoa Binh of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences argued in a recent interview. Tensions between Vietnam and its huge neighbor to the north have run high since Beijing planted an oil rig in […]