The Chinese military’s latest drill transforms its approach in the disputed South China Sea from “passive” to “proactive.” It’s part of a new strategy aimed at preparing for “unexpected confrontations,” according to the PLA Daily. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories. China’s military has stepped up its exercises in the South China Sea […]

  A Chinese construction firm banned by the World Bank and a dredging firm that Beijing reportedly used for reclamation activities in the disputed Spratly Islands were among the companies that bagged big-ticket infrastructure projects in the Philippines during the recent state visit of President Duterte to China. The contract of China Road and Bridge […]

  KUALA LUMPUR: China has protested against Malaysia filing a submission with the United Nations last week seeking to establish the limits of Malaysia’s continental shelf in the northern part of the disputed South China Sea, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, […]

  Allow me to do something new: review the columns I wrote in 2019, to look for patterns or recurring themes. I wrote seven columns related to the midterm elections and its aftermath, including “How much power does Inday Sara have?” — one of at least three occasions where I raised, and tried to answer, […]

  MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is eyeing another agreement with France to strengthen maritime defense cooperation. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and French Defense Minister Florence Parly recently signed the Letter of Intent on Enhancing Defense Cooperation in the Maritime Domain in Paris. “Secretary Lorenzana’s visit to France culminated in the increased level of interaction […]

  Beijing — China on Monday called the expulsion of diplomats from the U.S. a “mistake,” following reports that Washington quietly expelled two embassy officials in September after they drove onto a sensitive military base in Virginia. The incident is the latest spat between the world’s two biggest economies and comes days after they announced […]

  Ever since President Trump launched a trade war with China in March 2018, I have been hearing foreign-policy elites say: “Trump is a terrible president. But he’s right about China, and I’m glad he’s doing something about it.” Indeed, the trade war has been one of the few Trump policies that has won support […]

  JAPAN has sent a chilling warning to China as tensions continue to soar over the disputed South China Sea. Japan’s Defence Minister Taro Kono has warned Beijing against its growing influence in the world and accused the nation of making “unilateral and coercive attempts” to break international law in the South China Sea. Mr […]

  China’s military has stepped up its exercises in the South China Sea to prepare for “unexpected confrontations”, according to a report in Sunday’s PLA Daily. The military mouthpiece said a naval aviation unit under the Southern Theatre Command had completed a long-time early warning reconnaissance drill in which participants identified more than 10 kinds […]

  Key point: People’s war could start to look awfully like conventional marine combat if Beijing believes the military balance and the trendlines favor China. Last year China’s defense minister, General Chang Wanquan, implored the nation to ready itself for a “people’s war at sea.” The purpose of such a campaign? To “safeguard sovereignty” after […]