A new report on China’s military from the Defense Intelligence Agency comes to a troubling conclusion: The People’s Liberation Army is gaining the characteristic technology and deployment ability to put them on par with Western nations. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has worked to model his military after Western powers, eschewing the Maoist strategies that left […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte sought warmer ties with China at the outset of his presidency, at a time when China was on its way with its ambitious global infrastructure program called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Agenda 2020 logo The Philippine government’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program thus coincides with China’s BRI, which is […]

It’s not surprising that China isn’t happy that Britain may build new bases in the Pacific. What’s surprising is that Britain thinks that building a base in Singapore will accomplish anything. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson raised eyebrows when he told the Sunday Telegraph that Britain might establish bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The […]

MANILA — A new book on the South China Sea will be launched at the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila this week. The book, entitled “The South China Sea Arbitration: Understanding the Awards and Debating with China,” is written by Dr. Alfredo C. Robles Jr. and jointly published by DLSU Publishing House and […]

Vietnam’s tough stance against China over sovereignty of the South China Sea will put Beijing on the defensive during regional talks on easing the regional maritime dispute, people who follow the process say. Officials in Hanoi have suggested establishing a code of conduct that, among other things, would bar construction on artificial islands in the […]

A 1,005 sq KM chain of US-controlled islands in the Pacific Ocean is shaping up to be a focal point in Washington and Beijing’s ongoing jockeying for global influence. The Mariana Islands in the north-western Pacific, comprising the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam, were once seen as “the tip of the […]

TOKYO — The U.S. Navy’s top officer said he urged China to follow international rules at sea to avoid confrontations and insisted Friday that ships should be able to pass safely through disputed areas of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told reporters in Tokyo that […]

CHINA’s “imperial” ambitions represent a major threat to world security, with the South China Sea a potential flashpoint, an expert in US-China relations has said, just days after analysts suggested Beijing was drawing up plans for wars with United States and India. And Professor Michael Cullinane, Professor of US History at the University of Roehampton, […]

The short and vertical takeoff and landing F-35B could be especially valuable for the tiny Southeast Asian country during a crisis. Singapore’s Ministry of Defense has announced that it is formally considering replacing its fleet of F-16C/D Viper fighter jets with F-35 stealth fighters. The vertical takeoff and landing-capable F-35B, in particular, could be especially […]

Over the past month, some international news outlets have reported that Vietnam is pursuing a strong stance on the South China Sea. Yet a closer look at Hanoi’s overall position – as well as those of other countries and international entities – vis-à-vis the maritime issue shows that is not the case. On December 30, […]