At a conference hosted by the Chinese communist party-affiliated Global Times in Beijing on December 8, Chinese government and military officials discussed conflicts in the South China Sea and the state of relations between the United States and China. The Global Times quoted People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force Colonel Commandant Dai Xu, who is […]
Beijing is setting up a new aircraft unit that will be crucial to its new southern bastion. There has been significant press attention to some of China’s shiny, new military toys, such as the DF-26 “carrier killer” anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), the much-discussed J-20 fighter program , not to mention Beijing’s aircraft carrier program. Lately, […]
Tensions in the South China Sea have been rising steadily in recent years, thanks to China’s declared sovereignty over the entirety of the massive waterway, despite competing claims from no fewer than five other nations with established international norms on their side. The United States, in particular, has taken issue with China’s claimed ownership of […]
A 2018 DigitalGlobe overview imagery of the Fiery Cross Reef, in the western part of the Spratly islands group in the South China Sea. It has undergone large-scale reclamation by China. OPINION: The dispute over maritime claims in the South China Sea appears to be intensifying. This raises two questions: first, whether the tensions will […]
Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Eufracia Taylor and Hugo Brennan – Senior Asia Analysts at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft – explores the motives of China’s push for joint oil and gas exploration in […]
MANILA, Philippines — A ranking Chinese military official called for a more aggressive approach against United States warships conducting freedom of navigation operations in the disputed South China Sea. Dai Xu, president of the Institute of Marine Safety and Cooperation and a senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, said Beijing should not […]
The naval and Coast Guard vessels of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have consistently drawn attention in the heavily disputed South China Sea, especially with the completion of military bases on artificial islands that China has built on Philippine-claimed reefs in the Spratly archipelago. What has not often drawn attention is the presence in […]
MANILA, Philippines — China’s naval and coastguard vessels have been consistently present in the South China Sea, especially that its artificial naval air bases in the Spratly Islands are already operational. But what does not often get attention is the presence of its maritime militia. While they appear as fishing fleets, this unit should not […]
MANILA, Philippines — The recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippines and China on joint oil and gas development could serve as the foundation for finally settling the disputes in the South China Sea, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Friday. Carpio made the remark during the Pilipinas Conference organized by […]
Trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies go well beyond the parameters of imports and exports. Washington has been attempting to negotiate with Beijing about issues like forced tech transfers and intellectual property theft, but there’s a growing sense among international analysts that talks may also be touching on other deep-rooted issues in their […]