China’s dubious claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea, which includes overlapping claims with the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam, took another hit recently This May 11, 2015 aerial photo taken through a glass window of a military plane shows China’s on-going reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the […]
With the Shangri-La Dialogue — a high-profile regional security convention — set to begin on Friday, observers predicted that Washington will try to further pressure and isolate China on maritime issues. They also cautioned that the United States should not let the South China Sea issue overshadow China-US ties. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is […]
You would expect more noise out of Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian government claims a dozen Spratly islands in the disputed South China Sea. China and Taiwan claim them as well along with the rest of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea that’s packed with fish, gas and oil. Malaysia even opened one islet, Layang Layang, to diving […]
With the rule of law and political will, every dispute, including those in the South China Sea, can be resolved. In 2008, I received an award from the Rhodes Academy of Ocean Law and Policy and the Onassis Foundation. I was given the Onassis Distinguished Scholar Award for my contributions to peace at sea. In […]
HARBIN, CHINA – JANUARY 21: (CHINA OUT) Smokes rise from the buildings surrounded by heavy smog on January 21, 2016 in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province of China. The visibility in the city fell as the smog hit Harbin On Thursday. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images) China Toxic Debt Solution Has One Big Problem The Federal […]
An international tribunal’s decision will reorder the tense chess game over the South China Sea — and test Washington’s commitment to the Philippines. An obscure court in The Hague will soon issue a ruling likely to inflame tensions in the South China Sea and force Washington to clarify how far it is willing to go […]
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Thailand’s prime minister and India’s defence minister called on Friday for upholding international law as they spoke at an Asian security summit that is being held ahead of a key U.N. court ruling on the South China Sea dispute. But both stopped short of saying that the decision by the Permanent Court […]
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama asked Congress to ratify contentious UN maritime rules Thursday, hoping to strengthen his hand in a dangerous stand-off with Beijing over the disputed South China Sea. Crew members of China’s South Sea Fleet taking part in a drill in the Xisha Islands, or the Paracel Islands in the South […]
As the US grapples with escalation in the South China Sea, Timor-Leste makes an unprecedented move that may present a solution. The words spoken by President Barack Obama in Hanoi, Vietnam in May resonated loudly with the people of Timor-Leste. The president reminded all that “Nations are sovereign, and no matter how large or small […]
MIRI, Malaysia — Spotting a large vessel off the coast of Sarawak state in March, officers on a Malaysian patrol boat were shocked when it steamed toward them at high speed, blaring its horn before veering off to reveal “Chinese Coast Guard” emblazoned on its side. According to an officer from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement […]