MANILA – Beijing has called ”illegal” Manila’s plan to install a $1-million satellite-based system on Pag-asa Island to track commercial flights over the disputed South China Sea. ”China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands including Zhongye Dao,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei, referring to the Chinese name for Pag-Asa Island. ”Any activity […]
SOMETIME in February 1995, it was reported that China had built a number of octagonal huts on Mischief Reef in the Spratly islands group. The report was confirmed by Philippine Air Force air intelligence photographs taken by aerial reconnaissance missions that were sent to Mischief Reef by then Col. Melchor Rosales who was A-2 (Air […]
China’s ongoing reclamation of reefs to turn into an island on 5 strategic areas in the contested Spratly Islands well within the Philippine maritime zone are not mainly focus on constructing its military bases such as airstrip and garrison but also to build a man-made like beach resort similar to the Boracay Islands beach in […]
China’s recent acknowledgement that it is establishing its first overseas military base in the Indian Ocean rim nation of Djibouti, located on the Horn of Africa, represents a transformative moment in its quest for supremacy at sea. With Chinese submarines now making regular forays into India’s maritime backyard right under the nose of its Andaman […]
Now elected, she will have four months before she is officially inaugurated as the next President of Taiwan to convince Beijing that she has no intention to legally move Taiwan towards independence from China. Thus far, she has not responded to calls that clearly state her position on the One-China Principle. While this could be […]
President Ma Ying-jeou explains the importance of regional cooperation during a South China Sea international conference Jan. 19 in Taipei City. (CNA) ROC President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated the significance of his South China Sea Peace Initiative Jan. 19 in Taipei City, calling on all countries and territories in the region to promote peace through collaboration. […]
Despite repeatedly stating that it will not take sides in territorial disputes in East Asia, Washington remains keenly interested in the ultimate fate of the South China Sea. In addition to perennial calls to settle disputes peacefully, regular reminders of the importance of freedom of navigation, military aid to regional actors like the Philippines, […]
The Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, sails in the sea near Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province in 2012. (Chinatopix via AP) China will have so many aircraft carriers by 2030 that the South China Sea will be “virtually a Chinese lake,” a new U.S. study warns, arguing that the balance of power in the […]
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says unilateral actions are in nobody’s interest, urging China to avoid conflict in the South China Sea. Australia made no judgment on competing territorial claims but urged all parties to refrain from actions that were a threat to the ‘peace and good order’ of the region, he said. ‘We would hope […]
Japan should do more to enhance mutual trust with neighboring countries and promote regional stability, instead of sowing discord, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei at a routine press briefing. Hong made the remarks while commenting on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s latest interview with the Financial Times, in which he voiced Japan’s concerns about […]