WASHINGTON – China has nearly completed two more runways on artificial islands in a disputed area in the South China Sea, a U.S. think tank said Friday, adding that Beijing appears to be speeding up construction work to claim sovereignty in the area. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a major think tank in […]
When Chinese officials announced in 2013 that they would open an Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to primarily fund big construction projects across the Pacific, they launched a slow-motion freak-out in Washington. As they went around the world inviting governments to join, Obama administration officials pressured their allies in Asia, Europe and elsewhere not to. The […]
A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces’ TC-90 training aircraft is seen in this undated handout photo released by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces, and obtained by Reuters on Aug. 5, 2015. Japan wants to give planes to the Philippines that Manila could use for patrols in the South China Sea, sources said, a move that would […]
So, what difference does the Asean Community make? The first thing to remember is that Asean does not displace the individual nation-state. Each member state has chosen not to subsume any part of its sovereignty to a larger Asean institution or entity. Certainly, in respect of internal affairs, the principle of non-interference is sacrosanct. Therefore, […]
Vietnam’s Prime Minister shakes hands with the Secretary General of United Nations, next to Malaysia’s Prime Minister during the 7th ASEAN-United Nations Summit last November. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images) What is the best strategy for addressing China’s territorial ambitions in the South China Sea? China is engaging in a subtle campaign of territorial encroachment in the […]
According to Chinese state media, the ship will be the largest coast guard vessel in the world. China has finished construction on a second 10,000-ton China Coast Guard (CCG) cutter destined for patrols in the South China Sea, Chinese state media reports. The ship, designated CCG 3901, “has been completed recently and is ready to […]
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday declared as constitutional a defense pact that allows American forces, warships and planes to temporarily base in local military camps, in a boost to U.S. efforts to reassert its presence in Asia as China rises to regional dominance. Ten of the 15 members of the high […]
Beginning 2016 with a trip to the region for the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) hosted by the Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka sets the tone for the year ahead. At IONS, regional naval leaders met in person to deepen cooperation, highlighting where our interests intersect and offering us a chance to identify where they diverge. […]
In recent years, in its attempt to extend the naval influence in the South China Sea, China had went on to build about half a dozen artificial islands in the Spratlys despite the strong protest from Vietnam and Philippines. China in denouncing the South East Asian nations’ claims over the archipelago, even renamed Spratlys as […]
China is once again testing the mettle of the Asean nations by landing aircraft on a newly built runway on Fiery Cross Reef among the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The state-run Xinhua news agency last Wednesday (Jan 6) released photos of two commercial jets on Fiery Cross – referred to by […]