Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has said Australia will continue to fly military aircraft over disputed waters in the South China Sea even if Beijing imposes a unilateral restricted air zone. A day after demanding an end to Beijing’s island-building in the contested waters during a key Asian security conference, Mr Andrews indicated Australia would not heed any […]
China’s rapid claim on contested islands in the South China Sea is beyond anything seen previously and raises legitimate questions about Beijing’s intentions in the region, the secretary of the Australian defence department, Dennis Richardson, said. Richardson told a Senate estimates committee on Monday that the military buildup on China’s reclamation program in the South […]
A Chinese representative’s strongly worded response to the South China Sea dispute at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Sunday could have a negative effect on the issue, a Taiwanese scholar said that day. China has tried to present itself as a peaceful country in previous talks, but its representative uttered some strong […]
U.S. warships likely to challenge expanded Chinese sovereignty When discussing the growing conflict over China’s dredging new islands to extend its sovereignty 1,000 miles into the resource-rich South China Sea, one phrase frequently pops up from U.S. military officers past and present. “China,” they say, “doesn’t do off-ramps well.” What they mean is that once […]
The South China Sea has long been the focus of simmering maritime disputes between China, which claims sovereignty over almost all of the sea, and its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific, each with smaller overlapping claims. But strains between China and the United States have increased since February, when satellite images revealed that Chinese vessels are […]
Australia has urged China and south-east Asian countries squabbling over territory in the South China Sea to sign a code of conduct immediately. The defence minister, Kevin Andrews, issued a veiled swipe at China during a speech to an Asia Pacific security summit in Singapore on Sunday. “We are particularly concerned at the prospect of […]
The Philippines says tension with China over disputed islands in the South China Sea is the country’s most pressing security concern. China claims most of the islands in the South China Sea, putting it at odds with other claimants like the Philippines and Vietnam, which are backed by the US. The dispute has come to […]
China’s ninth defense white paper published on May 26 openly declared that overseas military bases will be necessary to carry out the New Economic Silk Road Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (“Belt and Road”) initiatives, according to Chinese political analyst Mao Yulin in an article for Duowei News, a media outlet operated […]
BEIJING – China has rejected accusations by Ashton Carter that China’s actions in the South China Sea are “out of step” with international rules. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a six-point response on Saturday. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China’s sovereignty and rights in the area have a historical foundation, and do not require land reclamation […]
SINGAPORE—The United States on Saturday called for an “immediate and lasting halt” to reclamation works in disputed waters in the South China Sea, saying Beijing’s behavior in the area was “out of step” with international norms. “First, we want a peaceful resolution of all disputes. To that end, there should be an immediate and lasting […]