SOUTH KOREA’s defence ministry has confirmed its military fired warning shots after Russian and Chinese aircraft violated its airspace on Tuesday. The warning shots were fired after Russian military jets intruded into the Republic of Korea’s airspace. The confrontation comes after the Putin-Kim summit, where Russia has stepped up its economic ties with North Korea. […]

“Free and open access to the South and East China Seas is critical to both regional security and international commerce…Through its illegitimate efforts to build and militarize islands in the region, the Chinese Communist Party has aggressively attempted to control these critical waterways and undermined international law. This legislation makes clear that any individual or […]

  It has become clear that China test-fired six anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) into the South China Sea (SCS) in late June, in light of remarks made on 18 July by US Navy Admiral Philip Davidson, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. On 4 July, Japanese […]

There were a dozen things President Rodrigo Duterte said in his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22. A highlight of his speech was how he defended his policy toward China and the South China Sea despite accusations that he has been trading the country’s sovereignty in appeasement of China. Duterte said […]

  MANILA — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is treading carefully for once. Keen to keep Chinese money rolling into his country despite domestic pressure over his overtures toward Beijing, Duterte said Monday he is performing a “delicate balancing act” on the South China Sea territorial dispute with China. The president used an annual national address […]

MANILA, Philippines — “In due time.” President Rodrigo Duterte said this Monday as he touched the issue on the country’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea in his fourth State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa. “Of course we will do, in due time,” said Duterte on enforcing the historical arbitral ruling, […]

Preaching is one of the things that Chinese leaders and officials do –and do brilliantly – on the international stage. Wherever they go, they always preach about how international relations should be conducted and paint their country as a responsible, benign and altruistic power. Chinese President Xi Jinping has used speeches at international forums such […]

  BEIJING (Reuters) – Remarks by U.S. officials on China’s role in the South China Sea are slanderous, its foreign ministry said on Monday, after the United States voiced concern over reports of Chinese interference with oil and gas activities in the disputed waters. China’s claims in the South China Sea, through which about $5 […]

CHINA has tested out Russian-made fighter jets over the disputed South China Sea. The South China Morning Post reported the exercises included a three aircraft attack on a seaborne target. Beijing possesses 24 SU-35s that are used by a brigade based near Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province, that is nicknamed “Sword of the South”. A Chinese […]

The new tensions reinforce existing worries about Chinese conduct in the South China Sea. Over the past few weeks, another round of tensions has been simmering between China and Vietnam over energy resources in the South China Sea. The renewed tensions fit into a familiar pattern we have seen regarding Chinese conduct in the South […]