China is reportedly proceeding with the construction of artificial islands on at least two reefs, which are claimed by the Philippines, despite Beijing promising to end some work soon. Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon of Kalayaan Islands, which falls under Philippine’s control, said that he saw Chinese land reclamation activity going on in ‘full swing,’ with many […]
Hainan Island, China — The U.S. and China are jockeying for power in the South China Sea, deploying sharp words and an expanding fleet of warships, spy planes and fighter jets to protect their interests in a vital maritime domain. Is this regional arms race and increasingly tense diplomatic showdown between the world’s two largest […]
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has exhausted all bilateral means to find solutions to the West Philippine Sea dispute and could not be accused of provoking China to go into massive reclamation activities, Malacañang said yesterday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the country has always acted accordingly in addressing the territorial dispute. “We have […]
Follow the latest developments on island reclamation activities in maritime Asia. Exclusive new satellite imagery is added on a regular basis. Island Building Cuarteron Reef U.S. Board of Geographic Names: Cuarteron Reef Chinese: Huayang Jiao (华阳礁) Philippine: Calderon Reef Vietnamese: Bãi Châu Viên The artificial island at Cuarteron Reef saw most of its construction and […]
WASHINGTON DC — The US continues to insist all contesting parties in the South China Sea should halt reclamation activities, US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said at the 2015 Center for New American Security conference. The United States has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, but the White House has stated […]
Reports began emerging in the Vietnamese media on Thursday that China’s Haiyang Shiyou 981 (HD-981) oil rig—the centerpiece of last summer’s clashes between Vietnam and China—was being redeployed off the coast of China’s Hainan Island, in waters where the disputed exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Vietnam and China overlap and west of the disputed Paracel Islands (known […]
The phrase ‘game changer’ is often overused in international affairs. However, China’s terraforming in the Spratlys—transforming submerged or semi-submerged features and rocks into artificial islands—may well prove to be a genuine game changer in the long-running and increasingly contentious dispute. Since mid-2013, China has been undertaking large-scale reclamation work on seven features under its control […]
Nationalism and nationhood in post-colonial, cosmopolitan countries like the Philippines aren’t about ethnicity, but, as eminent Sociologist Benedict Anderson suggest, they are instead anchored by an “imagined community” that is bound by shared dreams, sufferings, and experiences. Amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, pitting a powerful China against a beleaguered Philippines, the sizable […]
PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines: China is pressing ahead with the construction of artificial islands on at least two reefs that are also claimed by the Philippines in an increasingly tense territorial dispute, Filipino officials said, despite Beijing’s pronouncement that some work would end soon. Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon of Kalayaan islands, which are under Philippine control, said […]
The Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue has softened tensions between Beijing and Washington ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in September, analysts say. “Both [sides] made progress … with tensions in the South China Sea eased as both sides reiterated their will to avoid military confrontation in the region,” said Wang […]