Tag Archives: Artificial Islands

Obama Should Confront Xi on the South China Sea

It has long been presumed that economic integration can and will mitigate U.S.-China security competition. But to put it bluntly, this does not seem to be happening. So when President Xi Jinping visits Washington next month, it is essential that the U.S. and China use his visit to confront, not tiptoe around, the underlying reasons […]

Taiwan and the South China Sea: More steps in the right direction

Since then, Taiwan, one of the six claimants in the South China Sea dispute along with China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, has moved to take additional positive steps, most notably, officially launching a South China Sea Peace Initiative. In a climate where much of the news on the South China Sea has been […]

Pentagon Says China Has Stepped Up Land Reclamation in South China Sea

WASHINGTON—A new Pentagon report says China’s reclamation of landmass among a string of artificial islands in the South China Sea has grown dramatically in recent months, and that Beijing is aggressively patrolling the waters there to assert its territorial claims.   Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/pentagon-says-china-has-stepped-up-land-reclamation-in-south-china-sea-1440120837

Should the Philippines’ South China Sea Case Against China Proceed?

Two and a half years ago, the Philippines took an unprecedented step to shake up the territorial dispute roiling the waters of the South China Sea. For years, six nations – including the Philippines and China –have wrestled over control of a smattering of islands and reefs dotting the oceanic expanse. At times, the dispute […]

China’s land reclamation in West PH Sea grows: Pentagon

WASHINGTON – China has reclaimed more land in the disputed Spratly islands of the South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea, than previously known, according to a new Pentagon report, which says Beijing is also completing construction of a runway on one of its seven man-made outposts. Once the airstrip on Fiery […]

LCS to Boost U.S. Presence in Disputed South China Sea

The speed, maneuverability and shallow draft of the Navy’sLittoral Combat Ship makes the platform well suited for the South China Sea, Pentagon leaders said while releasing a new Asia-Pacific maritime strategy document. “The LCS is ideally suited for a role in the South China Sea. It is fast, light and flexible and it has a […]

Early Voyaging in the South China Sea: Implications on Territorial Claims

The South China Sea has been a shipping thoroughfare for at least the past two millennia. Apart from piracy and occasional acts of war, ships of all types and origins have been free to sail wherever they wished. Freedom of navigation through the South China Sea could now be at risk. Six countries lay claim […]

THE LONG SHADOW OF WWII OVER MARITIME ASIA

Over the weekend, the world observed the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific theater. Thoughtful analysts have explored how the war and postwar settlement continue to shape historical memory in East Asia. Over at the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, we have a collection of maps that explain Asia […]

US maintains call for peaceful resolution of sea dispute

THE United States reiterated its call for a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea dispute following China’s release of military recruitment video that seemed to warn other nations. “I think what will promote stability in the region are legal and peaceful means to settle disputes and the US feels very strongly about that and […]

China To Build Giant, Floating Islands In The South China Sea

Despite all denials coming from the Chinese officials in recent months, China is reportedly planning to build gigantic floating islands in the disputed South China Sea. This unchecked ambition of Chinese leaders will surely tip this already heated-up Asian sub-region into what experts called “land-grabbing tussle”, a situation that might be escalated into civil wars […]