Tag Archives: Artificial Islands

Why the world is wary of China’s ‘great wall of sand’ in the sea

(CNN)The leaders of Southeast Asian nations recently took the extraordinary step of warning China that its island-building activities in the contested South China Sea “may undermine peace, security and stability” in the region. That’s strong language from the usually reticent 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and shows just how high tempers are flaring […]

China Lashes Out Over U.S. Plan on South China Sea

Beijing condemned on Wednesday a proposed U.S. military plan to send aircraft and Navy ships near disputed South China Sea islands to contest Chinese territorial claims over the area. “We are severely concerned about relevant remarks made by the American side. We believe the American side needs to make clarification on that,” said Foreign Ministry […]

China reportedly warns US against sending ships, aircraft to South China Sea

WASHINGTON –  China has reportedly warned the U.S. against sending U.S. Navy aircraft or ships to the South China Sea to contest territorial claims made by Beijing in disputed waters. The Wall Street Journal had reported late Tuesday that the Pentagon was considering flying surveillance aircraft and sending ships to within 12 nautical miles of […]

U.S.’ Kerry to take tough approach in China over South China Sea

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will leave China “in absolutely no doubt” about Washington’s commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and flight in the South China Sea when he visits Beijing this weekend, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday. Setting the scene for what could be contentious encounters with Chinese leaders, including […]

Philippine military chief visits South China Sea island

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines’ military chief flew to a Filipino-occupied island in the South China Sea on Monday and vowed to defend the territory and help develop tourism and marine resources there amid disputes with China. Related Stories Pentagon weighs sending planes, ships near disputed South China Sea reefs Reuters South China Sea […]

Environmentalists demand China to stop ‘ecological destruction’ in West PH Sea

Environmentalists trooped to the Chinese Consulate in Makati City on Monday to demand China to stop its reclamation works in the West Philippine Sea which damage the marine ecosystem in the area. Holding banners written with the call “China Out of Philippine Seas Now,” about 20 members of the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment […]

China Balks At Pentagon’s Report Warning Of Aggressive Behavior In South China Sea

China’s Foreign Ministry says a U.S. report is defying the facts and painting an unfair picture of China’s military involvement in the South China Sea. According to a statement released on Sunday, the Chinese think the Americans are hopelessly stuck framing the world in Cold War terms. The U.S. report, released last Friday by the […]

Josh Rogin: Beijing is behaving badly in the Pacific. And the White House doesn’t seem to know what to do

Following a year of China’s flagrant and aggressive activities in contested waters, some in Washington are calling for U.S. President Barack Obama to cancel China’s invitation to the largest maritime military exercise in the world. Some leaders in Congress and the military want to exclude China, warning about its military buildup in the East China […]

An Environmental Turn In South China Sea Disputes – Analysis

On 13 April 2015, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) released a statement calling out China’s reclamation activities as causing “irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the South China Sea (SCS)/West Philippine Sea (WPS).” The DFA pointed out that China’s activities have so far caused destruction to over 300 […]

Stopping China and avoiding war

In the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), China continues its “reclamation” projects on several disputed reefs which appears to be future airstrips and harbors meant to accommodate jets and warships. Aside from posing security threats to countries in Southeast Asia, these reclamation projects have also been termed as an ecological catastrophe because the reclamation destroys the […]