Strategically responding to China’s conflict escalation in South China Sea, newly elected President Widodo announced Indonesia’s New Maritime Strategy in November 2014. Contextually, Indonesia should have responded much earlier for a redefinition of Indonesia’s maritime postures in keeping with China’s enlarging escalation of conflict in the South China Sea against Indonesia’s ASEAN neighbours. Regrettably this […]
The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative has released a special issue on land reclamation and development activities in the South China Sea. As part of its ongoing effort to promote transparency in maritime Asia, AMTI obtained exclusive, never-before-published, imagery of China’s recent building efforts in the Spratly Islands. The collection of exclusive photographs includes coverage of […]
According to a report from IHS Jane’s, China’s delegation is refusing to allow the South China Sea issue to be put on the agenda for an upcoming defense minister’s meeting. Specifically, Jane’s reports that China “declined the proposal by ASEAN countries to have the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea […]
China is beefing up its rapid deployment force in the disputed Spratly Islands to enable it to respond at short notice in case tensions flare up in the South China Sea, which geologists believe contains huge oil and mineral gas deposits, according to Philippine government officials. Beijing’s rapid expansion and upgrading of military infrastructure on […]
Researchers at a key government-funded institute in China appear to have contradicted their director to lay out a moderate, or at least undecided, position for China on the so-called nine-dash line in a recent edition of Eurasia Review. This line, which was first drawn by the Nationalist government of China before 1949, appears to demarcate […]
China’s official news agency on Friday likened the Philippines to a “crying baby” for seeking international support against island-building in disputed waters by Beijing, denouncing its efforts as “pathetic”. The caustic commentary by the Xinhua news agency came two days after foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) voiced concern over Beijing’s land […]
KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia — Southeast Asia will push for an early conclusion of a maritime pact to defuse tension in the South China Sea, Malaysia said Wednesday as the Philippines decried the grouping’s inaction over reclamation activities by China in disputed waters. Foreign ministers from 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations grappled […]
Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are concerned over China’s land reclamation projects in the South China Sea and have pledged to step up efforts to deal with what they see as a threat from China. Their statement came on Wednesday after the topic was brought up at a ministers’ retreat in […]
Vietnam has joined the Philippines in condemning China’s attempts to build islands in the East Sea in what analysts say could be yet another futile verbal effort to stop Beijing. “Vietnam resolutely opposes China’s illegal construction projects that jeopardize the status quo on the Truong Sa Archipelago,” Pham Thu Hang, deputy foreign ministry spokeswoman, said […]
Manila: All ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China must work together to reduce tension due to the overlapping claims in the South China Sea, an American official said, adding the US and all other countries in the world want to remain as neutral referees who aim to end tension […]