MANILA seems to have found a major ally in India in its territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). In a roundtable interview with editors and staff of The Manila Times on Tuesday, Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shri Lalduhthlana Ralte said New Delhi, like the Philippines, believes that the […]
China and several Southeast Asian nations are currently embroiled in a territorial and maritime dispute in the South China Sea over an area that includes a cluster of resource-rich islands and important trade routes. As China’s presence in the area becomes harder to ignore, Japan has quietly begun forging security ties with Chinese geopolitical adversaries. […]
Over the past two years, China has been methodically terraforming small reefs and shoals into islands in the highly contentious South China Sea (SCS). The SCS is important not only because of its strategic, trade, and resource potential but also because many of the claimants’ direct links with the U.S. such as the Philippines. China’s progressive […]
A stunning series of photos released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. offer a grim outlook for the region as Beijing ratchets-up its territorial assertions over the hotly disputed Spratly and Paracel islands. At least four major man-made structures have been erected on Itu, Gaven, Johnson South and Fiery […]
The ‘VIP’ Group of Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines all share both advantageous relations with and deep disagreements with China in the South China Sea. Working together, they could present a united front. This would include establishing Joint Development Areas allotted by auction and linked by a common-carrier open-access energy infrastructure. Each has a serious […]
Dramatic new satellite imagery demonstrating China’s efforts to reclaim land and construct facilities in the South China Sea has prompted concern among policy makers in Washington. This is as it should be—at stake is more than just a handful of isolated and obscure reefs and islands. Beijing’s bold moves are testament to its expansive claims […]
A recent U.S. suggestion for Japanese patrols in the South China Sea has elicited a sharp rebuttal by the Chinese government and reignited Chinese media discussion of a South China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). An ADIZ would require all air traffic to obtain China’s permission before flying over the South China Sea, or […]
NAHA, Japan — Once a sleepy, sun-soaked backwater, this air base on the southern island of Okinawa has become the forefront of a dangerous test of wills between two of Asia’s largest powers, Japan and China. At least once every day, Japanese F-15 fighter jets roar down the runway, scrambling to intercept foreign aircraft, mostly […]
China’s construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea is lawful and justified, as China is merely building facilities in its own yard, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday. [Special coverage] Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress, China’s top […]
BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) — China’s construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea is lawful and justified, as China is merely building facilities in its own yard, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday. Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s […]