SUBIC, Philippines — The Philippines will go ahead with a plan to open military camps at Subic Bay facing the disputed South China Sea even if a proposed American military presence doesn’t happen, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Friday. Gazmin unveiled plans two years ago to open air force and navy camps at the Subic […]
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense questioned China’s announced intention to build facilities on artificial islands it has built in disputed territories in the South China Sea. “For whom are those search-and-rescue facilities?” DND spokesman Peter Paul Galvez asked as he wondered if these were “for our ships and installations that they are […]
MANILA, Philippines — China seems to be uncomfortable with the growing criticisms over its reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea, a foreign affairs analyst said. Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia in the Freeman Chair in China Studies, said that China’s move to establish maritime hotlines among foreign ministries is a sign that […]
An energy analyst said exploring for oil and gas near disputed islands in the South China Sea is too much of a gamble for international energy companies because of the tensions in the region and unconfirmed estimates of the size of the oil and gas deposits. China has been reclaiming land and building port and […]
The Chinese ambassador in Manila says his country respects freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea but will not allow any foreign government to invoke that right so its warships and planes can intrude in Beijing’s territory. Ambassador Zhao Jianhua says Chinese forces warned a U.S. Navy P-8A not to intrude when the […]
ASPEN, Colo. – The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific sternly warned China on Friday to immediately cease its “aggressive coercive island building” in the South China Sea, which he argued was intended clearly for China’s military use as forward operating bases in combat against their regional neighbors. Read more: http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2015/07/chinas-new-islands-are-clearly-military/118591/
A joint strategy needs to build on a shared vision. A shared vision for a long-term stable and orderly South China Sea should draw a line in the sand against all types of assertive activities in the South China Sea and map out avenues for compulsory peaceful resolution of all disputes. It should include deadlines […]
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is getting mixed reaction for its recent declaration on the South China Sea issue. The 10 ASEAN members struggled to reach a compromise statement last week at the end of meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their final communique called for developing a required code of conduct in the disputed […]
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday accused China of restricting navigation and overflights in the disputed South China Sea, despite giving assurances that such movements would not be impeded. Addressing a regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur that has been dominated by the South China Sea, Kerry said China’s construction […]
China’s controversial construction of militarised artificial islands in the South China Sea – dubbed the “great wall of sand” – has been self-defeating, says the US Navy commander whose sailors would be on the front line of any serious conflict. US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift told Fairfax Media the “angst” China has generated […]