A U.S. combat ship used agreed codes for unplanned encounters when it met a Chinese vessel during a recent patrol of the contested South China Sea, according to the vice chief of naval operations. The USS Fort Worth met a Chinese military vessel near the disputed Spratly islands, Admiral Michelle Howard told reporters on Tuesday […]
Since China began reclaiming land in the South China Sea a few months ago using advanced dredging techniques, the Spratly Islands have become a test of wills between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. As WSJ’s Andrew Browne writes, one tiny reef in particular has become a potential flashpoint for U.S.-China ties: […]
Secretary of State John Kerry recently visited Beijing for the purpose, among other things, of persuading the Chinese to submit their claims in the South China Sea to negotiation with the other ASEAN states. To no one’s surprise, the mission was a failure; the Chinese flatly refused to budge from their position, and had the […]
Instead of becoming more deeply entangled in the South China Sea quarrel, the United States needs to take a step back. It is one thing to make clear to Beijing that Washington will never countenance China transforming 80 percent of that area into Chinese territorial waters. It is quite another matter to implicitly back rival […]
In the past 12 months, China has provoked considerable attention with its reclamation activities in the South China Sea, particularly in the Spratlys where it controls seven maritime features. China’s history of salami-slicing presents a dilemma to regional countries as well as external powers with regional interests: do they escalate an incident each time China […]
Vietnam said it will not respect a fishing ban imposed by China in the Gulf of Tonkin. Tensions sparked once again Sunday after Vietnam refused to abide by China’s fishing ban on the disputed maritime area. Since 1999, China has imposed an annual fishing ban to promote and maintain the fishing industry, however, Hanoi believes […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – The United States and China clashed over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea yesterday, as China’s foreign minister asserted its sovereignty to reclaim reefs saying its determination to protect its interests is “as hard as a rock”. After a private meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, China’s Foreign […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – The United States and China clashed over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea yesterday, as China’s foreign minister asserted its sovereignty to reclaim reefs saying its determination to protect its interests is “as hard as a rock”. After a private meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, China’s Foreign […]
This week the annual report to the US Congress on China’s Military Power was released. It noted Beijing’s use of ‘low-intensity coercion’ across the South China Sea and East China Sea. Its assessment stated that: China often uses a progression of small, incremental steps to increase its effective control over disputed territories and avoid escalation to military […]
WASHINGTON — The Chinese government gave a stern warning Wednesday that it will protect its sovereignty in the South China Sea after a cat-and-mouse pursuit of a U.S. warship by a Chinese frigate. “The Chinese side will take resolute measures to safeguard national sovereignty and safety. We will keep an eye on the situation in […]