A couple of weeks ago, IHS Jane’s, a leading British publishing company specializing in military topics, reported that China was reclaiming land at Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea and transforming permanently submerged features that do not qualify as an island under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea into […]
The US Air Force has deployed several F-22 Raptor jets from an Alaska air base to Japan to partake in exercises, according to reports. The deployment, according to the Aviationist, has the dual purpose in allowing “U.S. aircrews fly and train with local Japan Air Self Defense Forces, and show the presence of Washington’s most […]
MANILA, Philippines – China was asked yesterday to respect a Philippine court decision imposing a fine of $100,000 (P4.3 million) each on nine Chinese fishermen for poaching in Philippine waters plus P120,000 ($2,666) each for taking wildlife. Speaking to reporters, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose said the nine Chinese fishermen have undergone […]
Late last week, an IHS Jane’s report corroborated claims that China was embarking on an island-building project in the South China Sea. Based on satellite imagery, Jane’s reported that China was building an airstrip-capable island on Fiery Cross Reef, a group of three reefs in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China claims the territory as part of Hainan […]
When people ponder where the next major conflict might erupt, they often look to the South China Sea – the scene of the potentially most explosive, intractable, overlapping sovereignty claims in the world. What can the United States do to find a peaceful solution to tensions between China, the Philippines and Vietnam, and indirectly between […]
As China once again offers ASEAN states billions of dollars and promotes another treaty for “Good Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation” (which sounds an awful lot like the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation), Southeast Asian nations should consider how China perceives ASEAN and what goals it hopes to gain from its interactions with the bloc. By […]
MANILA, Philippines—Several months after China was first found to be conducting reclamation activities in a reef in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines has been helpless in stopping the Asian giant from doing nearly all it wants in the disputed region. The latest of China’s reclamation projects is on Fiery Cross Reef, which China calls […]
University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP-IMLOS) with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) launched a book that will enhance Philippines position on Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal internationally known as Scarborough Shoal. The book entitled “Bajo de Masinloc: Maps and Documents” was launched November […]
Not gone and not forgotten, China is ready to solidify its claim to the South China Sea (SCS). Recent satellite imagery confirms China is conducting significant land reclamation operations in the Spratly Islands in the SCS. The SCS is an important fishing ground and is believed to hold large amounts of oil and gas. Undermining […]
In what was the first ever port call between the countries, two Vietnamese frigates visited the Philippines on Tuesday. An unnamed Filipino naval officer said the two countries would hold peaceful joint patrols and operations in the Spratlys. But the timing of the maiden port call was clear. It coincides with the first anniversary of China’s declaration […]