Tag Archives: USA

China to Build Military Facilities on South China Sea Islets

BEIJING—China said it is shifting work on disputed South China Sea islets from the dredging of land to the construction of military and other facilities as it pushes forward with a program that has aggravated tensions with the U.S. and neighbors. In a statement on its website Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry said land reclamation on […]

Rules and Rocks: The US-China Standoff Over the South China Sea Islands

The long-running, multi-party dispute over control of islets in the South China Sea (SCS) is worsening both in rhetoric and provocative activity. Meeting in late May at the Shangri-La Dialogue on regional security, US and Chinese defense officials sparred over responsibility for the increased tension, though they stopped short of issuing threats. In fact, all […]

Checking China’s military build-up in the South China Sea

China intends to ignore the Obama administration’s demand that it halt its military base-building in the South China Sea. It is time for Washington to face a new reality: Either it leads the way to a new “armed peace” in this region, or China will soon commence a war for domination. First, it is important […]

China Plays the Victim in the South China Sea

The strategic discussion between the U.S. and China can’t be called a dialogue of the deaf. The talk is loud and each side hears the other. Yet a lot of mishearing is happening. Perhaps the metaphor should be a security debate shaking on a sea of scrambled semiotics. Everybody purports to be talking about the […]

China Slams G-7 Criticism on Sea Claims

China on Tuesday slammed the Group of Seven (G-7) nations for making “irresponsible remarks” about Beijing’s disputed territorial claims in the East and South China Seas. In a statement at the end of a summit in Germany on Monday, G-7 leaders expressed concern about Asian maritime tensions and called on all sides to respect international […]

A New Diplomacy to Stem Chinese Expansion

China’s aggression is pushing the South China Sea to a boiling point. Beijing’s massive island-building project is militarizing the territorial disputes, changing the territorial status quo and shifting the region’s balance of power. The U.S. response has been reactive, rhetorical and confused. To stop and reverse Chinese expansion, the U.S. needs a bold and comprehensive […]

East Coast Fil-Ams weigh in on South China Sea row

NEW YORK CITY—“One hundred seventeen years later, China is invading the Philippines by creating artificial islands surrounding the Philippines. China is saying they own all of [the] South China Sea, that they own all of West Philippine Sea. Mga ulol [They are crazy]!” These were the words of business tycoon Loida Nicolas-Lewis, chair of the […]

China to UN: PH ‘totally wrong’ on sea row

MANILA, Philippines – A Chinese diplomat at the United Nations (UN) lashed back at the Philippines’ criticism of its massive reclamation in the South China Sea, saying Manila has a “clear purpose to deceive the international community.” China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN Wang Min took exception to statements from the Philippine ambassador to […]

Through diplomacy, conflict in the South China Sea can be avoided

When a U.S. Navy P8-A surveillance aircraft recently flew near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, it was warned eight times by the Chinese navy to leave the area. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that “China’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as […]