Indonesia deploys fighter jets, warships to disputed waters in China spat

  JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia has deployed fighter jets and warships to patrol islands near the disputed South China Sea, the military said Wednesday, escalating tensions with Beijing after a diplomatic spat over “trespassing” Chinese vessels. President Joko Widodo also headed Wednesday to the fishing-rich waters around the Natuna islands, which border the South China […]

PHL, Japan top diplomats say two countries committed to peace, rule of law amid sea row with China

  The Philippines and Japan on Thursday said they are committed to enforcing the rule of law and ensuring peace and stability in Asia amid lingering maritime disputes in the region. Both countries have had separate ongoing territorial disputes with China. The Philippines is locked in a long-running sea row with Beijing over parts of […]

Subi Reef is PH territorial sea

  Under the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court (ICC), individuals who commit a crime against humanity may be charged before the ICC. This is true even if such individuals are citizens of a state that is not a party to the Rome Statute, provided that the crime is committed in the territory […]

AFP: Dozens of Chinese vessels spotted near Pag-asa Island

  MANILA, Philippines — Chinese fishing vessels continue to stay near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Western Command chief Vice Adm. Rene Medina said Wednesday there were 38 stationary Chinese boats surrounding the sandbars of Pag-asa as of Tuesday night. There are three sandbars between Pag-asa and the Philippine-claimed […]

Japan and Vietnam vow to uphold rule of law in South China Sea

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, left, and Pham Binh Minh, his Vietnamese counterpart, pledged to maintain freedom of navigation in the South China Sea at a news conference in Hanoi on Jan. 6. HANOI (Kyodo) — Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh on Monday underscored the importance of maintaining […]

The South China Sea: Preventing the Tyranny of the Commons

  Territorial disputes have exacerbated an ongoing fishery crisis. The only solution is achieving regional fishery management. The South China Sea is often viewed through the lens of territorial disputes and growing state competition. While the United States persists with freedom of navigation operations, China continues to develop artificial islands. Meanwhile, claimant states are becoming […]

Indonesia deploys military to South China Sea

  A major maritime standoff is brewing in the South China Sea with Indonesia sending in the military to force Chinese boats out of its territorial waters. It’s the latest spat between China and Southeast Asian nations over their competing claims to islands and reefs in the South China Sea. https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/indonesia-deploys-military-to-south-china-sea/11850886

Water Wars: Stare Decisis in the South China Sea

  On Dec. 12, 2019, Malaysia further delineated the limits of its extended continental shelf, directly challenging Chinese claims in the South China Sea. Malaysia submitted information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf that expressed its rights to an extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. In accordance with the […]