China is outfitting its controversial artificial islands in the South China Sea with warplane hangars and weapons, the Pentagon said in a report released Tuesday. According to the report, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force intends to base three regiments of warplanes there. “Although its land reclamation and artificial islands do not strengthen China’s territorial […]
The Trump Administration is starting to show some backbone on China’s territorial power play against its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea. But if the Philippines, Vietnam and others are to stand up to Chinese bullying, the U.S. needs to do more to show it is committed to the region’s stability. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-markers-in-the-south-china-sea-1496746701
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte still respects Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, even while the tough-talking leader has repeatedly blasted the magistrate for criticizing his foreign policy. The Palace made the comment in the wake of Carpio’s appearance at a media forum on Monday, where the magistrate warned that the administration’s foreign policy […]
MANILA, Philippines — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson irked Beijing in his recent comment that China is using its economic powers to buy its way out of problems. “China is a significant economic and trading power, and we desire a productive relationship, but we cannot allow China to use its economic power to buy […]
SINGAPORE – Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says that he expects the Trump Administration will realize continued engagement in the Indo-Pacific region is in the interest of the U.S., during a speech at an annual regional security summit in Singapore. In a wide-ranging speech that was well-received by the audience, Turnbull also urged China to […]
China was criticised for “unilaterally” altering the status quo in the East and South China seas at a regional security forum at the weekend, although envoys for Beijing argued their nation follows international law. Defence ministers from the United States, Japan and Australia also voiced support for a ruling by an international arbitration panel last […]
How we judge the success of the U.S. Navy’s freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) near Mischief Reef last week depends on what it was supposed to achieve. Was it intended to address a legal problem or a strategic one? To be more specific, did it aim to contest China’s claim of a 12-nautical mile territorial […]
PM Modi has termed sea lanes passing through South China Sea as “main arteries” of global trade. SINGAPORE: The US today praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on having freedom of navigation and adhering to the international norms for peace and economic growth, amidst China flexing its muscles in the disputed South China Sea. Speaking […]
The European bloc is cautious about China’s militarization of islands. EU officials are set to bring up discussions about the South China Sea during a summit on Friday, possbily in a careful manner to avoid the tense situation seen last year. Premier Li Keqiang will meet top EU officials at the summit in Brussels to […]
The US will not accept China’s militarisation of man-made islands in the South China Sea, Defence Secretary James Mattis has warned. Speaking at a security conference in Singapore, he said such moves undermined regional stability. China’s territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea are contested by several nations. At the same time, Gen Mattis […]