All any nation needs to go to war is a good provocation, and China is no exception. With its sweeping territorial claims, island-building, militarization, patriotic fervor, and prickly rhetoric, Beijing is setting itself up to be repeatedly provoked in the South China Sea. It might even be counting on it. UNCLOS territorial jurisdictions.(Wikipedia) Consider the […]

(CNN)Capable of hitting targets 3,400 miles away, China’s “Guam killer” missile is raising new fears of a growing Chinese threat to major U.S. military installations and stability in the Pacific Rim. A congressional panel has issued a report warning of the dangers of the missile, during a week in which U.S.-China tensions flared anew with […]

(CNN)Satellite photos show China has been rapidly building military outposts on disputed islands in the South China Sea, significantly boosting its presence in the already tense region, according to a Pentagon report released Friday. “China continues to invest in military programs and weapons designed to improve power projection, anti-access area denial and operations in emerging […]

WASHINGTON—China has reclaimed more than 1,295 hectares of land in the southeastern South China Sea. But the country’s focus has shifted to developing and arming those manmade islands to give it greater control over the maritime region without having to resort to armed conflict, according to a new Pentagon report. In its most detailed assessment […]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will try and convince Group of Seven leaders at the summit in Mie Prefecture later this month to form a united front in countering China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea, sources have said. “The point is whether the G-7 can reach a consensus (on the issue) and how many […]

TAIPEI, May 13 (Reuters) – Taiwan on Friday called on an international tribunal not to make a ruling on a disputed South China Sea island if the judges don’t visit first to see for themselves it can sustain life. Taiwan wants to prove Itu Aba is not just a rock, but a real island that […]

In its most detailed assessment to date of China’s island-building program, the Defense Department said three of the land features in the Spratly Islands now have nearly 10,000-foot runways and large ports in various stages of construction. Philstar.com/File WASHINGTON — A new Pentagon report says China has reclaimed more than 3,200 acres of land in […]

China is using “coercive tactics” and fostering regional tensions as it expands its maritime presence in the South China Sea and elsewhere, but is avoiding triggering an armed conflict, the Pentagon said Friday. In an annual report to Congress, the Defense Department outlined China’s rapid military growth and described how it is assertively defending sovereignty […]

Beijing is rallying the court of public opinion ahead of an international arbitration ruling on the Philippines’ legal challenge against Chinese maritime claims. A senior Chinese diplomat on Thursday amplified Beijing’s grounds for rejecting the tribunal’s authority over the dispute and sought to cast the Philippines as irresponsibly pursuing a frivolous lawsuit. “Any ruling issued […]

With the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) expected to deliver its ruling on the Philippines-China dispute over maritime jurisdiction in the South China Sea (SCS) as early as next month, China has embarked on a diplomatic offensive to rally international support to downplay the court’s decision. To this end, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently […]