Despite seeking a balance between the superpowers, Vietnam desires more robust security ties with Washington. As the incoming Biden administration formulates its South China Sea strategy, one regional partner that looms large is Vietnam. Over the last few years, tensions between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea have remained high, impacting fishing and […]
The exercise reflected a new emphasis on small, dispersed troop units and command centers, which are intended to be harder to locate and destroy. The simulation was one of the first to be directed from a command hub consisting of three armored vehicles that can be set up or moved in minutes and emit fewer […]
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has offered an olive branch to the incoming Biden administration, saying a “new window of hope” is opening. In a wide-ranging interview with state news agency Xinhua published on Saturday, he urged the Biden administration to adopt a sensible approach and restart engagement with China to get bilateral ties back […]
CONGRESS has approved a new $740.5bn (£541.9bn) defence spending bill overturning President Trump’s veto as a Senator warned of “World War III” with Beijing. This was achieved by a cross-party alliance of Democrat and Republican lawmakers. The bill included a five year $18.5bn (£13.5bn) ‘Pacific Deterrence Initiative’ to boost the US military presence in the […]
China flew its biggest warplane, the Y-20 transporter, to Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed South China Sea on December 25, satellite images show. The huge aircraft was seen on the airstrip on the militarised reef in the Spratly Islands but was not observed loading or unloading cargo. The images were posted on LinkedIn on […]
HANOI IS PROCEEDING WITH JOINT DRILLING VENTURES WITH JAPANESE FIRMS IN THE DISPUTED WATERWAY DESPITE THE FAILURE OF SIMILAR PROJECTS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES BUT ANALYSTS SAY CHINA IS LIKELY TO TEST VIETNAM THROUGH MARITIME PROVOCATIONS IF THE ENERGY VENTURES GO AHEAD When the Japanese energy firm Inpex in November settled a four-year legal battle against […]
JOE BIDEN has his hands tied over the US’ approach to the South China Sea, and is tipped to carry on Donald Trump’s policy in the disputed waters as the trade conflict between Washington and Beijing moves to “larger issues”. Nick Marro, Global Trade Lead at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), told Express.co.uk the President-elect […]
CHINA has started sea trials of its second amphibious assault ship, months after launch, which could be deployed in the South China Sea. The ship, called the Type 075, is known as a Landing Helicopter Dock. According to reports, it set sail from the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai. The ship is heading towards the […]
According to the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer “asserted navigational rights and freedoms near Vietnam in the vicinity of the Con Dao Island in the South China Sea” on Thursday. “The ship conducted normal operations within Vietnam’s claimed territorial seas to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access and navigational […]
As wealthy countries scramble to buy up the limited supply of big-name coronavirus vaccines, China is stepping in to offer its homegrown jabs to poorer countries. But the largesse is not entirely altruistic, with Beijing hoping for a long-term diplomatic return. The strategy carries multiple possible benefits: deflecting anger and criticism over China’s early handling […]