
Vietnam is preparing to deploy the first of six Kilo-class submarines purchased from Russia in the South China Sea, as a deterrent to China’s seemingly endless expansionism in the region.
by Frances Martel7 Jan 2016, 11:30 AM PST0

Chinese state news outlet Xinhua is reporting that the government has landed two more planes on a landing strip illegal constructed in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, days after Vietnam and the Philippines filed a formal complaint over a similar incident.
by Frances Martel6 Jan 2016, 9:01 AM PST0

The governments of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan have all condemned China for landing a plane on an artificial island in the South China Sea, constructed in what is widely regarded as sovereign Vietnamese territory. China rejects international claims in the sea and has begun constructing military facilities in the Spratly Islands.
by Frances Martel4 Jan 2016, 7:57 AM PST0

A priest in the Philippines who rode around his church on a hoverboard at the end of Christmas mass has been temporarily suspended by his diocese for a period to “reflect” on his actions.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.30 Dec 2015, 4:50 AM PST0

A patriotic organization opposed to Chinese imperialism in the Philippines has made a voyage to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has begun constructing numerous military facilities in violation of international law.
by Frances Martel29 Dec 2015, 8:38 AM PST0

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi demanded Secretary of State John Kerry “respect China’s core interests” in the South China Sea following the presence of a B-52 bomber within 12 nautical miles of the Spratly Islands, a passage the Pentagon has branded unintentional.
by Frances Martel22 Dec 2015, 1:57 PM PST0

The Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper has issued a threat to the Australian government to stay out of the international waters of the South China Sea or face the possibility of having its jets shot down by the Chinese government.
by Frances Martel17 Dec 2015, 9:43 AM PST0

Contents: Egyptian scholar: The original al-Aqsa mosque may not have been in Jerusalem; BBC reporter confronts China’s military in South China Sea
by John J. Xenakis15 Dec 2015, 4:00 AM PST0

The Chinese government is paying “close attention” to the new deployment of an American spy plane off the island of Singapore
by Frances Martel9 Dec 2015, 11:32 AM PST0

Satellite images of construction in the South China Sea indicate the Chinese government has begun construction on three new airstrikes near the Spratly and Paracel Islands, quadrupling its presence in the highly-contested maritime territory.
by Frances Martel7 Dec 2015, 9:10 AM PST0

As the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague prepares to hear the territorial dispute among nations framing the South China Sea – and the Chinese government vows to ignore any verdict – experts suggest a ruling against China could significantly hamper China’s construction of illegal artificial islands and military facilities there.
by Frances Martel2 Dec 2015, 8:57 AM PST0

Contents: China blocks Miss World Canada from attending Miss World pageant; ASEAN leaders harshly criticize China over South China Sea actions; Occupied Crimea declares state of emergency after electricity is cut
by John J. Xenakis23 Nov 2015, 6:10 AM PST0

(Reuters) China has shown “great restraint” in the South China Sea by not seizing islands occupied by other countries even though it could have, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday ahead of two regional summits where the disputed waterway is likely to be a hot topic.
by Reuters17 Nov 2015, 6:16 AM PST0

Indonesia’s defense chief told reporters Wednesday that it, too, may take China to court over its outrageous territorial claims in the South China Sea, following the Philippines’ request for the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague to address the matter. The Hague has accepted the petition.
by Frances Martel12 Nov 2015, 10:02 AM PST0

The Department of Transportation of the Philippines is under fire after more than 20 people have come forward claiming airport officials planted bullets in their luggage to prevent them from boarding flights unless they paid a bribe.
by Frances Martel5 Nov 2015, 10:04 AM PST0

Terrorists from the Abu Sayyaf Philippines-based jihadi group, an affiliate of the Islamic State, have demanded over $60 million dollars for three Western hostages who were kidnapped at the country’s resort island of Samal.
by Jordan Schachtel4 Nov 2015, 8:54 PM PST0

A popular Filipino television host and his guest caused outrage when they dressed in Muslim attire for Halloween.
by Mary Chastain3 Nov 2015, 6:52 PM PST0

The Chinese government is strongly condemning the presence of a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Lassen, in the South China Sea, as an “illegal entry.” American defense officials insist the ship navigated international waters, challenging China’s unilateral claims to sovereignty over the nearby Spratly Islands.
by Frances Martel27 Oct 2015, 6:46 AM PST0

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on a diplomatic visit to London, has reiterated to Reuters his nation’s claim that the entirety of the South China Sea belongs to China, asserting that the islands in that region were “left to us by our ancestors” and cannot be shared with neighboring countries.
by Frances Martel19 Oct 2015, 12:46 PM PST0

The Chinese government is warning the United States and its allies to stop “adding fuel to the flames” in the longstanding territorial dispute in the South China Sea, following a joint announcement by America and Australia that the nations fully intend to exercise their right to navigate the body of water, which China claims entirely for itself.
by Frances Martel14 Oct 2015, 9:04 AM PST0

The Philippine Navy denied reports that wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been found in the island nation.
by Mary Chastain12 Oct 2015, 1:01 PM PST0

Australia said Friday it is in talks with the Philippines to send refugees there, but refused to confirm reports of a Aus$150 million (US$109 million) deal to expand its controversial resettlement policy. Under Australia’s hardline policy to stop asylum-seeker boats
by AFP9 Oct 2015, 2:29 AM PST0

Following the departure of Pope Francis, the streets of eastern Holguín, Cuba, have been flooded with dozens of homeless people that residents say had “disappeared as if by magic” in the week before the Pope’s arrival.
by Frances Martel29 Sep 2015, 6:30 AM PST0

Chinese state media is working hard to portray President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States as a success, but even in a column intending to herald bilateral talks as a step in the right direction, Xinhua asserts that it is the United States which is prompting states to be “aggressive” in the South China Sea.
by Frances Martel28 Sep 2015, 8:44 AM PST0

Experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies warn satellite evidence shows the Chinese military is developing a new airstrip in the South China Sea, one that could allow for “more or less constant” surveillance of the internationally disputed waters.
by Frances Martel15 Sep 2015, 11:43 AM PST0