
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

MANILA (AFP) – British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Thursday on a visit to the Philippines that any attempt to restrict air and sea travel in the disputed South China Sea would be viewed as a “red flag”. China said it
by AFP7 Jan 2016, 2:49 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

The relationship between Vietnam and China is strained over Beijing’s aggressive assertion of its maritime territorial claims, pushing Vietnam’s Communist Party toward an old enemy, the United States, The Washington Post (WaPo) reports.
by Edwin Mora29 Dec 2015, 1:49 PM 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 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 Vietnam prepares to enact new legislation that will seriously curb religious freedom, police have begun cracking down on Christians, especially those most vocal about their faith. In a period of just ten days, police twice assaulted Christian student activist Chu Manh Son and Catholic journalist Tran Minh Nhat, each of whom had previously served prison terms for denouncing Vietnam’s human rights violations.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.19 Nov 2015, 10:53 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

The European Union made its strongest call yet for China and other Asian nations to resolve their dispute over the South China Sea, a position Brussels insists is neutral but that the United States is likely to welcome after pressing the bloc to speak up.
by Reuters6 Nov 2015, 7:50 AM PST0

An American defense official said this week that the U.S. Navy is planning to navigate through disputed waters in the South China Sea “about twice a quarter or a little more than that,” activity likely to irritate China, which claims complete control over the sea, even further.
by Frances Martel3 Nov 2015, 8:10 AM 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

Vietnam is accusing a Chinese vessel of attacking and sinking a fishing boat near the disputed Paracel Islands, days after the Chinese government insisted that territories in the South China Sea were not international waters, but belonged to China.
by Frances Martel16 Oct 2015, 7:17 AM 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

Contents: Thousands of cars in China stuck in week-long traffic jam; Fears in Israel grow of ‘third intifada’ as West Bank violence spreads; Anger and frustration grow among West Bank Palestinians; Four Russian cruise missiles fall in Iran; Severe epidemic of dengue fever strikes Vietnam
by John J. Xenakis9 Oct 2015, 4:00 AM PST0

Vietnam appears to be the biggest winner among the 12 countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, says multiple news reports. “This is really transformational for Vietnam,” IHS Global Insight’s Asia Pacific Chief Economist Rajiv Biswas told ABC News. “They’re going to get a very big advantage over many other exporters of garments into the U.S. market.”
by Alex Swoyer8 Oct 2015, 10:36 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

Contents: China continues rapid military deployment in South China Sea; Japan and Vietnam boost military ties to counter China
by John J. Xenakis17 Sep 2015, 4:00 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

China is consolidating its newfound authority over the international South China Sea by declaring it controls international waters off the coast of independent Vietnam.
by John Hayward4 Sep 2015, 5:42 PM PST0

Contents: China displays belligerence, militarism in WW II victory parade; China’s weaponry highlighted by the anti-American ‘carrier killer’; Many world leaders snub China’s WW II victory parade; China sends warships to Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska; China rewrites history of WW II by giving credit to Mao instead of Chiang
by John J. Xenakis4 Sep 2015, 5:43 AM PST0

Contents: Slovakia will accept 200 migrants — but only if they’re Christian; China’s yuan devaluation causes currency chaos in Asia
by John J. Xenakis20 Aug 2015, 6:12 AM PST0

Contents: Russian women increasingly marrying Chinese men; Germany ends its Patriot missile deployment in Turkey
by John J. Xenakis16 Aug 2015, 3:53 AM PST0