China Conducts ‘Combat Patrols’ As Philippines Joins U.S., Japan, Australia for Naval Exercises
The Philippines joined the U.S., Japan, and Australia on Sunday for a large-scale joint air and naval exercise in the South China Sea.
freedom of navigation
Xi Jinping Visits Vietnam, Urges Hanoi to Cooperate with Beijing Against U.S. Influence
Chinese dictator Xi Jinping paid a visit to Vietnam on Tuesday in an effort to counter growing U.S. influence in the region.
U.S., South Korea, Japan Announce ‘Regular’ Trilateral Military Exercises in Biden Summit
The trilateral summit between the United States, South Korea, and Japan at Camp David, Maryland, on Friday produced several joint statements reaffirming the commitment of the three free nations to stand for Taiwan’s freedom, denuclearize North Korea, keep the Indo-Pacific free, and support human rights.
U.S. Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait on Tiananmen Square Anniversary
The USS Russell, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. It was the seventh U.S. Navy transit of the strait in 2020, and the second such passage in the past three weeks.
‘Hostile Action’: China Warns UK Against Regional Deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth
China warned Britain against becoming more active in the South China Sea, saying any deployment of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth near the contested Spratly Islands could be seen as a “hostile action.”
U.S. Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait for Tenth Time This Year
The guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, the tenth such passage by a U.S. Navy ship this year.
Donald Trump to Iran: No Nuclear Weapons and Stop Sponsoring Terror
President Donald Trump set demands for Iran Monday as the rogue nation continues to challenge the United States and raise tensions in the region. “The U.S. request for Iran is very simple – No Nuclear Weapons and No Further Sponsoring
China Furious as French Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait
U.S. officials confirmed on Wednesday that the French frigate Vendemiaire sailed through the Strait of Taiwan on April 6 and Chinese military vessels shadowed it.
‘Aggressive’ Chinese Warship Forces American Destroyer to Change Course
U.S. defense officials have confirmed a Chinese warship performed “unsafe and unprofessional” maneuvers in the South China Sea on Sunday, coming perilously close to an American destroyer and forcing the U.S. Navy ship to change course in order to avoid a collision.
China Cancels Security Meeting, Mattis Cancels Trip to Beijing
China on Sunday canceled a planned security meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. Mattis responded by canceling his October trip to Beijing.
Japan’s Largest Warship Visits Sri Lanka, Sends Message to China
The Japanese helicopter carrier Kaga visited Sri Lanka over the weekend, calling on a port that was developed with Japanese financial assistance while the people and government of Sri Lanka are questioning the wisdom of becoming more deeply indebted to China.
South Korean Destroyer Sails near Contested South China Sea Islands
The South Korean destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great sailed close to the disputed Paracel Islands in mid-September, irritating the Chinese even though South Korean officials say the ship was merely seeking refuge from a typhoon.
China: U.S. ‘Ignoring the Positive Efforts’ Beijing Is Making in Colonizing South China Sea
China’s Defense Ministry issued an angry rebuke of American coverage of China’s colonization of the South China Sea, particularly waters belonging to the sovereign territory of other nations. Ministry spokesman Senior Col. Wu Qian insisted on Thursday that American media are “ignoring the positive efforts” China has made in the region.
Beijing Accuses U.S. of ‘Serious Provocation’ as Destroyer Sails Through South China Sea
The USS Mustin American destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands on Friday, prompting an angry statement from Beijing claiming that China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the islands and accusing the United States of “harming regional peace and stability” with its patrols.
Ahead of Trump Visit, China Hopes U.S. Will ‘Help and Not Cause Problems’ in South China Sea
At a press conference about President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to China, Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang on Friday asserted Chinese sovereignty over the South China Sea and expressed hope that the United States would “help and not cause problems” with China’s conquest.
U.S. Commanders: Iranian Navy Jeopardizing International Navigation
On Tuesday, the aircraft carrier USS George W. Bush entered the Strait of Hormuz from the Indian Ocean, a vital waterway that handles about 30 percent of the world’s oil shipping. As it has done so often over the past few years, Iran sent a swarm of speedboats to harass the carrier.
China Bans Vietnam from Fishing in Vietnamese South China Sea
The government of Vietnam has condemned China for imposing a fishing ban over its territory in the Paracel Islands, a South China Sea archipelago that China illegally claims as its own.
Australia Backs U.S. in South China Sea Confrontation
On Tuesday, the USS William P. Lawrence, a guided-missile cruiser, sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Fiery Cross Reef, which is occupied by China, in a deliberate challenge to China’s aggressive territorial claims.
Saudi Arabia Assures Israel Of Passage Though Tiran Straits
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister says Saudi Arabia has given Israel written assurances the kingdom will guarantee Israel freedom of passage in the Tiran Straits. Tuesday’s announcement comes as Egypt readies to hand over control of two islands in
U.S. Navy Sends Carrier Group to South China Sea
The Navy Times minces no words about the mission of the USS John C. Stennis in the South China Sea, declaring “the United States just sent a carrier strike group to confront China.”
Bolton: China May Soon Have ‘Hands Around the Throats’ Of Vital U.S. Allies
John Bolton agreed with Bannon that the American people have not been well-prepared by their political leaders to understand the enormous strategic significance of the South China Sea, or the true scope of China’s ambitions. He laid the task of providing that perspective, and rallying public support for whatever American counter-moves are necessary, at the feet of the next President.
