China on Tuesday called on the United States to stop “unfriendly” and “dangerous” military flights after two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American surveillance plane over the East China Sea. The US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft took evasive action Sunday after a Chinese J-10 warplane zoomed underneath it, slowed down and pulled up in front … Read more
A US surveillance plane was forced to take evasive action after two Chinese fighters intercepted it over the East China Sea, the Pentagon said Monday. The incident occurred Sunday when the two Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance plane in international air space west of the Korean Peninsula, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain … Read more
India began holding naval exercises with the United States and Japan off its south coast on Monday, seeking to forge closer military ties to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. The exercises come as Indian and Chinese troops face off in a remote and strategically sensitive part of the Himalayas where India, China and … Read more
US warplanes have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said Friday, a move aimed at asserting freedom of navigation rights in the hotly-contested area. The flights come as both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the G-20 meeting in Hamburg. A US B1-B bomber and two … Read more
A new study has revealed that the major culprit behind Earth’s polluted oceans are the world’s river systems. Researchers at the Ocean Cleanup Project has estimated up to 5 trillion pounds of plastic is floating in the sea, and two-thirds of it comes from the 20 most contaminated rivers – 67 percent of the global … Read more
Plastic that is dumped in rivers and then ends up in the world’s oceans is one of the major sources of marine pollution, a new study said this week, with Asian waterways the main culprits. Researchers at The Ocean Cleanup — a Dutch foundation developing new technologies for ridding the oceans of plastic — say … Read more
China has denied US allegations that two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American military plane earlier this week, saying that its aircrafts were acting “in accordance with the law”. “Related remarks from the US side are inconsistent with fact,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted to its website late Friday. “On … Read more
Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted an American military plane over the East China Sea, media in the United States have reported, citing US officials. NBC News said the US aircraft, a WC-135 Constant Phoenix, was conducting a routine mission in international airspace Wednesday when it was intercepted over the East China Sea by two Chinese … Read more
Two Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 jets have conducted an “unprofessional” intercept of a US aircraft, the US military said. The US WC-135 plane was on a mission to detect radiation in international airspace over the East China Sea. One of the Chinese jets came as close as 150ft (45m) to the US aircraft, according to US … Read more
Japan said Friday it scrambled fighter jets after a Chinese vessel sailing in disputed waters launched a drone, the latest bout of tension in a longstanding territorial row. The two countries are at odds over a group of small uninhabited islands in the East China Sea administered as the Senkakus by Japan but claimed as … Read more
Japan plans to donate retired military patrol aircraft to Malaysia, a report said Friday, as alliances strengthen in response to China’s maritime claims. The two countries are among a number in the region stepping up defence cooperation against what they see as Beijing’s aggressive stance on the high seas. Beijing insists it has sovereign rights … Read more
The Philippines Monday took delivery of two Japanese military surveillance aircraft to help it patrol vital sea lanes in the South China Sea, despite Manila’s increasingly conciliatory stance to Beijing’s claims over the disputed waters. Japan will lease a total of five surplus Beechcraft TC-90 planes to the Philippines, according to Manila’s defence secretary Delfin … Read more
U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday the escalating threat from North Korea’s nuclear program showed a clear need for a “new approach,” although he stopped short of detailing what steps the Trump administration would pursue. Tillerson was speaking at a news conference following talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in … Read more
Japan plans to dispatch its largest warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea beginning in May, three sources said, in its biggest show of naval force in the region since World War Two. China claims almost all the disputed waters and its growing military presence has fueled concern in Japan and the … Read more
The Japanese and US navies are conducting joint exercises in the East China Sea as tension intensifies in the region following North Korea’s missile tests, local media reported on Friday. The two sides launched the drill earlier this week, involving Japanese destroyers and a US Navy carrier strike group, the Sankei Shimbun daily and Kyodo … Read more
China pledged more support for its military on Sunday including strengthening maritime and air defenses as it takes steps to safeguard its sovereignty, but in a highly unusual move did not give spending figures for 2017 despite promises of transparency. Parliament’s spokeswoman, Fu Ying, said on Saturday defense spending for this year would rise about … Read more
China says it will increase military spending by about 7% this year, just days after Donald Trump outlined a boost to the US defence budget. The scheduled announcement was made ahead of the annual National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing. China has been modernising its armed forces recently as its economy expands. China’s announced defence … Read more
China will raise defence spending by “around seven percent” this year as it guards against “outside meddling” in its disputed territorial claims in Asian waters, a top official said Saturday. “We call for a peaceful settlement through dialogue and consultation (of the disputes). At the same time we need the ability to safeguard our sovereignty … Read more
A Japanese court on Thursday awarded record compensation for thousands of residents near a US military base over aircraft noise, but rejected their demand to suspend flights at odd hours. An Okinawa court ordered the Japanese government to pay 30.19 billion yen ($266 million) in damages to about 22,000 residents near Kadena Air Base — … Read more
China’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern on Monday after Japan got continued U. S. backing for its dispute with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. A joint Japanese-U.S. statement after the weekend meeting in the United States said the two … Read more