Recent satellite imagery appears to show China is completing structures intended to house surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) on a series of artificial islands in the South China Sea, a Washington think-tank said Thursday. According to images published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, the structures are being installed on Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef and Subi … Read more
US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, has started what it calls “routine operations” in the South China Sea, with a fleet of supporting warships. The deployment comes days after China’s foreign ministry warned Washington against challenging Beijing’s sovereignty in the region. China claims several contested shoals, islets and reefs in the area. It has … Read more
The USS Carl Vinson is no stranger to the region US aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson has started what it calls “routine operations” in the South China Sea, with a fleet of supporting warships. The deployment comes days after China’s foreign ministry warned Washington against challenging Beijing’s sovereignty in the region. China claims several … Read more
A US aircraft carrier strike group is patrolling in the South China Sea, the US Navy said Saturday, days after Beijing told Washington not to challenge its sovereignty in the waterway. China asserts ownership of almost all of the resource-rich waters despite rival claims from several Southeast Asian countries. It has rapidly built reefs into … 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
A Chinese military aircraft had an “unsafe” encounter with a US Navy surveillance aircraft near a contested reef in the South China Sea, the US Pacific Command said. The two planes came within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of each other during Wednesday’s incident near the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both the Philippines and … Read more
US President Donald Trump offered Japan assurances Friday that mutual defense agreements cover the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed by China as the Diaoyus. After repeatedly questioning defense pacts, Trump signed off on a joint statement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that reaffirms America’s security guarantee. The pair said they “oppose any unilateral action that seeks … Read more
China has asserted its “indisputable sovereignty” over parts of the South China Sea after the Trump administration vowed to prevent China from taking territory in the region. The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing would “remain firm to defend its rights in the region”. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Monday the US would “make … Read more
Outgoing U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday he was confident the next administration would stick to the same peaceful principles on Asian security as the current one, despite hawkish comments from President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks. Referring to the disputed South China Sea, Kerry told a university audience in Ho Chi … Read more
A Chinese Navy warship has seized an underwater drone deployed by an American oceanographic vessel in international waters in the South China Sea, triggering a formal diplomatic protest from the US and a demand for its return, a US defence official said. The “naval glider” was used to test water salinity and temperatures to help … Read more
China’s success at turning around relations with the Philippines under its new president Rodrigo Duterte show the “conspiracies” of certain countries to stir up trouble in the South China Sea have been defeated, China’s foreign minister said on Saturday. In July, the Philippines won a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague … Read more
Duterte aligns Philippines with China, says U. S. has lost Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks. Duterte made his comments in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least … Read more