China ‘extremely concerned’ by proposed U.S. challenge to claims

Fri Sep 18, 2015 4:48am EDT

China ‘extremely concerned’ by proposed U.S. challenge to claims

China said on Friday it was “extremely concerned” about a suggestion from a top U.S. commander that U.S. ships and aircraft should challenge China’s claims in the South China Sea by patrolling close to artificial islands it has built.

China’s increasingly assertive action to back up its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea have included land reclamation and the construction of ports and air facilities on several reefs in the Spratly Islands. Tiếp tục đọc “China ‘extremely concerned’ by proposed U.S. challenge to claims”

Chinese Warships Made ‘Innocent Passage’ Through U.S. Territorial Waters off Alaska

USNI News

A photo of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warships in 2014. PLAN Photo

Five Chinese warships crossed into U.S. territorial waters heading south out of the Bering Sea exercising a stipulation in maritime law that allows a warship to cross into another country’s maritime territory legally, U.S. defense officials told USNI News on Thursday.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) flotilla made an “innocent passage” passing within 12 nautical miles of the Aleutian Islands that border the southern edge of the Bering Sea, defense officials told USNI News. Tiếp tục đọc “Chinese Warships Made ‘Innocent Passage’ Through U.S. Territorial Waters off Alaska”

Malaysia and U.S. in Talks to Ramp Up China Spying

bloombergview
<p>Someone's been busy here.</p> Source: DigitalGlobe via Getty Images
Someone’s been busy here.
Source: DigitalGlobe via Getty Images

The U.S. and Malaysia have been secretly discussing expanded use of Malaysian territory for hosting U.S. spy planes to patrol the South China Sea, in response to increased Chinese activity in the disputed territory.

Following a series of incursions into Malaysian waters by Chinese vessels in recent months, talks between the U.S. government and the office of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have intensified, two senior U.S. defense officials said. The U.S. side has been pressing Najib’s government to allow the U.S. Navy to fly both P-8 Poseidon and P-3 Orion maritime surveillance planes from Malaysian airstrips over South China Sea areas where the Chinese government has been rapidly building artificial islands. Tiếp tục đọc “Malaysia and U.S. in Talks to Ramp Up China Spying”

US Plans More Anti-China Drills in Asia-Pacific

22:15 26.08.2015(updated 05:33 27.08.2015)

The United States will increase the number of drills it conducts in the Asia-Pacific as part of its new strategy to counter to China’s expansion in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said on Wednesday.

 Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, discussed the Pentagon’s recently drafted Asia Pacific Maritime Security Strategy with his Filipino counterpart, General Hernando Iriberri, during a visit to Manila, Reuters reported.

The talks outlined Washington’s actions in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea, focusing on the protection of “freedom of seas,” deterring conflict and coercion, and promoting adherence to international law, according to Colonel Restituto Padilla, a military spokesman. Tiếp tục đọc “US Plans More Anti-China Drills in Asia-Pacific”

Patrolling international skies: Understanding joint air patrols

In examining recent suggestions for joint patrolling of the South China Sea, analysts have tended to focus on the surface vessels of various nations’ coast guards and navies. Yet the flight of a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon hosting a CNN film crew over disputed waters in the South China Sea in May highlighted the potential of air power – specifically maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) – in executing the possible missions of joint patrols. To explore the potential effectiveness of South China Sea joint air patrols it is important to first be clear about the often overlooked distinctions in missions, locations, and concepts. Tiếp tục đọc “Patrolling international skies: Understanding joint air patrols”

Growing Maritime Security Concerns in Southeast Asia: A Greater Need for Further Regional Cooperation


The United States, Japan and Vietnam stand a lot to gain from expanding their strategic partnerships to battle regional maritime challenges.

Hoang Anh Tuan – Nguyen Vu Tung
June 19, 2015

The National Interest – Cooperation between Japan, the United States, and Vietnam has been improving dramatically over the last several years—a reflection of both the changing strategic environment in the region, as well as a deepening sense of trust among the three countries.

Recent events—especially when one examines specific instances of warming bilateral ties with Vietnam—demonstrate how far relations have come. For example, during U.S. secretary of defense Ashton Carter’s recent visit to Vietnam from May 31 to June 1, 2015, he and his Vietnamese counterpart, Gen. Phung Quang Thanh, signed a Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations—a remarkable development in the defense ties between the two nations, as relations were only normalized just twenty years ago. Tiếp tục đọc “Growing Maritime Security Concerns in Southeast Asia: A Greater Need for Further Regional Cooperation”

Beijing’s Master Plan for the South China Sea

Beijing’s Master Plan for the South China Sea

Beijing’s Master Plan for the South China Sea

In late 2013, Beijing started taking a very different approach to sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea — although few outside China noticed the change. Instead of directly confronting the other regional claimant states, Beijing began the rapid consolidation of, and construction on, the maritime features already under its control. And it did so on a scale and pace befitting China’s impressive engineering prowess. Tiếp tục đọc “Beijing’s Master Plan for the South China Sea”

Để bảo vệ chủ quyền và tự do hàng hải

19/06/2015 09:55 GMT+7

TTTừ tháng 5-2014, tức cùng thời điểm với vụ giàn khoan Hải Dương 981, báo chí Trung Quốc bắt đầu đưa tin về việc triển khai bồi đắp các thực thể tại quần đảo Trường Sa.

Đến nay, tháng 6-2015, sau hơn một năm, Trung Quốc đã và đang hoàn thành việc bồi đắp bãi Vành Khăn, Xu Bi, Tư Nghĩa, Gaven (nằm dưới mặt biển khi thủy triều cao) và đá Chữ Thập, Châu Viên, Gạc Ma (cao hơn mặt biển khi thủy triều dâng). Nước này đã xây dựng trái phép trên các thực thể được cải tạo đó nhiều cơ sở hạ tầng, bến cảng, hệ thống viễn thông, dân sự và quân sự. Các hình ảnh vệ tinh gần đây nhất cho thấy Trung Quốc đang hoàn thành đường băng dài 3km trên đá Chữ Thập.

SO SÁNH MỨC ĐỘ XÂM PHẠM

Việc Trung Quốc đưa giàn khoan Hải Dương 981 vào vùng đặc quyền kinh tế Việt Nam đã xâm phạm vùng biển thuộc quyền chủ quyền của Việt Nam. Việc bồi đắp các thực thể tại Trường Sa nghiêm trọng hơn rất nhiều, là sự xâm phạm nghiêm trọng chủ quyền của Việt Nam đối với các thực thể đó, đồng thời xâm phạm quyền chủ quyền của Việt Nam trên các vùng biển lân cận. Tiếp tục đọc “Để bảo vệ chủ quyền và tự do hàng hải”

CSIS: Southeast Asia Sit-Rep June 18

CSIS Southeast Asia SIT-REP

The SIT-REP gives you links to all of CSIS Southeast Asia’s (@SoutheastAsiaDC) best updates and programs in a five minute read. This issue includes a report on Southeast Asia’s place in the U.S. Japan alliance, a recent event and commentary on Southeast Asia’s refugee crisis, analysis of what Beijing’s recent South China Sea announcement doesn’t mean, and much more. Links will take you to the full publications, multimedia, or to registration for upcoming programs when available. To jump to a section, select one of the following: Tiếp tục đọc “CSIS: Southeast Asia Sit-Rep June 18”

Massive island-building and international law

June 15, 2015

AMTI. CSIS – Within the short span of a year, China’s rapid construction of artificial islands in the disputed Spratlys has radically changed the geographical and security landscapes in the South China Sea.

This island construction has so far created over eight million square metres of real estate in the open sea, outstripping other countries’ reclamation activities by far, and shows no sign of abating. Hundreds of millions of tons of sand and coral have been dredged from the seabed and dumped atop fragile coral reefs that are vital components of the maritime ecology. Marine experts expect that the work has already caused disastrous and essentially irreversible environmental impacts. Tiếp tục đọc “Massive island-building and international law”

PGS Philippines: ‘Mong Việt Nam hành động mạnh hơn về biển Đông’

VNN – “Từ lý do đó, chúng tôi nhận thấy rằng cần phải hợp tác chặt chẽ hơn với Việt Nam, và chúng tôi hy vọng rằng Việt Nam có thể là bên thứ ba mặc nhiên chịu ảnh hưởng trong vụ kiện đường lưỡi bò”.

LTS: Việt Nam và Philippines đang trong quá trình tiến tới thiết lập quan hệ đối tác chiến lược. Tuần Việt Nam có bài phỏng vấn PGS. Richard Javad Heydarian của Đại học De La Salle (Philippines) về vấn đề này. PGS. Heydarian đồng thời là Cố vấn chính sách của Hạ viện Philippines, và cây bút trên Huffington Post, The National Interest, Aljazeera… 

biển Đông, Việt Nam, Philippines, Mỹ, đường lưỡi bò, Trường Sa, Hoàng Sa, đảo nhân tạo, Trung Quốc, tòa quốc tế, kiện
PGS. Richard Javad Heydarian. Ảnh: Huỳnh Phan

Philippines và Việt Nam đang tiến tới mối quan hệ đối tác chiến lược. Xin ông cho biết việc 2 nước có mối quan tâm chung là tình hình an ninh Biển Đông và cùng có tranh chấp với Trung Quốc, điều này có phải là quá muộn không, khi Việt Nam với Thái Lan và Singapore đã thiết lập quan hệ đối tác chiến lược trước đó?  Tiếp tục đọc “PGS Philippines: ‘Mong Việt Nam hành động mạnh hơn về biển Đông’”

Australia Has a Larger Role to Play in the South China Sea

by  • June 4, 2015

Both the tone and substance of South China Sea discussions in Australian policy circles has undergone an important shift in recent months. What was previously a second-tier security concern to be watched closely and engaged diplomatically, but at a safe distance, has become a heated discussion about concrete responses. Australian policymakers are as concerned as anyone about China’s breakneck land reclamation in the Spratly Islands and the threats, both legal and military, they pose to the global commons. Australian officials and thinkers are seriously considering options to contest Chinese assertiveness, in tandem with the United States and other partners, which would have seemed distant possibilities a year ago. Tiếp tục đọc “Australia Has a Larger Role to Play in the South China Sea”

In defense of facts in the South China Sea

AMTI – Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s address at this weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue was generally well received by conference attendees and Asia-security watchers. A few critics have argued that Carter was “just talk.” What none have noted, however, is the fact that the Secretary’s remarks were the latest installation in a series of moves by the administration to articulate a fact-based approach to the South China Sea. This approach is a nuanced one and does not necessarily constitute a “strategy” for countering China’s recent moves. It is, however, a wise way to engage two key audiences to whom Carter was speaking at Shangri-La: other states in the region and China itself. Let me explain.

Tiếp tục đọc “In defense of facts in the South China Sea”

U.S. naval vessel on patrol meets Chinese military vessels in South China Sea

 CSIS
Southeast Asia from Scott Circle – May 28, 2015

The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth on May 13 completed a weeklong patrol of the South China Sea, including near the disputed Spratly Islands, during which the U.S. Navy said it encountered several Chinese warships and was trailed at least once by a Chinese frigate. The Fort Worth, which is on a rotational deployment to Singapore, used agreed-upon codes for unplanned encounters with the Chinese vessels.