China condemns U.S. warship’s route in South China Sea

Beijing said it tracked and warned the U.S. vessel when it passed through the waters Tuesday local time.

A U.S. Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the movement of the ship said the Lassen moved through the area without incident. Tiếp tục đọc “China condemns U.S. warship’s route in South China Sea”

U.S. warship sails close to Chinese artificial island in South China Sea

U.S. sends warship within 12 nautical miles of one of China’s artificial islands
Move viewed as potential challenges to China in South China Sea

Washington (CNN): The United States sent a warship very close to one of China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday, a potential challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims in the contested waters.

A U.S. defense official told CNN that the destroyer USS Lassen “conducted a transit” within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands on Tuesday morning local time. Tiếp tục đọc “U.S. warship sails close to Chinese artificial island in South China Sea”

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”

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.

Pentagon debates freedom of navigation operations near reclaimed features

CSIS
Southeast Asia from Scott Circle – May 28, 2015

The Pentagon is considering “freedom of navigation” operations near some of China’s reclaimed features in the South China Sea, according to unnamed officials cited in a May 12 Wall Street Journal article. Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing the next day that he could not discuss potential operations. The proposed operations would likely involve a Navy ship transiting within 12 nautical miles of reclaimed features that were originally submerged, such as Mischief Reef and Subi Reef, to assert that as artificial islands they are not entitled to a territorial sea.

Người phát ngôn nói về va chạm Mỹ-Trung trên Biển Đông

21/05/2015 17:39

(NLĐO)- Trước việc CNN công bố video các máy bay Mỹ bị tàu hải quân Trung Quốc đuổi trên Biển Đông, Người Phát ngôn Bộ Ngoại giao Việt Nam kêu gọi không làm phức tạp thêm tình hình Biển Đông.

Ông Lê Hải Bình cho biết Việt Nam yêu cầu cứu chữa ngay lập tức bằng mọi giá cho 2 người bị thương và sớm điều tra vụ việc

Người phát ngôn Bộ Ngoại giao Lê Hải Bình đã trả lời câu hỏi về việc tàu Trung Quốc nhiều lần đuổi máy bay Mỹ trên Biển Đông

Tiếp tục đọc “Người phát ngôn nói về va chạm Mỹ-Trung trên Biển Đông”

Commentary from Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies in Guangzhou, China

Dear Friends

This professor from  Guangdong Research Institute for International Strategies in Guangzhou, China, is saying that the US activities to protect international freedom of navigation in the East Sea will prompt China to toughen its position, not very good for the US.

Well, China has already treated the US, ASEAN countries, and the world like a bunch of wimps, and the world as a lawless place.  The world simply has to put China to its place and tell China that this world is NOT a lawless place for bullies.

And this is not the US v. China, stupid!  This is the world of law against lawless China.

Hoanh
_________________

FOREIGN POLICY

When China declares an Air Defense Identification Zone in the South China Sea, the United States will have only itself to blame.

CNN: China navy warns U.S. spy plane in disputed South China Sea

May 21, 2015

REUTERS

The Chinese navy warned a U.S. surveillance plane flying over artificial islands that Beijing is creating in the disputed South China Sea to leave the area eight times, according to CNN, which was on board the flight on May 20.

At one stage, after the American pilots responded by saying the plane was flying through international airspace, a Chinese radio operator said with exasperation: “This is the Chinese navy … You go!”

The P8-A Poseidon, the U.S. military’s most advanced surveillance aircraft, flew at 4,500 meters at its lowest point, CNN said. Tiếp tục đọc “CNN: China navy warns U.S. spy plane in disputed South China Sea”