President Joe Biden reiterated U.S. commitment to the Philippines’ security and noted the “deep friendship” of the two nations as he hosted Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for White House talks Monday as concerns grow about the Chinese navy’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. Marcos’ visit …
Read More »Malaysia’s prime minister claims over 200,000 refugees have fled to his country from Burma
Malaysia’s leader is calling for Burma’s ruling generals to resolve the civil conflict Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday that more than 200,000 refugees have fled Burma to his country and urgently called for new ways to persuade Burma’s ruling generals to resolve the civil conflict. Anwar and his …
Read More »Philippines and Australia advance defense cooperation in South China Sea
Canberra pushes for joint patrols with the Philippines, as Manila and Washington discuss same The Philippines and Australia have agreed to formalize their “strategic” defense engagement through an annual meeting, their defense chiefs said Wednesday, as both countries look to counter Beijing’s growing military influence especially in the South China …
Read More »China accuses US of ‘slander and hype’ over air incident
It’s the American spy plane that dangerously approached a Chinese jet, not the other way around, Beijing insists Washington’s account of last week’s air incident over the South China Sea, involving a Chinese military jet and a US spy plane, disregards the truth and is “pure slander and hype,” the …
Read More »Taiwan jets scramble as China air force enters air defense zone
Taiwan’s air force scrambled on Friday to warn away 18 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense zone, Taiwan’s defense ministry said, part of what is a regular pattern of incursions that has angered the government in Taipei. Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, has complained of repeated …
Read More »China says it warned away U.S. warship in South China Sea
Chinese forces followed and warned away a U.S. warship that entered waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the country’s military said on Thursday, but the U.S. Navy denied the ship had been warned off. The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said the USS …
Read More »China protested Indonesian drilling, military exercises
China told Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime territory that both countries regard as their own during a months-long standoff in the South China Sea earlier this year, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The unprecedented demand, which has not previously been reported, …
Read More »US warns China after South China Sea standoff with Philippines
The United States on Friday warned China after a standoff in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, saying it stood by Manila amid an “escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability”. Beijing “should not interfere with lawful Philippine activities in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone”, U.S. …
Read More »Philippines tells China to ‘back off’ after South China Sea standoff
The Philippines on Thursday condemned “in strongest terms” the actions of three Chinese coast guard vessels that it said blocked and used water cannon on resupply boats headed towards a Philippine-occupied atoll in the South China Sea. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said no one was hurt during Tuesday’s incident at …
Read More »US, Japan hold military drill in South China Sea
Exercise comes soon after China, Russia held joint patrols in contested waters last week Close on the heels of joint patrols by China and Russia in the region, the navies of the US and Japan are holding military exercises in contested waters of the South China Sea. The Japan Maritime …
Read More »Russian, Chinese warships hold first joint patrols in the Western part of Pacific
Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrols in the Western part of the Pacific ocean on October 17-23, Russia’s defense ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Moscow and Beijing, which staged naval cooperation drills in the Sea of Japan earlier in October, have cultivated closer military and …
Read More »Chinese military condemns joint US-Canada warship transit through Taiwan Strait
China’s military on Sunday condemned the United States and Canada for sending warships through the Taiwan Strait last week, saying their actions seriously jeopardized peace and stability. Chinese forces monitored the ships and “stood guard” throughout their sailing, the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement. The …
Read More »Malaysia summons Chinese envoy to protest South China Sea incursion
Malaysia late Monday summoned Beijing’s envoy to the Southeast Asian country in protest after Chinese vessels entered its maritime economic zone in the disputed South China Sea. Kuala Lumpur summoned Chinese ambassador Ouyang Yujing “to convey Malaysia’s position and protest against the presence and activities of Chinese vessels, including a …
Read More »Japan, Vietnam sign defense transfer deal amid China worries
Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China’s growing military influence. Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defense partnership “to a new level” and that Japan …
Read More »China holds assault drills near Taiwan after ‘provocations’
China carried out assault drills near Taiwan on Tuesday with warships and fighter jets exercising off the southwest and southeast of the island, in what the country’s armed forces said was a response to “external interference” and “provocations”. Taiwan, which Beijing claims as Chinese territory, has complained of repeated People’s …
Read More »US and China clash at UN over South China Sea disputes
The United States and China clashed over actions in the South China Sea at a high-level U.N. Security Council meeting on maritime security Monday that also put a spotlight on attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and drug and human trafficking in the …
Read More »China’s Submarines Attempt to Shadow UK Aircraft Carrier Heading to Pacific, British Media Claims
Chinese nuclear submarines tried to secretly follow UK aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth that was moving into the Pacific Ocean but were soon identified, the Express newspaper reported on Sunday. Queen Elizabeth was on the way from the South China Sea to the Pacific, when sonar radars aboard the ships …
Read More »India deploys warships to South China Sea, joining US in countering China
India has deployed warships to the South China Sea in what New Delhi proclaims to be a bid to expand security ties with “friendly countries” and in an apparent move to join and play a bigger role in a US-led scheme to counter China near Chinese territorial waters. According to …
Read More »US sending two dozen F-22 fighters to Pacific in ‘signal’ to China
The United States Air Force is dispatching more than two dozen F-22 stealth fighters to an exercise in the western Pacific this month as tensions escalate with Beijing over Pacific flashpoints like the South China Sea and Chinese Taipei. Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii said approximately 25 F-22s Raptors from …
Read More »Japan warns of crisis over Taiwan, growing risks from US-China rivalry
Growing military tensions around Taiwan, as well as economic and technological rivalry between China and the United States, threaten peace and stability in East Asia as the regional power balance shifts in Beijing’s favour, Japan said in its annual defence white paper. “It is necessary that we pay close attention …
Read More »