In a bid to reinforce its weak defenses in the South China Sea, the Philippines has issued a notice of award to India to acquire the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile in an approximate US$375 million deal. The procurement aims to provide the Philippines with three missile batteries and bolster India’s push to become a major arms exporter, including to […]
President Joe Biden said the U.S. was committed to defending Taiwan from a Chinese attack, in some of his strongest comments yet as the administration faces calls to clarify its stance on the democratically ruled island. Read More Here
Australia’s current South China Sea policies are under strain from two sides. On the China side, Beijing will not agree to any Code of Conduct that is consistent with the arbitral tribunal ruling it rejects. If the ASEAN member states agree to such a Code of Conduct, Australia cannot support it. Read Here | Lowy […]
Among the many issues at stake is the free and unlimited access to these international waters and the critical trade routes that run across them. These top-water issues are important and have drawn the attention of the largest navies in the world. Read Here | The Diplomat
They’ve been dubbed China’s “Little Blue Men,” an allegedly Beijing-controlled maritime militia that analysts say could be hundreds of boats and thousands of crew members strong.China doesn’t acknowledge their existence and when questioned, refers to them as a “so-called maritime militia.” Read Here | CNN
China is applying the same strategy on the roof of the world that has driven its expansion in the South China Sea: gradual territorial encroachments followed by militarised construction. So far, this slice-by-slice approach is proving just as effective on land as it has been at sea. Read Here | Project Syndicate
When India and Vietnam’s prime ministers held a virtual summit on December 21, the two allied leaders nominally agreed to a joint vision for peace and prosperity against the backdrop of perceived rising Chinese aggression in the wider Indo-Pacific region. Read Here | Asia Times
The People’s Republic of China operates the largest state-subsidized fishing fleet in the world. The questionable practices of the hundreds of Chinese vessels operating off the west coast of South America illustrate the extent to which competition with an ascendant China is already underway in the maritime domain — and far beyond the South China Sea. […]
Beijing’s aggressive reclamation and militarisation of the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands in 2014 should have immediately made clear that Chinese objectives were not just about fish, gas, and oil. Read Here – The National Interest
China has taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been dominating headlines around the world, to reinforce its grasp on the South China Sea. While Western media is now preoccupied by the U.S. protests, Beijing will likely continue to take advantage of the fact that the eyes of the world remain focused elsewhere. Read […]
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