Monthly Archives: September 2015

CHINA STATE MEDIA: U.S. HAS ‘EMBOLDENED’ SOUTH CHINA SEA ACTORS TO BE ‘AGGRESSIVE’

Chinese state media is working hard to portray President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States as a success, but even in a column intending to herald bilateral talks as a step in the right direction, Xinhua asserts that it is the United States which is prompting states to be “aggressive” in the South China […]

China denies building military bases in South China Sea as President Xi Jinping commits to freedom of navigation

China has denied the charge of building military bases on the islands of the South China Sea and reiterated its commitment to allay concerns through dialogue. China’s reaction came through President Xi Jinging during his recent visit to the United States, even as new reports are claiming that China has already completed the work of […]

Congress Must Fix our Maritime Double Standard | Commentary

Earlier this month, five Chinese naval warships entered U.S. territorial waters off the coast of Alaska. In acknowledging the transit of these vessels, the United States made clear we viewed this action as well within the rights of China — and any other nation — to conduct innocent passage through the legitimately established territorial seas […]

China’s island building is destroying reefs

The geopolitical maneuvering in the South China Sea (SCS) is taking a heavy toll on the marine environment, scientists believe. The Spratly or Nansha Islands, a cluster of coral reefs and atolls, has become the focus of a territorial dispute between China and its neighbors. To the dismay of other countries bordering the SCS, China […]

Xi to Obama: South China Sea isles ours

WASHINGTON – Islands in the South China Sea have been Chinese territory “since ancient times,” Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Barack Obama on Friday during their meeting after the latter voiced concern over massive land reclamation and militarization in disputed waters. “We have the right to uphold our own territorial sovereignty and lawful […]

China might push on with work on South China Sea reefs despite warning from US President Barack Obama

China might press on with land reclamation in the strategically important South China Sea despite US President Barack Obama’s warning last week that the work would affect peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the area, Chinese military sources and observers say. In talks with President Xi Jinping on Friday, Obama said he had “candid” discussions […]

China not to pursue militarization of Nansha Islands in South China Sea: Xi

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — China does not intend to pursue militarization of Nansha Islands in South China Sea and is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Friday. Relevant construction activities China is undertaking on the islands do not target or impact any country, Xi said […]

Xi: China committed to resolving South China Sea disputes peacefully

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said China was committed to resolving any disputes in South China Sea in a peaceful manner and protecting the freedom of navigation and overflights, saying that construction in the sea did not target any country. “Islands in the South China Sea since ancient times are China’s […]

South China Sea – A Hot Debate On The Horizon

The latest satellite imagery of the South China Sea clearly shows that the Chinese have stepped up a notch in terms of completing the construction of an artificial island in a bid to gain a stranglehold of the region, a measure that has really annoyed quite a few regional players and has also ruffled a […]

China’s Just Finished A Runway On A Reef In The South China Sea

New satellite images show a completed military runway China has built on a reclaimed reef in the disputed South China Sea, which observers say could allow the Chinese military to begin patrols in the hotly-contested waters. The images, from IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly, come as Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President Barack Obama Friday […]