Monthly Archives: April 2019

China’s South China Sea strategy takes a hit as the US Navy threatens to get tough on Beijing’s sea forces

  The US Navy has reportedly warned China that it could treat the Chinese coast guard and the paramilitary fishing fleet known as the maritime militia the same as the Chinese navy — as combatants. Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, “made it very clear” to his Chinese counterpart in January that “that […]

Just How Bad a South China Sea War Could Get

America vs. China. China’s claims of South China Sea (SCS) ownership are illegal, but Beijing’s hyper-nationalistic officials increasingly encourage its forces to attack U.S. Navy ships operating lawfully there. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) appears to be calling for war—a war it may well get. But it is a war that will not stay […]

Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea

  BEIJING — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: ___ US WARSHIPS SAIL THROUGH TAIWAN STRAIT Taiwan’s defense ministry […]

The price of double speak

Enough has been said about the resources of the West Philippine Sea, as well as on the economic and strategic interests the Philippines has — or should have! — in those features and marine zones it claims. I will take all that as given, and on that premise I bemoan the ambiguity of our official […]

The rise of Japanese militarism

  What the growth and change of Japan’s armed forces means for the world. There, floating calmly in the still waters of Tokyo Bay, was Japan’s future. Stretching over 800 feet long, the JS Izumo warship’s size made it stand out even as its dark gray exterior fused with the gloomy December sky. The largest […]

Declare South China Sea a ‘global common’ — expert

  MANILA, Philippines — Instead engaging in military posturing to press maritime claims, a defense and security expert suggested all claimant states should agree to declare the entire South China Sea as a global common. Clarita Carlos, a political science and foreign policy professor of the University of the Philippines, said claimant states should also […]