Tag Archives: Chuck Hagel

COLUMN-China’s Nine Dash Line and the Law of the Sea: Kemp

(Reuters) – Territorial disputes over tiny islands and reefs in the South China Sea are poisoning relations between China and its neighbours in Southeast Asia. “In recent months, China has undertaken destabilising, unilateral actions asserting its claims in the South China Sea,” U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told an audience in Singapore last month. “(China) […]

Chinese General: South China Sea Disputes May Turn China into ‘Qualified Enemy’ of US

Chinese Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu told The Wall Street Journal this week that he believes the United States is making “very, very important mistakes” with regard to territorial disputes in the South China Sea and that continuing the approach preferred by the Obama Administration will force China to become a “qualified enemy” of the U.S. Zhu […]

US-China naval standoff

During his recent China visit, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel reportedly got an earful from his Chinese counterpart and others on his country’s perceived meddling in regional affairs. While maintaining necessary courtesies during such visits, his Chinese hosts did not hold off from saying their piece. China’s Minister of Defence, Chang Wanquan, said that Beijing […]

China won’t swallow ‘bitter pill’ of ceding sovereign rights: military official

(Reuters) – China will not “swallow the bitter pill” of ceding its sovereign rights to others, a senior military official told foreign naval leaders on Wednesday, as the country takes an increasingly assertive approach to guarding its maritime territory. “No country should expect China to swallow the bitter pill of our sovereignty, national security or […]

Why Is China Talking Tough?

During his recent visit to Beijing, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel received some harsh criticism from his Chinese military counterpart General Fan Changlong. Before arriving in Beijing, Hagel had stated: “You cannot go around the world and redefine boundaries and violate territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations by force, coercion and intimidation whether it’s in […]

China warns Phl, Japan: ‘We won’t compromise on territory’

WASHINGTON – Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan has warned the Philippines and Japan not to test China’s resolve to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, saying the Chinese military can be assembled quickly to fight and win any battle. The Chinese official raised the warning in a joint press conference in Beijing with […]

Diaoyutai dispute pushes US and Japan closer: report

China’s efforts to antagonize Japan over the Diaoyutai islands (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) islands dispute has only strengthened ties between Tokyo and Washington, reports the independent citizen journalism website Mingjing News. Japan is a huge beneficiary of its diplomatic ties with the US, the report said, adding that Washington has continued to provide […]

Can the Chinese and US Air Forces Get Along?

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s visit to the PLAN aircraft carrier Liaoning has received a great deal of attention in the last few days.  As Shannon Tiezi points out, Hagel will struggle to improve ties with Beijing while also increasing coordination with Tokyo. And yet the project of engaging with the Chinese military is not […]

US defence chief gets earful as China visit exposes tensions

Tensions between China and the United States were on full display on Tuesday as Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel faced questions in Beijing about America’s position in bitter territorial disputes with regional U.S. allies. Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan, standing side-by-side with Hagel, called on the United States to restrain ally Japan and chided another U.S. […]

Threat to Philippines is threat to US – Goldberg

PILAR, Bataan: United States (US) Ambassador to Manila Philip Goldberg on Wednesday declared that any threat facing the Philippines is also a threat to America, stressing the need for the two countries to strengthen their military to respond better to man-made threats and natural disasters. “As treaty allies, when the Philippines faces threats or natural […]