Weekly Bulletin 29/8-4/9

More Chinese boats spotted at disputed shoal; Vietnam says all will lose in any South China Sea war; Obama: Consequences if China violates rules and norms; US, India urge countries to respect South China Sea ruling…

08/09/2016

The Crucial South China Sea Ruling No One Is Talking About

Amid the significant media buzz and scrutiny over the arbitral tribunal’s July ruling before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) regarding disputed maritime rights in the South China Sea,which sided with the Philippines on most counts and resulted in a major legal and diplomatic defeat for China, an important but less conspicuous ruling within the PCA award document on Chinese coast guard behavior...

09/09/2016

China's Next Territorial Claim: Hawaii and Almost the Entire Pacific Ocean?

The neverending ups and downs of what is quickly becoming the hottest geostrategic flashpoint on the planet, none other than the South China Sea, was the subject of a conference at Yale University this last May. Panels were filled with world-class experts promoting their latest research (including yours truly) detailing the various claims, counterclaims and strategic challenges surrounding this important...

10/09/2016

China is Dominating Scarborough Shoal. Here's Why It Matters.

Scarborough Shoal is a settled issue. Not in a good way and not just as a result of Philippines President Duterte’s “ready, fire, aim” approach to statesmanship. It matters not if China builds new facilities there on yet more coral dredged from the seabed.

12/09/2016

Weekly Bulletin 5/9-11/9

China confirms vessels on Scarborough, denies reclamation; Vietnam’s Prime Minister expresses concerns over South China Sea disputes; Philippines accuses China of secret island building; Obama puts South China Sea back on agenda at summit…

13/09/2016

America’s Stakes in the Oceans Go Well beyond the South China Sea

This week the Chinese and Russian navies launched eight days of war games in the South China Sea. For Beijing, it’s a chance to brush off the July ruling by an international tribunal dismissing the merit of its claim to jurisdiction over those waters.

13/09/2016

Weekly News 12/9-18/9

-(VOA 13/9) China, Vietnam Vow to 'Maintain Peace, Stability' in South China Sea, amid simmering tension over the dispute. -(CNN 13/9) China, Russia begin joint exercises in South China Sea, adding a new twist to ongoing tensions over Chinese island-building in the region. –(Times of India 12/9) ‘Island seizing’ a part of China-Russia naval drill in South China Sea

13/09/2016

The Duterte Dilemma (and Why it Matters): China, the US Alliance and Scarborough Shoal

The Philippines’ newly minted president couldn’t have asked for a more high-profile diplomatic debut when he attended this week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, which saw the participation of the leaders from across the Asia Pacific, including the United States, Japan, China, Russia, and India, along with the secretary-general of the United Nations.

14/09/2016

Russian Military Activities from South China Sea to Sevastopol

Russia is simultaneously conducting operations along the eastern Ukraine border, participating in large bilateral naval exercises with China in the South China Sea and conducting large-scale amphibious exercises in the Black Sea around the Crimean peninsula. 

15/09/2016

Weekly Bulletin 12/9-18/9

China-Philippines relations are at a new turning point; Deputy PM raises South China Sea issues at Non-Aligned Movement Summit; PH to keep status quo in South China Sea; Duterte wants to stop joint patrols in South China Sea…

19/09/2016