Vietnam, U.S. discuss land reclamation in South China Sea

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter discussed his call for an end to island-building in the South China Sea in talks on Monday with his Vietnamese counterpart, who said Vietnam had not expanded its islands but had done work to prevent wave erosion.

02/06/2015

Weekly Bulletin 25/5-31/5

Defence chiefs gather for Shangri-La Dialogue; U.S. says China's island-building erodes security; China issues first white paper on military strategy...

03/06/2015

Int’l workshop on maritime issues, UN sea law convention

A high-level workshop on maritime issues and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) took place in Ha Long city, northern Quang Ninh province on June 4.

05/06/2015

Weekly News 8/6-14/6

-(Reuters 12/6) Pentagon repeats call for China to end island building, seeks more military contact, while stressing that the Pentagon remained committed to expanding military contacts with China. -(Reuters 11/6) Philippines and China in "video war" over South China Sea: The country hopes to rally support of people behind Philippine government's policy and action.

08/06/2015

G7 says concerned about tensions in the East and South China Seas

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations said on Monday they were concerned about tensions in the East and South China Seas and called for countries to abide by international law.

09/06/2015

Weekly Bulletin 1/6-7/6

China Coast Guard vessel found at Luconia Shoals, Malaysia; Vietnam, US ink Joint Vision Statement; US Navy to continue patrols in disputed waters; Philippine President visits Japan...

11/06/2015

Pentagon repeats call for China to end island building, seeks more military contact

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter met a top Chinese general on Thursday and repeated a U.S. call for a halt to land reclamation in the South China Sea while stressing that the Pentagon remained committed to expanding military contacts with China.

12/06/2015

Weekly News 15/6-21/6

-(Bloomberg 19/6) U.S. calls China’s South China Sea building efforts ‘troubling’, plans to raise the issue during annual talks in Washington this month. -(The Diplomat 19/6) South China Sea: Satellite images show pace of China reclamation on Subi reef: China is adding 8 acres a day, while other images corroborate Malaysia on South Luconia Shoals.

15/06/2015

UN tribunal to hear PHL case vs. China in July

Even without China's participation, the United Nations' arbitration court has scheduled the oral arguments on the Philippines’ case questioning Beijing’s massive claim in the South China Sea, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.

16/06/2015

Massive Island-Building and International Law

China’s massive island building is both a provocative alteration of the security situation in the South China Sea and blow for the marine environment, but it cannot be justified either as “entirely within China’s sovereignty” or as consistent with maritime law.

18/06/2015