Tag: South China Sea

Chinese navy assisting search, rescue of US navy sailor

BEIJING, China (CCTV) — China’s National Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the Chinese navy is assisting the search and rescue of a United States navy sailor reported overboard in the South China Sea. The Defense Ministry said that China will follow the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and cooperate with the US navy to help rescue the sailor. The sailor could not be accounted for on the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem around 09:00 […]

Islamist militant threat expected to overshadow South China Sea dispute at ASEAN forum

  As the battle against Islamist militants in the southern Philippines continues to rage, talks on regional security are expected to take center stage at this year’s Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, overshadowing the more long-standing discussions on the disputed South China Sea. In the past, the South China Sea has topped the agenda at the annual regional forum, with participant nations usually expected to press China to conclude a Code of […]

China says stay out of South China Sea issue after UK comments

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China said it was on high alert to statements from countries “playing up” tension in the South China Sea after Britain said it planned to send a warship to the disputed waterway next year to conduct freedom of navigation exercises. Britain would increase its presence in the waters after it sent four British fighter planes for joint exercises with Japan in the region last year, Defense Minister Michael Fallon said on […]

Philippines to consult ASEAN on joint China sea oil search

The Philippines on Wednesday  reassured Southeast Asian neighbors about its proposal to partner with Beijing in oil exploration in the disputed South China Sea, promising to consult them on any plans. President Rodrigo Duterte has softened his predecessor’s policy opposing China’s claims — which expand to nearly the entire sea — causing alarm among some neighboring Southeast Asian countries, which also hold partial claims. On Monday, Duterte said his government was in talks with China over joint drilling for […]

China urges ASEAN to reject outside interference

  Beijing urged Southeast Asian nations on Tuesday to unite and “say no” to outside forces seeking to interfere in the South China Sea dispute, in an apparent swipe at the United States ahead of a regional summit. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the statement in Manila where he hailed the “strong momentum” in improving ties with the Philippines, a longstanding American ally which has moved closer to China under President Rodrigo Duterte. Wang’s […]

China says US damaged stability in South China Sea after warship sails near disputed island

China’s foreign ministry said that the United States had seriously damaged peace and stability in the South China Sea after a United States warship sailed near a disputed island claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed on Sunday (June 2) within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, a US Defense Department official said. The official added that the operation […]

Xi raises ‘negative factors’ in call with Trump

by Laurent Thomet, with Laurent Barthelemy in Washington Agence France Presse BEIJING, China — Chinese President Xi Jinping told United States counterpart Donald Trump on Monday that Sino-US relations have been hit by “negative factors” in a phone call following days of US actions that have vexed Beijing. Trump held separate calls with Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that focused on tensions on the Korean peninsula, but China’s foreign ministry said Xi also […]

US warship sails close to disputed S. China Sea island occupied by Beijing

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An American warship on Sunday sailed close to a disputed island in the South China Sea occupied by Beijing, as part of an operation to demonstrate freedom of navigation in the waters, a United States official said. The destroyer USS Stethem passed less than 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) from tiny Triton Island in the Paracel Islands archipelago, which is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, the official told AFP. […]

Beijing’s South China Sea outposts nearly set for missile deployment: report

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Three of Beijing’s outposts on contested South China Sea reefs are close to being ready for the deployment of military assets including mobile missile launchers, a United States think tank reported Thursday. Analyzing satellite photographs, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said Beijing’s Fiery Cross Reef base in the Spratly Islands now has 12 hardened shelters, four more than seen in February, with retractable roofs that can house missile launchers. At […]

Defying China: Japan’s largest war ship steams into South China Sea, with ASEAN guests on board

Japan’s largest warship, the Izumo, steamed into the South China Sea this week in defiance of China, with military guests from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on board to witness helicopters looping over the tropical waters and gunners blasting target buoys. China claims most of the energy-rich sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, much of it to and from Japanese ports. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, […]

China pushes for talks on Code of Conduct on South China Sea with no “outside involvement”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday called for pushing for talks on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea without outside involvement. Wang made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in Beijing. “China and the (Association of Southeast Asian Nation) countries are fully capable, through our joint efforts, to work out, in an independent way, regional rules for the peace and stability of the South China […]

China says US should play ‘constructive role’ in South China Sea disputes

BEIJING, China (Reuters) – The Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the United States to play a “constructive” role in the South China Sea disputes on Monday (May 6). US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that his country could not allow China to use its economic power to “buy its way out of other problems, whether it’s militarizing islands in the South China Sea or failing to put appropriate pressure on North Korea.” China’s claims in […]