The Philippine Submission: Third Round of Note-Verbal Battle?

On 14 June 2024, the Philippines Permanent Mission in New York presented to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) a partial submission containing information on the outer limits of a portion of its continental shelf extending beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines used to measure the breadth of the territorial sea. This submission is in accordance with the 1982 United Nations...

01/07/2024

[NEW LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA] The Philippines’s new submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

On June 14, the Philippines submitted to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) a submission on the extended continental shelf in the Western Palawan region. This is the second submission by the Philippines; previously, the country had submitted a claim in 2009 for the Benham Rise region in the Pacific Ocean. On June 19, the Summary of the Submission was made public...

21/06/2024

Strengthening Connectivity with the Indo-Pacific: Proposals for the Development of Submarine Cables in Vietnam

Vietnam should consider constructing submarine cable lines connecting to Sydney and Chennai, as well as a domestic coastal cable system, and facilitate joint ventures between Vietnamese enterprises

21/06/2024

US-Cambodia Relations: What Drives the New Shifts?

Forecasts suggest that while continuing to maintain and strengthen its relationship with China, Cambodia will seek to enhance ties with the US because of numerous factors.

08/06/2024

China’s “Grey Zone” Activities in the Taiwan Strait: A “Greyer” Future for Cross-Strait Relations?

In his inaugural speech on May 20, the new Taipei leader Lai Ching-te mentioned China a total of seven times. Notably, Lai openly criticised China’s “grey zone” activities, stating that “China’s military actions and “grey zone” activities are considered the greatest strategic challenges to peace and stability in the world”.

27/05/2024

New Taiwan's Leader and Early Policy Indicators

The inauguration of Lai Ching-te, the new leader of the Taiwan, on May 20, 2024, has attracted significant debates about the future of cross-strait relations, U.S.-Taiwan ties, and Taiwan's potential policy shifts toward the region.

27/05/2024

COC Negotiators Will Carry on the Burden

While the adoption of the Guidelines to promote the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea and the finalization of the second reading of the Single Draft COC Negotiating Text may not represent significant substantive progress, these actions still send very positive signals. They demonstrate to the world that the concerned parties remain committed to ongoing consultations.

16/02/2024

The Impacts of Great Power Rivalry in the field of Strategic Minerals on Vietnam

The competition for strategic minerals could potentially alter the balance of power, coalition-building processes, and affect the ways China and the United States assess potential partners, targets, and hotspots, thereby significantly impacting the regional landscape. As a country situated in the Asia-Pacific region where the Sino-US competition has the highest impacts, Vietnam may face certain challenges...

31/01/2024

Current State of Vietnam's Strategic Mineral

In 2023, "strategic minerals" or "critical minerals" emerged as two popular keywords worldwide, driven by factors such as (i) the growing demand for minerals, accompanied by the digital transition and green technologies, and (ii) heightened competition among major powers in the mineral sector. Vietnam, with its substantial mineral reserves and untapped potential, including in the East Sea (South China...

31/01/2024

THE SOUTH CHINA SEA SITUATION IN 2023 AND 2024

In 2023, despite ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the South China Sea hotspot continued to grab international attention. It was increasingly seen as an indicator of the regional rule of law via a series of policy documents and statements by the US and its partners, especially in the face of the so-called “grey zone” activities. In 2024, China will still be the main factor determining...

26/01/2024