Weekly News 20/2-26/2

-(Inquirer 20/1)The US base in the Philippines: The United States already has a base here: the entire country -(Philstar 20/1)US formally offers 2nd warship to AFP That is expected to boost the country’s territorial defense capability -(Eastasiaforum 19/2) America and China: strategic choices in the Asian Century

20/02/2012

Ten sea reserves to be established by 2015

Ten sea reserves and 19 inland waters reserves will have been established and put into use by 2015, according to a national program on protecting and developing seafood resources till 2020.

16/02/2012

Vietnam, China boost diplomatic exchanges

Vietnam and China have agreed to promote high-level diplomatic exchanges with the aim of strengthening the ties of friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. FM Minh held talks with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Feb. 12.

16/02/2012

Can a limited purpose maritime and air defence identification zone be established over the South China Sea?, by Mary George

To stimulate South China Sea regional security cooperation in the control of piratical attacks against ships, this paper proposes the establishment of a limited purpose maritime and air defence identification zone over the South China Sea.

15/02/2012

Recent Developments in the Philippine Baselines Law, by Raul C. Pangalangan

The Philippines recently passed a 2009 Baselines Law that, it was hoped, would finally confront its long-standing dilemma on whether to abandon its 1898 “treaty lines” altogether and adopt the modern rules on the Law of the Sea. That hope did not come to pass.

15/02/2012

International Law in the South China Sea: Does it drive or help resolve conflict?, by Stein Tønnesson

Abstract The interplay of power and law in the South China Sea is not well understood. To analyze the disputes over navigation rights, sovereignty to islands, and delimitation of maritime zones we need to grasp how states define and defend their geopolitical interests as well as the ways in which international law influences their claims and conflict behaviour. This paper starts with the huge difference...

15/02/2012

Where’s the Stake? U.S. Interests in the South China Sea, by Jonathan G. Odom

Introduction Much of the legal discussion about the ongoing situation in the South China Sea focuses upon the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)[1], a convention that was concluded in 1982.  During that early 1980's timeframe, there was an iconic television commercial[2] in the United States promoting the fast-food chain of restaurants known as Wendy’s.  The commercial showed...

15/02/2012

Weekly News 13/2-19/2

-(Nbr 2/2012) Maritime Energy Resources in Asia: Legal Regimes and Cooperation NBR Reports are occasional papers on special topics conducted by the world's leading experts in Asian affairs -(Eurasiareview 14/2) South China Sea: Rising Tensions But No Permanent Solutions On Horizon: The geopolitical development of what is happening in the South China Sea will have immediate and long term consequences...

13/02/2012

Weekly News 6/2 – 12/2

-(Scmp 8/2) Taiwan's beacon on Spratlys may stoke tensions: Taipei says air-navigation installation 'nothing to do with any weapon' or surveillance with US -(Bangkokpost 8/2) US to send second ship to bolster Philippines: As part of efforts to boost the ally's military amid tensions at sea with China -(Washingtonpost 7/2) The Pentagon’s new view of warfare: The military will be smaller and...

07/02/2012

A Bilateral Network of Marine Protected Areas between Vietnam and China: An Alternative to the Chinese Unilateral Fishing Ban in the South China Sea?, by Hai-Dang Vu

Since 1999, China has enacted an annual fishing ban for two or three months in the summer in the North-Western part of the South China Sea. This year (2011), the ban took place from May 16th to August the 1st and in an area between the latitude 12° North to the North and longitude 113° East to the West.[1]Any fishing vessel that goes into this area during the banis subjected to fines and its catches...

02/02/2012