Weekly Bulletin 28/03 - 03/04

China’s position about establishing ADIZ in the SCS; Vietnam raises its concerns over the placrement of HYSY 943 in the SCS; Indonesia demands 'bully' China hand over fishing boat; U.S. plans third patrol in the South China Sea; US, Philippines hold war games as China flexes muscles.

05/04/2016

Is Beijing’s militarisation of the South China Sea really 'defensive'?

The latest buzzword of the South China Sea 'war of words', as observed in media reports, academic opinion and official press remarks is none other than 'militarisation'. But what does 'militarisation' mean?

05/04/2016

This Is How America Can Make China Pay a Price in the South China Sea

As if things could not get any worse in the South China Sea, China’s placement and testing of anti-ship missiles in the South China Sea all but confirms Asia’s worst fears: America’s goal to ensure that China’s rise is peaceful and that Beijing would take its place among nations of the Asia-Pacific and larger Indo-Pacific as a “responsible stakeholder” is dead and buried.

04/04/2016

Kicking Down the Door: Ohio-Class Subs vs. China's A2/AD

How best could the United States metaphorically “kick down” the anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) “door” of a near-peer adversary during a conflict? This has been an idée fixe for American defense planners during recent years, in view of the rising A2/AD capabilities of strategic competitors such as China. There seem to be no clear answers to this question.

04/04/2016

China is Master Chess Player in South China Sea. Obama is Not

A somber commemoration occurred in Hanoi, Vietnam on March 14.While it received minimal international coverage, the event commemorated should cause both the U.S. and the democratic nations of Southeast Asia serious concerns as China continues its militarized island-building campaign in the South China Sea.

03/04/2016

Saving the South China Sea Without Starting World War III

Greater operational transparency in the South China Sea has become a strategic imperative, and the United States needs to treat it as such by investing greater resources and political capital toward increasing the shared maritime awareness of Southeast Asian states. It simply will not happen without U.S. leadership.

30/03/2016

Obama Tests China’s Xi on South China Sea

U.S. President Barack Obama will host China’s President Xi Jinping for a special bilateral meeting on March 31. The encounter will be special because it is the only scheduled bilateral meeting of heads of state during the upcoming U.S.-hosted Nuclear Security Summit of many nations, including U.S. allies. 

30/03/2016

Weekly News 28/03 - 03/04

-(LFT 04/04) South China Sea: Hainan is the ‘tip of the naval spear’: Hainan is not just about military hardware. Its fishermen are tasked with protecting China’s sovereignty through their frequent fishing trips. -(Lowyinterpreter 04/04) Is Beijing’s militarisation of the South China Sea really 'defensive'? Given the differing national interpretations of 'militarisation', Beijing pursues its own...

29/03/2016

Weekly Bulletin 21/03 - 27/03

China deploys oil-rig to the disputed South China Sea; Vietnam demands Taiwan to respect its sovereignty; 100 China-registered boats, ships encroaching into Malaysian waters; Australia’s PM criticized China’s assertive actions on the South China Sea.

29/03/2016

What India Thinks About the South China Sea

Developments in the South China Sea are bringing India into a debate it generally maintains a distance from. India's shift in its maritime policies and a relatively vocal stand on the issue may be a signs of a future where India is willing to play a more direct role in the South China Sea.

29/03/2016