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Activities of the Claimants

China

China launches mission to ASEAN

China inaugurated its Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta to strengthen its ties with ASEAN, a statement released by the ASEAN Secretariat said. "The launch of the Mission further demonstrates the commitment of China to remain good neighbors, good friends, and good partners to address common challenges in a mutually beneficial manner to further advance our Strategic Partnership," Secretary-General of ASEAN, Surin Pitsuwan, said in his statement read out by Deputy Secretary General Bagas Hapsoro, to welcome the Chinese Mission to ASEAN.

China unveils $474M maritime cooperation fund with ASEAN amid territorial disputes

Officials say China has offered a 3 billion yuan ($474 million) maritime cooperation fund with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, some of whose members have territorial disputes with Beijing. Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh said China announced the fund at the inaugural maritime forum of ASEAN and eight of its partners, including Japan, China, South Korea and the U.S.

The Philippines

Philippines seeks more help to resolve territorial row

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Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario urged the international body to make sure that territorial spats in the region are resolved “without threats or use of force” and in accordance with international laws like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “From the perspective of the rule of law, and given the maritime disputes that have intensified in the Asian region, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea has never been more relevant than it is today. All states must respect their obligations to settle their maritime disputes by peaceful means, without threats or use of force, under UNCLOS,” Del Rosario said.

Philippines pushes ASEAN maritime information-sharing

The Philippines has proposed an information-sharing system for Southeast Asia to help protect its waters from security challenges such as piracy, illegal fishing and drug trafficking. The proposal was tabled on Wednesday (3rd October) at the start of a three-day ASEAN maritime forum attended by deputy foreign ministers and senior foreign ministry officials in Manila. The objective is to "provide timely, relevant and material information to appropriate action agencies to enable them to combat non-traditional security threats at sea", the proposal said.

Philippines won’t back down in disputed sea

Even as it continues to nurture longstanding ties with China, the Philippines will not back down from asserting its claims in the disputed South China Sea using international law and without resorting to force. At a high-level gathering of United States and Philippine officials in Washington D.C. recently, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the South China Sea is “a core national interest of the Philippines,” and the country would pursue its  claims there within a framework of diplomacy, international law and cooperation.

The U.S.

Big U.S. fleet nears disputed islands

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US Navy officials confirmed that the USS George Washington carrier strike group has begun operating in the East China Sea, near the disputed islands. The USS John C. Stennis group is only slightly further away in the South China Sea. Each carrier is armed with more than 80 warplanes, and strike groups typically include guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, submarines and supply ships. In the nearby Philippine Sea, some 2,200 Marines are embarked aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard and two escorts. The Marines are equipped with amphibious assault vehicles, light armored vehicles, artillery, helicopters and Harrier fighter jets.

“Regional Prosperity at Heart of Asia-Pacific Strategy”

The rebalance of U.S. military focus toward the Asia-Pacific region has regional prosperity as its objective, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said here today. The new strategy is not about the United States, China or any other individual country or group of countries, Carter told an audience at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. “It's about a peaceful Asia-Pacific region, where all countries can enjoy the benefit of security and continue to prosper,” he said.

US Ambassador: 'No economic coercion in sea row'

US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. reiterated that Washington would like to see the resolution of the territorial disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations and without economic coercion. “We would like to see everything done at the negotiating table (in a) collaborative process... without rancor, economic coercion,” Thomas told reporters. “We will continue to support ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), especially in its Code of Conduct,” he said.

Vietnam

Vietnam stresses international law compliance in dispute settlement

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Nations must strongly commit themselves to the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, particularly those of peaceful settlement and non-use of force as well as respect for the national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, when settling disputes, a senior Vietnamese official said. Pham Quang Vinh, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam was speaking at the General Debate of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on October 1st. The Debate was themed “"bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means".

Regional Snapshots

The 8th meeting of Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting took place

The 8th meeting of Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) was held on Oct 03, 2012 in New Delhi. This is the first ever meeting of the HACGAM in the South Asian Region which is being co-hosted by the Indian Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard under the auspices of Nippon foundation, Japan. HACGAM is an apex level forum facilitating congregation of all the major Coast Guard Agencies of Asian region. This initiative was developed initially in 2004 to discuss cooperation among the member organizations to combat piracy in the region. However, the scope of discussions has been expanded to include law enforcement, maritime security, disaster prevention and relief and capacity building. Presently, there are 21 member organizations from 17 countries that are part of the initiative.

Third ASEAN Maritime Forum opens in Manila

The third ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF 3) began in Manila in the Philippines on October 3rd, attended by senior officials and maritime experts from ASEAN and focusing on ways to step up maritime cooperation and security in the region. Speaking to the press, Under Secretary for Policy at the Filipino Department of Foreign Affairs Erlinda Basilio said that in order to deal with maritime issues, the AMF aims to increase cooperation within the ASEAN Political-Security Community framework.

First expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum opens

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The first Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum opened on October 5th in Manila, the Philippines, with the first session focusing on strengthening regional maritime links, upgrading infrastructures and equipment and training for seamen. The forum, which was initiated by Japan during the East Asia Summit in Indonesia last year, allows Japan, China, the US and other ASEAN partners to attend the ASEAN Maritime Forum. It attracts government officials, specialists, academics and non-governmental organisations to discuss maritime issues including piracy and human trafficking. The forum also looks at ways to protect the maritime environment and promote tourism and fish farming in East Asia (South China Sea).

Commentaries & Analyses

Liaoning– Paper Tiger or Growing Cub? 

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What benefit does the carrier bring to the PRC? First, it is a symbol of national pride for a nation that is rallying more and more frequently to nationalism in the waters of the East and South China Sea. Second, it serves as a testbed and developmental vessel for the next generation of up to five more Chinese carriers which have been reported to be in design and development. Third, even if the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has no desire to go into battle with other world superpowers, it would certainly give the nation an option for displaying military might in regions where the PRC has strategic interests around the globe. So, the question remains, is the Liaoning a significant new capability or is it a waste of money on a capability that China will never realize? The reality probably lies between the two possibilities. PRC leaders understand that with exponentially increasing demands for raw goods caused by their growing economy, they must be prepared to field a blue-water navy to protect their strategic interests. The Liaoning is a measured step in the long trek toward a globally-capable navy that an emerging superpower needs. For a nation that takes a long and measured view of history, it is a logical investment. It is also a solid indicator of intent, but not a threat … yet.

China's Zero-Sum Game in the South China Sea Rattles its Neighbors

Beijing's 'China takes all' approach to its territorial disputes in the South China Sea continues to complicate its relations with other states. If tensions are to decrease across the region, Beijing needs to realize that boundary disputes cannot be solved by hard power alone. There are three worrying developments in China that risk derailing any resolution to the disputes over the South China Sea. The first is Beijing’s inflated perception of its own power, which has led it to adopt a confrontational stance toward the Philippines and to flout international law and norms. The second development is Beijing’s squandering of the soft power it acquired over the last decade. In fact, China’s conduct in the South and East China Sea disputes is losing it friends at such a rate that future multilateral mechanisms for managing or resolving the disputes are now likely to be less than equitable to China. The third development is Beijing’s inability to come to terms with the fact that its ‘China-takes-all’ approach to the dispute will not wash with its regional neighbors and the international community. This is not only because China’s historical claims seem incredible to the other parties but because of the difficulty of untangling the competing territorial demands of Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. For the international legal mechanisms to work, China must first come to the realization that the South China Sea boundary dispute cannot be solved by military and economic power alone, that it needs to exercise soft power to win friends and exert leadership in the region and that it needs to adopt a resource-sharing approach.

New ships give China's navy a stronger punch

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In the latest step in its naval modernization and expansion, China recently announced that it is accelerating serial production of an advanced destroyer. This will tilt the regional balance of power at sea in its favor and put it in a stronger position to enforce its sovereignty claims over Taiwan and in the South and East China Seas. The latest reports in the Chinese media say that the sixth destroyer in the Type 052C Luyang II-class has been launched and that the shipyard that builds them in Shanghai is laying down an average of two hulls per year. Since 2004, China has also deployed a fleet of about 60 Houbei-class fast attack missile boats. With catamaran hulls made of aluminium and a shallow draft, these vessels appear tailor-made to operate in the atoll and reef-strewn disputed waters of the South China Sea. U.S. Naval War College professors Toshi Yoshihara and James Holmes say that the Chinese destroyers, frigates, amphibious landing ships, corvettes and Houbei missile boats could be used to form expeditionary strike groups that would easily outmatch those deployed by Southeast Asian navies. Such fleets "would be particularly well-suited to seize islands in the South China Sea," they add. China's regionally focused military may still be no match for U.S. might. But it could clearly overwhelm individual Asian rivals and raise the cost of U.S. intervention — perhaps to unacceptably high levels.

Philippines on frontline of US-China rivalry

The Philippines has emerged as a frontline state in the rivalry between the United States and China for Southeast Asian power and influence. Unless Manila is able to arrive at a "third way" - utilizing creative diplomacy and multilateral dispute settlement mechanisms - strategic reliance on the US will likely grow in the years ahead. Yet if an armed conflict erupts with China, it is not certain that the US would come to the Philippines' rescue. (The US-Philippine mutual defense treaty could be interpreted in a way that does not cover contested territories.) The US's "pivot" towards Asia, meanwhile, has given China added motivation to militarize its territorial claims in the region. "The Americans are sweet talkers. The Philippines should not rely on US military capability in case of a conflict with China in the South China Sea," said Chester Cabalza, a professor at the Philippine National Defense College. "The US will not save us and won't act as our knight in shining armor. The US will protect its own economic and strategic interests with China."    

Point of no return in the South China Sea

Recent meetings on the South China Sea in various locations suggest that if serious actions are not taken now to promote cooperation among the claimant states and settle disputes among them in an amicable manner, the 'geopolitical temperature' in this pivotal sea will increase to even more worrying levels. Disputes involving multi-parties such a complex and vast area like the South China Sea require all side to work together to resolve. They must exercise utmost restraint, patience and steadfastness to untangle the disagreements among them in an agreeable way. However, sharp focus will be trained on the two powers, United States and China, whose interests clash and intertwine in the sea. All eyes will be on them to conduct themselves in a way that is worthy of their global power status in handling the disputes and managing the situation in the sea Their actions and reactions will be crucial in shaping the course of the disputes in this pivotal sea. The protagonists are inching closer to the fork in the road in the disputes in the sea. Soon, some major decisions will have to be made and game-changing options selected to avert tension from worsening and conflicts from occurring. When the time comes to cross the rubicon to change the status quo for the better, much will be expected from the United States and China to lead the way towards attaining durable peace, stability and prosperity in the sea.     

China territorial disputes: a warning in the history of Imperial Japan

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Some China scholars have begun to accuse Beijing of “salami tactics” in seeking to seize gradual control of the South China Sea. The term evokes disturbing echoes of Nazi Germany’s incremental aggression until it was ready for all-out war. Applying World War II terminology to China’s current behavior may seem overblown, but it is apt. In fact, China’s actions also resemble those of another bad actor of that tragic period: Imperial Japan. Mirroring the strategy of Japan’s military government prior to World War II, the newly established People’s Republic of China first consolidated its territory before venturing into wider maritime regions. Having dramatically increased its military and naval power, China now asserts expansive territorial and maritime claims in the East China Sea and South China Sea, maintains its longstanding claim over the Taiwan Strait, and indulges its ally North Korea’s claim to dominance in the Yellow Sea. Obviously, no historic analogy is ever entirely apposite, and there are many differences between Imperial Japan in the 1930s and ’40s and China ruled by the Communist Party today. But there are more than enough parallels in strategic ambitions to awaken realistic concerns among Western policymakers and those who influence them. As China tries its hand at a new version of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the US needs to lead a united international response that discourages further Chinese adventurism. And whether the US is led by a President Obama or President Romney, America will have to find the resources and diplomacy to continue its regional collaboration in Asia – ensuring that, this time, the outcome will be something better than war.