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Activities of the Claimants

China

US naval ship has run-in with PLA frigate in South China Sea

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USS Fort Worth, a US Navy Freedom-class littoral combat ship, had a run-in with the Yancheng, a PLA Navy Type 054A guided-missile frigate, during its patrol over the disputed Spratly islands on May 11th, according to the Beijing-based Sina Military Network. During the confrontation, USS Fort Worth radioed the Yancheng to remind the PLA ship that it was operating in international waters. The frigate ignored the message and continued to follow the USS Fort Worth until it left the waters.

China responds to the report of U.S. Department of Defense

Regarding a report of Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2015 issuing by US Department of Defense, which mentions the South China Sea issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying on May 11th said that “What the report reveals as a whole is a cold-war mentality, and a biased viewpoint on the justified and lawful national defense development by other countries.” The US report makes willful speculations and comments on China's military growth in defiance of the facts, hypes up "China's military threat and the lack of transparency in military strength", she said.

China criticizes U.S. engagement in the South China Sea

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai reiterated May 13th that Washington has no right whatsoever to intervene in the legitimate activities conducted by China in the South China Sea, while urging related parties to resolve the disputes through diplomatic talks. In an interview with Washington-based Chinese media outlets, Cui slammed what he called double standards adopted by the United States when it comes to the land reclamation activities in the region. While pointing an accusing finger at China, Washington has chosen to keep silent on earlier such activities conducted by some other countries which illegally occupied Chinese islands and reefs, he said. The veteran Chinese diplomat also criticized the U.S. plan to send military planes and ships to assert "freedom of navigation" around China-owned islands and reefs in the South China Sea. "The Cold-War mentality, which is prone to the use of force to resolve disputes, is already outdated." 

Vietnam

Vietnam decries China’s fishing ban in East Sea (South China Sea)

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Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh has voiced strong protest over China’s announcement of a fishing ban in the East Sea, saying that the act violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and sovereign right and jurisdiction over the waters under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The spokesman made the statement in response to reporters’ question regarding the recent announcement by authorities of Haikou city, China’s southernmost Hainan province, of the ban on all fishing activities in the sea area from 12 degrees north parallel to the border of the waters of China’s Guangdong province with Fujian province (including the Tonkin Gulf). The ban is applied from 12h00 noon on May 16 to 12h00 noon on August 1st, 2015.

The Philippines

Building Oyster Bay naval base is military's top priority

The military's top priority is to build a naval base on Palawan’s western coastline, opposite the disputed Spratly Islands, although the plans have been delayed by funding bottlenecks, Armed Forces of the Philippine chief of staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. told Reuters. Catapang said US, Japanese and Vietnamese naval vessels would be allowed to make port calls once the facility at Oyster Bay was finished. "We feel this is the number one priority because of the emerging security situation," Catapang said in an interview late on May 10th at a military base in in Puerto Princesa City. He said P800 million was needed for the initial development of the naval facility and then P5 billion to turn it into a major operating base. On May 11th, Catapang visited Thi Tu Island (Thitu Island, the Philippines calls that Pag-asa Island) and vowed to defend the territory and help develop tourism and marine resources there.

Philippines seeks us help in stopping China land reclamation

The Philippines' top diplomat said May 12th he is seeking more U.S. help in stopping massive land reclamation by China that could give Beijing effective control of the South China Sea. Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario told a Washington think tank that China is attempting to enforce its so-called "nine-dash line" - the rough demarcation of China's territory on its official maps that virtually envelopes that ocean. He described the line as "unlawful." "We are taking the position that we must do something quickly lest the massive reclamation results in de facto control of China of the South China Sea," del Rosario told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Indonesia

Indonesia to boost stability in South China Sea region

Speaking at a discussion themed "Maritime Fulcrum and Foreign Policy" on May 11th, Indonesia Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister A. M. Fachi stated that Indonesia will also create stability in South China Sea regions that had continued to remain conflict-ridden. "We will continue to work towards our common interest by adopting certain approaches. The common interest we want to achieve is stability," he remarked. "Through various approaches, both international and internal workshops, Indonesia will convey that conflict is not the solution," he affirmed.

The U.S.

Pentagon weighs sending planes, ships near disputed South China Sea reefs

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The Pentagon is considering sending U.S. military aircraft and ships to assert freedom of navigation around rapidly growing Chinese-made artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, a U.S. official said on May 10th. Defense Secretary Ash Carter requested options that include sending aircraft and ships within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of reefs that China has been building up in the Spratly island chain, the official said. Such a move would directly challenge Chinese efforts to expand its influence in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia. "We are considering how to demonstrate freedom of navigation in an area that is critical to world trade," the U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that any options would need White House approval. It quoted U.S. officials as saying there was now growing momentum within the Pentagon and the White House for taking concrete steps in order to send Beijing a signal that the recent build up in the Spratlys had gone too far and needed to stop. China on May 11th condemned this military plan, saying that “We are severely concerned about relevant remarks made by the American side. We believe the American side needs to make clarification on that.” Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Chief-of-staff Armed Forces of the Philippines on May 15th expressed his support for this US proposal, saying that US presence will restore stability in the South China Sea. Moreover, he added that this plan goes with Philippine plan to develop Ulugan Bay and a naval base in Palawan. Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh on May 14th also said that Vietnam welcomes efforts of the international community, including the US in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the South China Sea, especially in backing ASEAN’s role.

Carl Vinson strike group conducts exercises with Royal Malaysian Military

Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, and Destroyer Squadron 1 participated in various bi-lateral training events May 10th in the South China Sea with Malaysian air and surface units in support of Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet theater security cooperation objectives. "We greatly value our relationship with the Royal Malaysian military," said Rear Adm. Chris Grady, Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group commander. "Exercises like these are mutually beneficial and show our commitment to nurturing and deepening our bi-lateral ties with partner nations throughout the region."

US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing on South China Sea

Senior officials in charge of East Asia and Pacific of the US Department of State and Department of Defense held a hearing on May 13th to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the South China Sea issue. In his opening speech at the hearing, Assistant Secretary Daniel Russel said the South China Sea, known as the South China Sea in China, plays a key role in the global and regional trading. So any territorial disputes here should be resolved peacefully and based on international law. David Shear, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, said the US has been conducting measures to maintain regional security and stability by deterring provocative conduct, reducing miscalculation and unintentional conflicts in the South China Sea and other places in Asia. Notably, Russel called on the US Congress to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to safeguard American security interests and create conditions for the US to encourage other nations to abide by the important document. 

Regional Snapshots

Despite tension, Xi says U.S.-China relations are stable

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China's ties with the United States remain stable, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on May 17th, as he sought to defuse tension over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea that has raised fears of confrontation between them. "I look forward to continuing to develop this relationship with President Obama and to bring China-U.S. relations to a new height along a track of a new model of major country relationship," Xi told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the end of Kerry's two-day trip to China. Xi told Kerry that China and the United States should handle disputes in a way that would not damage bilateral ties. Earlier on May 16th, Kerry urged China to take action to reduce tension in the South China Sea. His call was rebuffed by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said Beijing's determination to protect its interests in the area is "as hard as a rock".

Vietnam-China cooperation in Tonkin Gulf revisited

Vietnamese and Chinese scholars converged in a seminar in the northern province of Quang Ninh on May 11th to look at improving Vietnam-China cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin, where fishery resources are declining due to overexploitation and pollution. The workshop, co-hosted by the DAV and the Foundation for East Sea (South China Sea) Studies, attracted over 70 scholars, including 18 Chinese. called for strengthening consultation mechanisms to address fishery issues and protect the marine environment in the Gulf. Joint patrols and information exchanges should be intensified and funding for joint projects at sea should be raised. They said localities around the Gulf should observe international regulations in the environment, trade, tourism, maritime transport and search-and-rescue.

Philippines, Japan hold unprecedented naval drills

Two Japanese destroyers and one of the Philippine Navy’s newest warships began historic naval exercises in the South China Sea on May 12th, showcasing a deepening alliance aimed at countering a rising China. The day-long war games, the first bilateral naval exercises between the former World War II enemies, took place less than 300 kilometers from Bajo de Masinloc, a Philippine-claimed shoal better known as Scarborough Shoal but is now under Chinese control. Philippine authorities insisted that the exercises were merely focused on building military capabilities but security analysts said they were clearly a signal to China over bitter maritime territorial disputes.

India's Modi meets Xi on China visit

President Xi Jinping praised China's warming ties with India during a meeting May 14th between the leaders of Asia's rising powers and rivals, which included a rare touch of personal diplomacy for a Chinese leader. Xi met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a sprawling government guest house in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province. China-India relations "are experiencing stable development and facing broad prospects," Xi was quoted as telling Modi by China's official Xinhua News Agency. Modi's visit will "push forward the bilateral strategic partnership to achieve new progress, which has potential for greater development," Xi added. Indian and Chinese officials have said the sides plan to sign investment deals and trade agreements, to discuss efforts to end a border dispute that sparked a bloody monthlong conflict in 1962 during Modi's visit.