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Activities of Claimant

Vietnam

Vietnam concerned about Indonesia’s sinking of fishing boats

On August 20, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Hai Binh said “Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note on this issue to Indonesia on August 20 and asked the country to handle Vietnamese fishermen who have violated Indonesia’s territorial waters in line with the strategic partnership between the two countries, both of which are ASEAN members, and in a humane fashion,” in response to reporters’ questions regarding Indonesia’s sinking of foreign fishing ships, including Vietnamese boats, violating the country’s sea boundaries.

He added that the Vietnam has continually reminded and guided its fishermen to strictly adhere to other countries’ regulations and not infringe upon foreign waters, he stressed

In the next press meeting on August 24, Binh said “Vietnam resolutely opposes Taiwan’s construction of an illegal lighthouse in Ba Binh Island, part of Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago” in response to reporters’ questions on the move by Taiwan (China) recently. “The construction seriously violated Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty over Truong Sa archipelago, adding that it caused strain and had complicated the situation in the East Sea (South China Sea),”  he added. “Vietnam has full legal basic and historical evidence to claim its non-controversial sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos,” he said. “Vietnam demands that Taiwan must immediately stop the wrongful action and not undertake such activities again,” he stressed

Philippines

Air Force to receive 10 helicopters

On August 17, The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will formally receive today eight combat helicopters and two attack helicopters at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. While eight Bell-412EP helicopters acquired from Canada, two AW-109E helicopters supplied by an Anglo-Italian company. According to PAF spokesperson Col. Enrico Canaya, the helicopters are expected to improve the security and transport capabilities of the military.

“The helicopters will play different roles. The Bell combat helicopters can perform helicopter lift operations in different parts of the country and can be used for HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster response) in times of calamities.” “The AW109 helicopters can perform close air support and air reconnaissance,” he added.

Canaya said the air assets will be placed under the PAF 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing based in Cebu.

Malaysia

Malaysia lodges diplomatic protest against Beting Patinggi Ali intrusion

On August 15, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said Malaysia will continue to send diplomatic protests against the intrusion of Chinese coast guard ships in Malaysian waters near Beting Patinggi Ali whihch is located only about 90 nautical miles from the shore of Miri

Shahidan, who is in charge of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the National Security Council (NSC), said the republic’s ships had been in Malaysian waters for more than two years. “We have never received any official claims from them (China) and they said the island (Beting Patinggi Ali) belongs to them but the country is 400,000 km away. “We are taking diplomatic action but in whatever approach, they have to get out of our national waters,” he told reporters after opening the Alor Setar Wanita UMNO division meeting on August 15.

Indonesia

Indonesia sinks 34 foreign boats

On August 19, Indonesia has sunk 34 impounded foreign boats in the latest bid to deter vessels from illegally fishing in the world's biggest archipelago nation, that includes boats from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. Foreign trawlers had already been sunk on several occasions in recent months.

Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, a key figure in the campaign to stop illegal fishing, said in a statement after the latest sinkings, "we have to be able to show that we can be triumphant on the sea because the sea is the future of our nation."

The United States

US vows to upgrade PH military

The United States vowed to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in its ongoing modernization program even as it called on China once again to take the peaceful path in resolving its territorial dispute with the Philippines.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg gave this assurance at the turnover ceremonies of eight new Bell-412EP combat utility helicopters and two attack versions of the AgustaWestland AW-109Es on  August 18 at Villamor Air Base, in Pasay City.

Speaking to reporters, Goldberg said: “I think that our position has been clear, that the way to settle disputes in South China Sea is through legal, peaceful and diplomatic means. That’s why we have supported the Philippines’ effort to bring the case before the ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea) process, under the law of the sea.” “That’s why we have supported a Code of Conduct to better lay out the rules of the road, because ultimately, what we should all be seeking are rules-based, legal-based solutions to the various claims, not use of force or threats or any kind of coercion,” he added.

At the same time, Goldberg said, the US would continue to support the Philippine military’s acquisition of modern assets and equipment. This includes two additional Lockheed C-130 cargo planes for the Air Force.

The US reiterated the right of flying, sailing and operating in the South China Sea

August 20, at the Pentagon Press Briefing Room, speaking in response to question of the reporter, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said that “the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits. As we've always the right to do, we will continue to do that, and none of this is going to change our conduct in anyway.” He added “we are very actively pursuing not only what I just described, which is our unilateral activities, but our multilateral activities with other countries in the South China Sea and others in the Asia-Pacific area for the very reason that they are very concerned about this Chinese behavior, which is not only concerning to us, but is also having the effect of strengthening our alliances and increasing the number and strength of our partnerships, and it'll -- will -- that will continue as well.” The Secretary of Defense stressed that “the US have called for all countries -- not just China, because there're others, but China is by far and away the one that has done the most, especially in the last year to stop dredging, stop any further militarization, not just stop temporarily, but stop permanently that.”

Regional snapshot

Vietnam, Singapore convene ninth political consultation

On August 17 in Hanoi, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung and Second Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Chee Wee Kiong chaired the ninth political consultation. Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the implementation of contents in the bilateral strategic partnership, ranging from politics to economics-trade-investment, national defence-security, education, aviation connectivity, transport, people-to-people exchange, as well as region and global issues.

On ASEAN collaboration and the East Sea (South China Sea) issue, both sides vowed to partner with other ASEAN member states to successfully build the ASEAN Community. They underscored ASEAN’s unity and central role in regional cooperation and evolving regional architecture, and shared view that ASEAN needs to raise their common and responsible voice on key regional issues, including the East Sea issue, as well as reach consensus on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea for regional peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Russia-China Military Drills In Sea Of Japan

A Russian military official said August 20 that planned naval drills by Russia and China off the coast of Vladivostok in the Sea of Japan. "The major goals of the exercises will be to train and improve the organization of joint actions in the sea, on land and in the air," said Russian Eastern Military District spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov. During the active phase of the exercise, which will take place over three days at the end of August, 22 warships, 20 aircraft, 500 amphibious soldiers and more than 40 armored vehicles will come together in maneuvers described by the deputy commander of the Russian navy, Vice Adm. Alexander Fedotenkov, as “unprecedented” in size and scope.

India-US joint military training exercise in Sept

The Indo-US Combined Military Training Exercise will be held from September 9 to 23 at the Joint Base Lewis McChord in the US aimed at strengthening and broadening interoperability and cooperation between the two armies. This will be the eleventh exercise in 'Yudh Abhyas' series which started in 2004 under US Army Pacific partnership programme. The exercise will strengthen and broaden interoperability and cooperation between both the Armies and complement a number of other exchanges between the two forces, an Army statement here said. 

 

The South China Sea Studies