alt

Activities of the Claimants

China

PLA reports maritime drill near Vietnam simulating threat to oil rig

The People's Liberation Army recently staged a drill in waters close to Vietnam in the South China Sea, simulating a scenario in which an oil rig was surrounded by foreign fishing boats. The drill, which took place in waters near Beibu Gulf, which is known as the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam, involved dozens of vessels from 10 military and civilian units, as well as several aircraft from the South Sea Fleet's naval aviation unit, a report posted on the PLA Daily website said on August 23rd. The drill was held some time this summer. The report did not give an exact date. The report said the PLA flotilla formed a few hours after receiving an order from a maritime command centre. It was reacting to the entry of "an armed suspicious fishing vessel" into waters claimed by China. The PLA vessels stopped the fishing vessel and detained 20 crewmen and one reporter, the report said.

China urges U.S. to stop close-in reconnaissance activities

China's Defense Ministry urges the United States to stop its close-in reconnaissance activities against China and create a good environment for the development of bilateral military relations. Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, said in a statement on August 23rd that a P-3 anti-submarine warfare aircraft and a P-8 patrol aircraft from the U.S. Navy flied over the airspace about 220 kilometers east of Hainan Island and conducted close-in reconnaissance against China on August 19th, 2014 at around 9:00 AM. Yang said that a J-11 fighter jet from the aviation force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy took off and carried out routine identification and verification over the two U.S. naval planes. During the activity of identification and verification, the relevant operations made by the Chinese pilot were professional and the Chinese jet kept a safe distance from the U.S. planes, stressed Yang. Yang Yujun pointed out that the U.S. side’s accusation against China is totally groundless. He continued that the U.S’s large scale and highly frequent close-in reconnaissance against China is the root cause of accidents endangering the sea and air military security between China and the United States.

Vietnam

Vietnam condemns inhuman acts against fishermen

alt

Vietnam strongly condemns inhumane actions against its fishermen operating legally in the country’s waters, said Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Le Hai Binh at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on August 21th. He made the response to queries about Vietnam’s stance on information that a Chinese vessel recently attacked a fishing boat hailing from Ly Son island in the central province of Quang Ngai and robbed assets and fish on board when it was catching in the waters of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago. Vietnam’s authorised agencies are urgently verifying the information, he stated.

Vietnam to host ASEAN maritime forums

The 5th ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF-5) and the 3rd Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF-3) will be held in the central city of Da Nang from August 26th-28th. The hosting of the events reflects Vietnam’s role, responsibility and contributions to ASEAN’s important and priority areas of maritime cooperation and ensuring security and safety of navigation in the region. The forums are expected to bring together representatives from 10 ASEAN member states and eight East Asia Summit (EAS) partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the US. They aim to promote the key role of ASEAN in fostering maritime cooperation and build trust in the region, especially in ensuring security and safety of navigation.

The Philippines

PH protests China ‘sovereignty patrols’

The Philippines on August 18th slammed what it called China’s “illegitimate sovereignty patrols” of Philippine waters, following President Aquino’s revelation that two Chinese research vessels had been spotted on oil-rich Recto Bank in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will file a diplomatic protest “as soon as possible” against the latest Chinese incursion on Co Rong Bank (internationally known as Reed Bank, the Philippines calls it Recto Bank), the DFA spokesman, Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, told reporters. Jose made it clear the protest would deal not only with the Co Rong Bank incident but with what appeared to be China’s “constant and overwhelming presence” in areas where the Philippines has exclusive sovereignty rights. In response, China on August 20th rejected Philippine complaints about Chinese survey vessels operating in Co Rong Bank. In a statement faxed to Reuters, China's Foreign Ministry said that Co Rong Bank was Chinese territory. "Survey activities being carried out by Chinese survey ships are appropriate, legal and beyond reproach," the ministry said.

India

Vietnam renews lease of Indian oil blocks in South China Sea

Vietnam has renewed India's lease of two oil blocks in the South China Sea for another year, on the eve of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's first visit to Hanoi. The move reaffirms India's position as a continuing commercial stakeholder in a region where territorial disputes between southeast Asian nations and China have flared up recently. The oil blocks, 128, have little commercial value because the Indian entity, OVL had concluded there is little prospect of striking oil in that area. After India gave up the blocks in 2012, Vietnam persuaded India to stay on to explore further. That lease expired this year and has just been renewed. India clearly remains there because it believes it has strategic interests in the South China Sea.

The U.S.

U.S. Registers Concern to China for Dangerous Intercept

alt

The U.S. Defense Department has expressed its concern to Chinese diplomatic officials about an August 19th incident in which an armed Chinese fighter jet conducted a dangerous intercept of a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporterson August 22nd. The aircraft was on a routine mission when the intercept took place over the Pacific Ocean about 135 miles east of Hainan Island in international airspace, Kirby said.“We have registered our strong concerns to the Chinese about the unsafe and unprofessional intercept, which posed a risk to the safety and the well-being of the aircrew, and was inconsistent with customary international law,” he said. Kirby also noted that DoD officials believe the Chinese jet made several passes and crossed under the aircraft with one pass having only 50-100 feet of separation. “The Chinese jet … passed the nose of the P-8 at 90 degrees with its belly toward the P-8 Poseidon, we believe to make a point of showing its weapons load out,” Kirby said. “They flew directly under and alongside the P-8, bringing their wingtips … to within 20 feet and then conducted a roll over the P-8, passing within 45 feet.” The admiral asserted that the incident undermines efforts to continue developing military-to-military relations with the Chinese military. Later, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said it was "obviously a deeply concerning provocation and we have communicated directly to the Chinese government our objection to this type of action." Rhodes said the United States has encouraged "constructive military-to-military ties with China" and "this type of action ... violates the spirit of that engagement."

Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Set to Deploy

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group departed on August 22nd for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific and U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, and embarked Destroyer Squadron 1 will deploy with guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and guided-missile destroyers USS Gridley (DDG 101), USS Sterett (DDG 104), and USS Dewey (DDG 105). The strike group will deploy with approximately 6,200 Sailors and will focus on maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. Bunker Hill, Dewey, Gridley and Sterett, multi-mission ships that possess the Aegis Weapons System, will support Carl Vinson carrier operations and provide deterrence to potential adversaries, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the seas, and provide humanitarian assistance/disaster relief as necessary.

Regional Snapshots

India reinforces naval ties with PH

alt

The Philippine Navy on August 25th hailed the Indian navy following the latter’s visit to the country last week. Lieutenant Commander Marineth Domingo, Philippine Navy Public Affairs Office Chief, said the visit of Indian Naval ship Sahyadri, under the command of Commodore Jyotin Raina, was about reinforcing the relations between the two nations and their navies. “This affair aims to enhance and strengthen mutual relationship between the two nations and forces as it offers great liberty and an opportunity for the Indian Navy to show friendly aspect to the Philippines,” Domingo said. “The goodwill visits are also opportune time for a visiting ship to unwind and relax, and see the beauty of our countrymen and at the same time build camaraderie with their counterparts,” Domingo added. Arriving last August 20th, Sahyadri left for India on August 23rd after its crew played basketball and football with the troops of the Philippine Navy.

Indian pushes for closer ties with Vietnam

The Indian government values the cooperation with Vietnam as the country gains in significance in the global arena, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj told Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi on August 25th. Swaraj conveyed Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s invitation to PM Dung to visit India early October to further discuss potential bilateral orientations. She added that the visits of the Indian President and PM Dung over the next two months bear witness to the growing level of collaboration between the two countries. As both countries face similar prospects in the future, the FM suggested stronger cooperation on all fronts. Turning her attention to the issue of the South China Sea, Swaraj reported that at the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Myanmar, India took a stance opposing the use and threat to use force in international disputes while supporting the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

East Sea (South China Sea) Studies