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Activities of the Claimants

China

PLA begins large-scale drills

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The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has launched a series of exercises of a rare breadth and scale in advance of this year's Army Day on August 1st, as the Chinese military moves to hone its craft in simulating battles to prepare for potential challenges in a more convoluted international situation. The Ministry of National Defense announced on July 27th that a military exercise will be conducted off China's southeast coast in the East China Sea starting July 29th. In addition, ccording to the website of the Maritime Safety Administration, the PLA has sent out warnings forbidding fishing vessels to enter certain waters in China's Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea for seven days starting July 25th as a "military mission" is being carried out in the area. The PLA was also scheduled to conduct live fire training in the South China Sea's Beibu Gulf from Saturday to August 1st. The newly announced military drill means that, in a rare situation, the PLA would be conducting exercises in all four seas at the same time, analysts say.

China dredges channels in Paracel islands

Xinhua reported July 23rd that up to 1.7km of channels had been dredged around Duy Mong Island (Drummond Island, known as Jinqing in Chinese). Regarding this move, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh on July 23rd said that Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly islands, “all China’s activities in the two archipelagos are illegal and invalid.”

Vietnam

International experts call for peaceful solutions to South China Sea disputes

Foreign experts to an international workshop on legal issues regarding China’s illegal placement of its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig inside Vietnam’s waters have voiced that international law must be respected when it comes the settlement of current disputes in the South China Sea. They shared the view that for mutual interests and development in the region and the world, current disputes in the South China Sea must be handled by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, ensuring independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of each nation. The workshop took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 26th with experts from the US, Russia, Italia, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, India, the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, who analysed China’s actions from the viewpoint of international law, while discussing the settlement of territorial disputes through political, diplomatic and legal measures regulated in international law.

The Philippines

PLP to protect British firm behind drilling ops in Co Rong Bank (Reed Bank)

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The Philippine Defense Department will provide security to Forum Energy, the British firm conducting drilling operations in Co Rong Bank (Reed Bank, known in the Philippines as Recto Bank), amid China’s strong opposition to the project. “Within our capability we will be able to extend all the necessary protection for the (company),” Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told reporters in an interview on July 21st. The defense chief stressed that Forum Energy does not need to seek permission from China because Recto Bank is within Philippine territory. “When you seek permission, it means the area is theirs. It is clear that the area is ours,” Gazmin said. “We are waiting for the decision of the arbitral court so we can determine who has the marine entitlement in the area,” he added.

The U.S.

US to give C-130 planes to Philippines

The United States will give two Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" planes to the Philippines, newly appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang revealed. In a state report, Catapang disclosed the impending donation in a visit to the 1st Air Division headquarters in Clark Field, Pampanga, citing American military officials. "I just talked to our US counterparts [and] they told us they are making available another two C-130s to address our humanitarian assistance disaster relief concerns," Catapang said.

Bill Clinton criticizes China’s South China Sea policy

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Former US President Bill Clinton has cautioned China not to intimidate smaller countries in disputes in the South China Sea, according to Fortune.com. In a story published on the website on July 25th, the former president was quoted as saying at a recent conference in Guangzhou that the problem is China’s insistence on negotiating alone with smaller countries, because it can use its size to intimidate smaller countries like Vietnam and the Philippines if other international voices aren’t at the table. He stressed that the US does not care what resolution is, but there should be a resolution, so that Vietnam, the Philippines, and other smaller countries aren’t overwhelmed by the size differential between themselves and China.

South China Sea tension 'a little' toned down

The territorial row between China and its neighbors over the South China Sea has become less intense in the past weeks, the US Department of State said July 25th. Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson, confirmed the observation that rival claimants have "toned down," not exchanging statements asserting their claims and not making moves that would escalate the tension. Harf said that the department noted the disputes to have been "a little different" the past days. "I would take a little – I mean, we’ve seen China actually increasingly take steps that have led to tension and we believe are destabilizing and trying to change the status quo," Harf said.

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Regional Snapshots

Vietnam-Singapore defence policy dialogue looks to stronger ties

Vietnam and Singapore should deepen defence cooperation to match their strategic partnership, heard the Vietnam – Singapore defence policy dialogue in Hanoi on July 22nd. It will be made possible by sharing information and experience via visits, continuing the deputy ministerial-level dialogue mechanism, and assisting each other in building the United Nations peacekeeping forces and at multilateral forums. The views were shared by Deputy Minister of National Defence, Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh and Permanent Secretary at the Singaporean Ministry of Defence Chan Yeng Kit who co-chaired the dialogue. Vinh thanked Singapore for helping Vietnam modernise its army, especially in foreign language training, peacekeeping mission, and search and rescue operation. He suggested the two defence ministries work out a three-year cooperation plan to better realise their commitments. Both sides were on the same page when it comes to the South China Sea issue, saying that disputes should be addressed by peaceful means in line with international law. Parties concerned should stay united and uphold the central role of ASEAN in sustaining peace and stability in the region, they said.

ASEAN, EU look towards strategic partnership

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ASEAN and the European Union (EU) agreed to develop their ties into a strategic partnership at their 20th Ministerial Meeting in Belgium on July 22nd-23rd, co-hosted by Vietnam and the EU for the first time. Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and EU Commissar for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton co-chaired the event. To realise the vision, both sides will increase political-security dialogues and consultations at regional and global forums in order to further promote their voice, role and contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and the world. Discussing issues of shared interest, ministers expressed their deep concern over the current complicated tension in the South China Sea and stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region as well as promoting security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, and trade in the sea. Parties concerned were urged to exercise restraint, avoid use of or threat to use force so as to peacefully settle disputes in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They were also asked to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

Indonesian defense minister meets with senior Chinese military official

Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yugisantoro met with Chinese general Fan Changlong on July 24th, according to media report. The two sides had reportedly an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern. Purnomo said the military relations between Indonesia and China has maintained a good momentum of growth in recent year and the two armies have witnessed a expanding pragmatic cooperation. "Indonesia and China have no conflict of interest and share broad common interest in Asia region," Purnomo said. Fan, also the vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, the highest authority which runs the country's armed forced, said the China-Indonesia relations are at a new historical starting point since the two leaders upgraded the ties to comprehensive strategic partnership last year. The Chinese Army is willing to further enrich the bilateral ties by promoting maritime security cooperation, security collaboration as well as pragmatic exchanges, Fan said.

East Sea (South China Sea) Studies