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Activities of Related Parties

China

Chinese fishing fleets threaten to inflame tensions in disputed seas

According to Global Times, around 18.000 fishing vessels will head to South China Sea after ban on catching fish in the area is lifted on August 16. “There’s no need to worry [about conflicts with other nations] as we have government vessels protecting us,” the fisherman who identified himself as Bao said, referring to the coastguard ships.

Sandy Cay incident ‘successfully addressed’ - Chinese envoy

Speaking at a diplomatic reception on September 4, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said the latest incident involving Manila and Beijing at Sandy Cay "has been successfully addressed through diplomatic channels." Earlier, Philippine Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned that China's reported deployment of Chinese Navy, Coast Guard ships and a flotilla of paramilitary fishing forces near Sandy Cay as an "invasion."

China refutes VN’s objections to its live-fire drill

Recently, Vietnam has protested against live-fire drill by the Chinese military in the Paracel Islands. In response, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said: “The relevant military exercise by the Chinese armed forces near the Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands) falls within China's sovereignty, and we hope various parties can regard it in a calm and rational way.”

Vietnam

Vietnam protests over Chinese live-fire drill in seized island

China's announced live-fire drill on the Paracel islands in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, is a serious violation of Hanoi's territorial sovereignty, the Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a statement on September 5. “Vietnam strongly opposes this action and demands that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago (Paracel Islands) and cease and refrain from repeating acts” that threaten peace and stability in the East Sea and the region, Le Thi Thu Hang, Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said, employing the Vietnamese name for the Paracels, the island chain China took from Vietnam by force in 1974.

Indonesia

Indonesia asserts the North Natuna renaming is legal

During a panel discussion hosted by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club on September 5, the head of policy analysis at the Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Siswo Pramono stressed that "states are entitled to name seas by submitting proposals to be considered by the International Hydrographic Organization [IHO]." Siswo said that "Indonesia remains in the position that in the South China Sea it has overlapping jurisdictions only with Malaysia and Vietnam.” The naming of the seas, according to Siswo, involves consultations with the IHO and its member countries.

Regional Snapshots

Thailand signs deals with Chinese state firms for high-speed railway

Speking to Reuters on September 5, Anon Luengboriboon, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, Thailand have signed two contracts, worth 5.2 billion baht ($157 million), with Chinese state enterprises for a high-speed rail project with China. The Thai government and Chinese state enterprises signed the to contracts this week, witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the sideline of a BRICS summit in China.

Indonesia, Japan deepen talks on joint development in South China Sea

Indonesia and Japan on September 6hold talks to develop maritime cooperation in some of the outermost Indonesian regions, including the Natuna archipelago, which borders the South China Sea. In their joint statement, development of local fisheries-related industries, including construction of fishing ports and fish transport ships, is high on the agenda. But security cooperation is also part of the discussions, with the two countries agreeing on "construction of vessels for patrol and multipurpose vessels."