By Peter Symonds In the lead-up to this weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday bluntly declared that the US would continue its military provocations against China in the South China Sea. The Pentagon deliberately inflamed tensions with Beijing last week by allowing a CNN news crew to fly on board a … Continue reading
China’s creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea is happening so fast that Beijing will be able to extend the range of its navy, air force, coastguard and fishing fleets before long, much to the alarm of rival claimants to the contested waters. Reclamation work is well advanced on six reefs in the … Continue reading
By Nikkei Asian Review TOKYO — The defense ministers of Japan and the Philippines agreed here Thursday to boost cooperation on maritime security, a move designed to curb China’s expansion on the seas. Gen Nakatani and Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin discussed the Chinese navy’s activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as … Continue reading