Boats at a dive site off Sipadan, an island over which Malaysia and Indonesia once had rival claims. Photo: Shutterstock

    Why are South China Sea disputes hard to resolve? Power ‘asymmetry’, Malaysian expert says

    An inherent “asymmetry” of power poses a challenge to resolving South China Sea disputes via the quiet diplomacy traditionally favoured by Southeast Asian nations, a leading Malaysian security expert has said. Chinese analysts said Beijing supported the “Asean way” too, so long as sovereignty claims were resolved bilaterally. They also warned against external interference and…

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      Japan protests after China military jet locks radar on Japanese aircraft

      TOKYO (AP) — Japan and Australia urged calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar on Japanese fighter jets, a month after the Japanese leader’s recent remarks on Taiwan that stirred tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan formally protested the incident, calling it “an extremely regrettable” act and “a…

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