Despite their ongoing rivalry over the South China Sea, Malaysia and China continue to keep close ties. Back in 2019, the two Asian powers agreed to set up a bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) specifically for dealing with maritime issues. In October this year, it was finally set into motion. Details of the consultation were scant…
China has submitted a copy of the geographic coordinates and nautical charts for sea territory surrounding Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations, a move experts said followed international practice but could be challenged by the US’ incoming Trump administration. On Monday, Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, submitted the statement regarding the…
Manila should strengthen coordination with Southeast Asian nations on its policy towards China, a retired Philippine naval officer said on Monday, as engagement with Washington alone risks potential stronger resistance by Beijing over the contested South China Sea. “I believe that we made some mistakes … we could have engaged at least most of the…
The risk of conflict in the South China Sea may increase if Donald Trump steps up military activity in the disputed waterway because of the lack of legally binding rules over air and sea encounters, a Chinese maritime affairs analyst has warned. Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said…
The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said the patrol activities were “carried out in accordance with the law”. Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, is claimed by both Beijing and Manila and has been effectively controlled by China since an intense stand-off in 2012….
The Philippines is likely to maintain a “low-intensity” approach to China in the transition period after the United States election, a survey by a Beijing-based think tank has concluded. The South China Sea Probing Initiative spoke to six analysts about how they expected the territorial dispute to unfold in the wake of Tuesday’s vote, including…