Category: South China Sea

Proposed Biden Defense Budget Names China as ‘Primary Strategic Challenge’

President Joe Biden’s proposed $813 billion national security spending request to Congress includes $773 billion in direct allocations for the U.S. military with significant boosts in funding designed to counter the growing military threat in the western Pacific presented by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). “This will be among the largest investments in our…


Philippines: Chinese Ship’s Close Distance Maneuvering a ‘Clear Violation’

MANILA—The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday reported a recent incident of “close distance maneuvering” by a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel in the disputed South China Sea that “constrained” the movement of a Philippine ship sailing nearby. The March 2 incident took place during the PCG’s maritime patrol operations around the Scarborough Shoal, locally…


CCP’s Militarization of South China Sea Islands Marks ‘Significant Change’ in Balance of Power in Region: Analysts

The militarization of islands in the South China Sea is an indicator of the Chinese regime’s desire to dominate the region and send a message to the rest of the world, according to security analysts. Recently, the Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. John Aquilino, revealed that the Chinese regime has fully militarized at…


US Admiral Says China Fully Militarized Islands

OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA—China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby, a top U.S. military commander said Sunday….


US Indo-Pacific Commander Says China Has Fully Militarized 3 Isles in South China Sea

Adm. John Aquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said on March 20 that China has fully militarized at least three of the islands in the disputed South China Sea. “I think over the past 20 years, we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” Aquilino told…


China Has Fully Militarized 3 Isles in South China Sea: US Indo-Pacific Commander

Adm. John Aquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said on March 20 that China has fully militarized at least three of the islands in the disputed South China Sea. “I think over the past 20 years, we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” Aquilino told…


Philippines Summons Chinese Envoy to Protest Naval Intrusion

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine government on Monday summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest what it said was the “illegal incursion” of a Chinese navy ship into the country’s waters and to demand that Beijing order its ships to respect the country’s territory and follow international law, officials said. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said…


China Announces South China Sea Drills Close to Vietnam Coast

BEIJING—China is carrying out more than a week of military drills in the South China Sea in an area between its southern province of Hainan and Vietnam, the Chinese regime announced, warning shipping to stay away. The Chinese regime claims a large part of the disputed waterway, on which major shipping lanes lie, and has…


China’s Propaganda on Ukraine Seeps Into Western Mainstream Media

News Analysis In otherwise excellent reporting on China’s reaction to Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion, Western reporters continue to buy into major elements of Beijing’s propaganda, namely that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stands for peace, state sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and that these so-called Beijing policies somehow contrast with Moscow’s invasion. Nothing could be further…


The Naval Balance of Power in the South China Sea Has Shifted Dramatically in Favor of China

News Analysis Over the last decade the balance of power in the South China Sea (SCS), and to a lesser extent the East China Sea (ECS), has shifted dramatically in favor of China’s military forces. The construction of seven artificial islands with a total surface area of 3,200 acres in the SCS has significantly expanded…