NEWSWORTHY
South Korea begins routine war games to practice defense of islets claims by Japan
South Korea on Monday began two days of war games to practice defending the disputed Dokdo islands off its east coast, a pair of rocky outcroppings that Japan claims as Takeshima. The drills come just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the suspension of ...
China carries out missile drills in South China Sea amid heightened tensions
China's navy carried out drills in the South China Sea to simulate fending off an aerial attack, state media said on Friday, as China and the United States trade barbs over who is responsible for heightened tensions in the disputed waterways. U.S. Secretary of State ...
China's massive 'magic island-maker' dredging vessel completes sea trials
China's most advanced dredging vessel — which it calls "a magic island-maker" — returned to a shipyard in Qidong, in eastern Jiangsu province on Tuesday after completing its first sea trial, state-run media said Wednesday. The vessel, the largest of its kind in Asia and ...
Philippines says Chinese seizures of fish catch at Scarborough Shoal unacceptable
The Philippine president's office on Monday called Chinese seizures of fish caught by Philippine fishing boats near a disputed shoal unacceptable, and presented three fishermen who described their experiences. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he and Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano raised the incidents with ...
Japan and China launch defense communication mechanism to prevent air and sea clashes
Japan and China launched a communication mechanism between their defense authorities Friday to avert accidental clashes in the air and at sea, while sidestepping a territorial row over the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The launch of the Maritime and Aerial Communication ...
With ports, ships and promises, India unveils plans to play stronger role in Southeast Asia
Almost lost in the din of the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit and fresh tension between Washington and Beijing last week, India cemented its diplomatic and security ties across Southeast Asia in a clear challenge to China. It is not clear just how far New Delhi ...
U.S. sends B-52 bombers 'in vicinity' of South China Sea amid row over militarization of islets
The U.S. military sent two B-52 heavy bombers for a "routine mission" in the contested South China Sea on Tuesday, just days after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis lambasted Beijing's continued militarization of its outposts in the strategic waterway. The U.S. Pacific Air Forces, which oversees ...
Japan, U.S. and Australia agree on maritime security cooperation at Singapore summit
Japan, the United States and Australia on Saturday agreed that the international community needs to work together to deal with any attempt to change the status quo in the South China Sea unilaterally. The agreement, which apparently had in mind Beijing's operations in the South ...
At Singapore security summit, Mattis accuses China of 'intimidation and coercion' in South China Sea
China's military build-up in the South China Sea and its deployment of high-end weapons systems in the disputed waterway is designed to intimidate and coerce neighbors, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday. Speaking at a high-profile security summit in Singapore, the Pentagon chief also ...
Defense chief says U.S. will confront China on militarization of South China Sea islands
The U.S. will continue to confront China's militarization of man-made islands in the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday, arguing that Beijing hasn't abided by its promise not to put weapons on the Spratly Islands. Mattis said American ships are maintaining a ...
China vows to boost 'combat readiness' after U.S. sails two warships near South China Sea islands
China's Defense Ministry has vowed to bolster its "combat readiness" to defend against what it said was a "serious infringement" of the country's sovereignty after the U.S. Navy dispatched two warships for an apparent "freedom of navigation" operation (FONOP) in disputed South China Sea ...
Abe and Putin set to hold summit on isle projects but may also address North Korea
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to talk about starting economic projects on the disputed isles but might touch on North Korea as well.
