China says wants peace after newspaper warns on S.China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea) clash By Reuters/Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan  July 5, 2016 | 10:11 pm GMT+7 China's government sought to downplay fears of conflict in the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea) after an influential state-run newspaper said on Tuesday that Beijing should prepare for military confrontation in the area. The joint editorials in the Chinese and English editions of the Global Times were published as tension mounted ahead of a July 12 ruling by an international court hearing competing claims of China and the Philippines in the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea). The newspaper said the dispute had already been complicated by U.S. intervention and now faced further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China's sovereignty. "Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea), and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: … [Read more...] about China says wants peace after newspaper warns on S.China Sea (Vietnam’s East Sea) clash
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China to hold drills in South China Sea (Vietnam’s East Sea) ahead of court ruling
Related News China to hold drills in South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea) ahead of court ruling By Reuters/ Ben Blanchard  July 3, 2016 | 11:14 am GMT+7 China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi (L) attends the 9th meeting of the steering committee of the Vietnam - China bilateral cooperation at the International Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam June 27, 2016. Photo by Reuters/Kham China will hold military drills around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea), the maritime safety administration said on Sunday, ahead of a decision by an international court in a dispute between China and the Philippines. China routinely carries out exercises in the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea), where its territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an arbitration court hearing the dispute between China and the Philippines over the … [Read more...] about China to hold drills in South China Sea (Vietnam’s East Sea) ahead of court ruling
China calls for direct negotiations on South China Sea disputes
China's premier has called on Southeast Asian nations to set aside their differences as tensions rise over the disputed South China Sea islands, state news agency Xinhua reported late on Saturday. "In recent years, the South China Sea disputes, which should have been addressed by directly concerned countries through negotiation and talks, have been played up to become a problem concerning the South China Sea's peace and stability and the freedom of navigation," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in Kuala Lumpur according to Xinhua. China, which claims almost the entire energy-rich South China Sea, has been transforming reefs into artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago and building airfields and other facilities on some of them. That has prompted concerns in Washington and across the region that Beijing is trying to militarise its claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have territorial claims in the South China Sea. At a meeting … [Read more...] about China calls for direct negotiations on South China Sea disputes
European Union sides with United States on South China Sea incident
The European Union sided with Washington on Friday over a U.S.-Chinese patrolling incident in the South China Sea, in a move that may affect Brussels' discussions with Beijing at next week's Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of foreign affairs ministers. On Tuesday, a U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of one of Beijing's man-made islands in the contested Spratly archipelago, triggering a sharp reaction from China. "The U.S. are exercising their freedom of navigation," a senior EU official said at a briefing, chiming with the U.S. line. A U.S. Navy spokesman had said that the patrol was part of the U.S. freedom of navigation operations meant to "protect the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law". The EU is concerned about Beijing's plans to build new islands in contested waters, the EU official said, a statement that may be welcomed by other Asian nations opposing China's claims to almost the entire South China … [Read more...] about European Union sides with United States on South China Sea incident
U.S. slams Taiwan leader’s planned visit to contested South China Sea island
Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's planned trip to the Taiwanese-held island of Itu Aba in the disputed South China Sea is "extremely unhelpful" and won't do anything to resolve disputes over the waterway, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. Ma's office earlier announced that the president, who steps down in May, would fly to Itu Aba on Thursday to offer Chinese New Year wishes to residents on the island, mainly Taiwanese coastguard personnel and environmental scholars. But Ma's one-day visit to Itu Aba, known as Ba Binh in Vietnam and Taiping in Taiwan, comes amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the waterway and quickly drew the ire of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei in the absence of formal diplomatic ties. "We are disappointed that President Ma Ying-jeou plans to travel to Taiping Island," AIT spokeswoman Sonia Urbom said in an email to Reuters. "Such an action is extremely unhelpful and does not contribute to the peaceful … [Read more...] about U.S. slams Taiwan leader’s planned visit to contested South China Sea island