The U.S. Navy yesterday announced it has just concluded six days of joint drills in the South China Sea with the United Kingdom, conducting joint operations with a U.S. Navy destroyer and a Royal Navy frigate (CNN)
U.S. Navy Conducts FONOP Near Disputed South China Sea Island
The USS McCampbell, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, conducted a freedom of navigation exercise (FONOP) today by sailing within twelve nautical miles of the Paracel Islands (Reuters)
China Protests U.S. Navy FONOP in South China Sea
Chinese officials lodged “stern representations” with the United States today, objecting to a U.S. Navy freedom of navigation exercise (FONOP) that was conducted early this week near the disputed Paracel Islands (Reuters)
U.S. Navy Proposes Show of Force in South China Sea
The U.S. Pacific Fleet has proposed conducting several missions over the course of a week near China’s territorial waters in the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation rights, according to defense officials (CNN)
U.S., Chinese Warships Avoid Collision in South China Sea
A U.S. Navy destroyer had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision with a Chinese destroyer in the South China Sea yesterday, according to U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman. The Chinese ship reportedly came within 45 yards of the U.S. ship as it was conducting a freedom of navigation operation near the disputed Spratly islands (New York Times)
U.S. Flies Bombers Near Disputed South China Sea Territory
The Pentagon announced yesterday that B-52 bombers flew over the South China Sea this week, calling the move part of “regularly scheduled operations” (Reuters)
Japan Engages in South China Sea Submarine Exercise
Japan’s Defense Ministry said that this past week a submarine joined three destroyers to participate in an antisubmarine exercise in the South China Sea (Wall Street Journal)
Mattis in China Amid Tensions Over Waterways, Taiwan
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, meeting today with his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, is the first in his position to visit China since 2014 (Voice of America)
Mattis has been a vocal critic of the country’s military buildup in the South China Sea, saying the United States will “compete vigorously” with Beijing in the disputed waterway if necessary (South China Morning Post)
Confrontation Over FONOP in South China Sea
The Chinese defense ministry issued a statement yesterday condemning a U.S. freedom of navigation (FONOP) exercise involving two U.S. Navy ships near the disputed Paracel Islands, calling it a “provocation” and reportedly sending naval ships and aircraft to the area to “warn them off” (NBC News)
U.S. Rescinds China’s Invitation to Join Military Exercise in the Pacific
The Pentagon yesterday retracted an invitation for PLA Navy to participate in the international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise, scheduled to begin next month, citing China’s continued militarization of the South China Sea (Wall Street Journal)
China Lands Bombers on South China Sea Island
The Chinese air force announced that it landed long-range bombers, including the nuclear-capable H-6K, for the first time on artificial islands in the South China Sea (CNN)
Vietnam Asks China to Withdraw Military Equipment from South China Sea
Following reports last week that China has placed anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles on three outposts in the South China Sea, the Vietnamese foreign ministry issued a statement requesting China withdraw the military equipment, calling it “a series violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty” (Reuters)
U.S., Australia Warn China Over Militarizing Islands
Top officials from the United States and Australia expressed alarm over reports that China has deployed anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as surface-to-air missile systems, to three outposts on the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (CNBC)
The deputy assistant defense secretary for the region said the United States “should be concerned,” noting that the move “looks like an effort to militarize” the islands (South China Morning Post)
Australia’s foreign minister said such a deployment would be contrary to China’s statements on not militarizing the disputed territories (Australian Associated Press)
Chinese Navy Shows Strength in South China Sea
The People’s Liberation Army began a three-day drill involving an aircraft carrier and submarines yesterday near its main submarine base off Hainan island, as a U.S. Navy carrier strike group led by aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt passes through contested waterway in the South China Sea (South China Morning Post)
Chinese Navy Conducts Large-Scale Drills in South China Sea
Satellite imagery confirmed dozens of Chinese navy ships, including a carrier group, are carrying out a large-scale show of force off Hainan Island in the South China Sea. The combat drills included up to forty ships and submarines, and are part of what the Chinese navy earlier this week called routine annual exercises (Reuters)
Philippines to Continue Patrols in the South China Sea
The Philippine military will continue aerial patrols in the South China Sea around the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine defense secretary said, despite protests from Beijing (Associated Press)
U.S. Navy Conducts FONOP in South China Sea
A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a so-called “freedom of navigation” operation (FONOP) yesterday in the South China Sea, near Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands. Sailing within twelve nautical miles of the islands, the ship conducted maneuvering operations designed to push back against perceived attempts by China to limit freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, reportedly infuriating Beijing, who condemned the operation (Reuters)
Vietnam Halts South China Sea Drilling Project
Vietnam’s state oil company PetroVietnam halted an oil drilling project, licensed to Spanish energy company Repsol, in the South China Sea following pressure from China. This is the second major oil project suspended in the South China Sea waterway this year under Beijing’s pressure (Reuters)
Chinese Hackers Target U.S. Firms Doing Business in South China Sea
A suspected Chinese cyber espionage group “TEMP.Periscope” appeared to be seeking information on U.S. engineering and defense companies linked to, or with clients operating in, the South China Sea, going after information on radar range and activities at sea, says network protection system provider FireEye (Bloomberg)
U.S. Aircraft Carrier and Japanese Navy Conduct Drills in South China Sea
A U.S. Navy carrier group led by the USS Carl Vinson and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force have been engaged in a joint exercise, including antisubmarine and air defense training, in the South China Sea since last Sunday. The joint exercise follows USS Carl Vinson’s visit to Da Nang, Vietnam earlier this month (Asia Times)
Chinese General Says China Needs to Militarize South China Sea Islands
A Chinese general said today that China needs to build defensive structures on islands to display its claim of sovereignty over the South China Sea, which followed an earlier comment by Foreign Minister Wang Yi in which he appeared blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the region and acting as a destabilizing force (Associated Press)
U.S. Aircraft Carrier Visits Vietnam
The USS Carl Vinson, currently on patrol in the South China Sea, docked at Danang Port today, marking the first visit by a U.S. naval aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War (Channel NewsAsia)
Philippines: China to Halt Expansion in South China Sea
The Philippines defense minister announced that China has agreed not to occupy any new islands in the South China Sea. Additionally the foreign secretary of the Philippines said that the two countries are negotiating a commercial deal to explore oil and gas reserves in the disputed region (Reuters)
United States Conducts Freedom of Navigation Operation in South China Sea
A U.S. Navy destroyer came within twelve nautical miles of a Chinese artificial island in the South China Sea as part of a freedom of navigation operation (Reuters)
UK to Sail New Aircraft Carriers in Contested Asian Waters
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced plans to sail two new aircraft carriers in the South China Sea for a freedom of navigation operation (Guardian)