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Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea

Vietnam Drilling for Oil in South China Sea

  • Vietnam has allowed an international firm to drill for oil near its south-east coast. China disputes Vietnam’s claim to the territory in which it is drilling (BBC)

China To Increase Patrols in South China Sea

  • China said it will increase air and sea patrols after a U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed within twelve nautical miles of Triton Island, a disputed territory in the South China Sea. China said the United States had “seriously damaged strategic mutual trust” (Washington Post)

China Cancels Meeting With Vietnam on South China Sea

  • The Chinese Defense Ministry cancelled a meeting scheduled to occur on June 20th between Chinese and Vietnamese military leaders. A Chinese general visiting Hanoi met with several Vietnamese officials to discuss the South China Sea, but after a tense meeting the general cut his trip short (New York Times)

U.S. Conducts First South China Sea Patrol Under Trump

  • The U.S. Navy patrolled near an artificial island constructed by China in the South China Sea in what officials called a “freedom of navigation” operation. The move, meant to signal to China the U.S. intention to keep sea lanes open in the Pacific, was the first of its kind since President Trump took office (Wall Street Journal)

China Welcomes ASEAN South China Sea Stance

  • A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that a statement released by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations following its summit in Manila shows “positive changes in the South China Sea situation.” The statement dropped references to “land reclamation and demilitarization” that had been included in earlier versions (Reuters)

Japan’s Largest Warship to Tour South China Sea

  • Starting in May, Japan will reportedly send its largest warship on a three-month tour throughout the South China Sea, where it will train with the U.S. Navy (Al Jazeera)

Chinese Ships Survey Philippines’ Zone

  • Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he was “disturbed” by what appeared to be survey missions by Chinese ships into the Philippines’ two-hundred-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and its continental shelf in recent months (Reuters)

China Returns Captured U.S. Drone

  • The Chinese navy returned a U.S. underwater drone to a U.S. naval vessel near the site where it was seized last week (New York Times)
  • A Pentagon statement called the incident “inconsistent with both international law and standards of professionalism” for conduct between navies

Chinese Antiaircraft Weapons Reported on Disputed Islands

  • Satellite images appear to show that China has installed antiaircraft and other weapons on all seven islands it constructed in the South China Sea, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, a U.S.-based think tank (Wall Street Journal)

U.S. Ready to ‘Confront’ China Over Sea, Admiral Says

  • U.S. Pacific Commander and Admiral Harry Harris told U.S. allies in Asia that, under the administration of President-Elect Donald J. Trump, the United States will continue to challenge “assertive, aggressive behavior” by China in the South China Sea (Financial Times). Harris said the United States is “ready to confront when we must” (Reuters)

Report: Satellite Images Show Vietnamese Dredging in South China Sea

  • Satellite imagery from the U.S.-based Planet Labs appears to show Vietnamese vessels dredging on Ladd Reef in the Spratly Islands, a disputed region of the South China Sea (Reuters)

Philippines Unlikely to Assist United States in South China Sea Patrols

  • The Philippine defense secretary announced that it is unlikely the Philippines will host U.S. aircraft and ships patrolling the South China Sea (AP)

Philippines Announces Ban on Fishing in Scarborough Shoal

  • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced a ban on fishing in the South China Sea’s Scarborough Shoal (AP)

China, Philippines Propose Dispute-Resolution Mechanism

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping and Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte said in a joint statement that a bilateral consultation mechanism on the two countries‘ activities in the South China Sea may “be useful.” Both sides also agreed to increased cooperation and implementation of past memorandums of understanding regarding the area (The Philippine Star)

Philippines Backs Away from U.S. Cooperation in South China Sea

  • Philippine Defense Chief Delfin Lorenzana said that plans for joint patrols and naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea have been put on hold, the first concrete break in defense cooperation with the United States. President Rodrigo Duterte also wants to halt the twenty-eight military exercises that are carried out with U.S. forces each year, Lorenzana said (Washington Post)

China Threatens Response if Japan Ramps up South China Sea Activities

  • Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun, during the ministry’s monthly press conference, said that China would not sit idle if Japan increased its activities in the waters of the South China Sea (The Diplomat)

China Accuses Japan of Attempting to Confuse South China Sea Situation

  • China’s foreign ministry accused Japan of attempting to “confuse” the situation in the South China Sea under the pretense of acting on behalf of the international community (Reuters)

Philippines Releases Images of Chinese Vessels

  • The Philippines released images of Chinese coast guard vessels near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on September 7 (AP)

Philippine Foreign Minister Urges China to Respect Sea Ruling

  • Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay told a congressional hearing that China would be “losers at the end of the day” if Beijing does not respect a July maritime ruling from an international tribunal at the Hague (Reuters)
  • China has indicated it will ignore the ruling against its vast maritime claims in the South China Sea

Vietnam Moves Rocket Launchers into Disputed Waters

  • Vietnam allegedly sent new mobile rocket launchers into disputed waters near islands the country occupies in the South China Sea, according to Western officials (Reuters)
  • Vietnam’s foreign ministry claimed the intelligence was “inaccurate.”

China Building Aircraft Hangars on Disputed Islands

  • New satellite images of artificial islands in the South China Sea show fresh Chinese construction of reinforced aircraft hangars, according to Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

China and Russia Plan Naval Exercises in South China Sea

  • China’s defense ministry said it will host “routine” naval exercises with Russia in the South China Sea in September (Reuters)

China Announces Regular Patrols, Military Drills in South China Sea

  • China announced it began air patrols that would become a regular occurrence over disputed islands in the South China Sea. A spokesman said the People’s Liberation Army Air Force sent H-6K bombers, fighter jets, and tankers to the South China Sea (NYT)