Page 7 - South China Sea

US Navy ship 'illegally intruded' South China Sea waters, says PLA

The Chinese military said that an American naval ship had illegally intruded on Monday into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. A Chinese naval force was mobilized to track the USS Gabrielle Giffords during the operation, according to a statement from the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater. The U.S. Navy did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Chinese and Philippine naval and coast guard ships have confronted each other repeatedly around the Second Thomas Shoal in recent months as China tries to prevent the Philippines from resupplying and repairing a rusting warship that it intentionally ran aground in 1999 to serve as a military outpost. Dwarfed by China's military might, the Philippines has sought America's help, agreeing to an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the country earlier this year and launching joint sea and air patrols with the United States la

China warns Australia over naval operations in the South China Sea

A visiting Chinese official on Tuesday warned Australia to act with "great prudence" in deploying warships in the South China Sea after a recent confrontation between the two navies. Liu Jianchao, the Chinese Communist Party's international minister, gave the warning while speaking at a Sydney university during a trip that paves the way for President Xi Jinping's Australian visit, expected to take place next year. Bilateral relations had been improving recently, but took a downturn when Australia accused the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo of injuring Australian navy divers with sonar pulses in Japanese waters on November 14. Australia said China disregarded a safety warning to keep away from the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba. Liu reiterated China's position that the encounter happened outside Japanese territorial waters and that the Chinese warship caused no harm. We do urge the Australian government and also the military to act with great prudence in this area, Liu said at the .

Biden-Xi meet: US lawmakers press for free access to South China Sea

US lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to raise with Beijing the issue of illicit fentanyl trafficking, coercive environment for American businesses and stand up for the military's ability to freely operate in the South China Sea during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Wednesday. They also said Biden should be "adamant" that China "leans on Russia and Iran not to exacerbate the military crises happening around the world". Biden and Xi are scheduled to meet in San Francisco on Wednesday on the sidelines of the APEC Leadership meeting. The White House is calling it a summit. On the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer listed out issues, including fentanyl trafficking and the coercive environment for US businesses in China, that he thought Biden should raise with Xi. "On the Israel-Gaza conflict in particular, we told President Xi that China needs to use its influence on Iran to stop them from acting in any way that would widen the conflict. China shoul

Chinese jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea: US

A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of an American B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea, nearly causing an accident, the U.S. military said, underscoring the potential for a mishap as both countries vie for influence in the region. In the night intercept, the Shenyang J-11 twin-engine fighter closed on the U.S. Air Force plane at an uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of a collision, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement released late Thursday. We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision, the military said. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but in a similar incident in May, the Chinese government dismissed American complaints and demanded that Washington end such flights over the South China Sea. China has been increasingly assertive in advancing its claims on most of the South .

'Philippines not looking for trouble but will defend waters against China'

The Philippine president said Friday that his country does not want a confrontation but will staunchly defend its waters after its coast guard removed a floating barrier placed by China at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. It was the first time President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has spoken publicly against China's installation of the 300-metre (980-foot) -long barrier at the entrance to Scarborough Shoal which was dismantled at his order. "We're not looking for trouble but what we'll do is to continue defending the maritime territory of the Philippines and the rights of our fishermen, who have been fishing in those areas for hundreds of years, Marcos said in response to a question at a news briefing in southern Surigao del Norte province. The latest flare-up between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest trade routes, comes after Marcos decided earlier this year to allow an expansion of the US military presence in the Philippines under a 2014

Philippines condemns Beijing for installing floating barrier in S China Sea

Bajo de Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal, is a small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground 130 miles (200 kilometers) west of the Philippine island of Luzon

Bullhorns and water cannons: China ships wall off South China Sea

The mounting Chinese military presence in waters that were long dominated by the US fleet is sharpening the possibility of a showdown between superpowers

Southeast Asia hold first joint navy drills near disputed S China Sea

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations began its first joint naval exercise on Tuesday at a time when several member countries are responding more strongly to increasing Chinese assertiveness in the area. The non-combat drills, named ASEAN Solidarity Exercise, include joint maritime patrol operations, search and rescue operations, and humanitarian and disaster relief, Indonesian military chief Adm. Yudo Margono said. He said the five-day exercise in Indonesia's Natuna waters aims to boost military ties among the ASEAN nations and enhance interoperability. The drills also involve civilian groups involved in humanitarian relief and disaster prevention. ASEAN nations have taken part in naval exercises before with other countries including both the United States and China but this week's drills are the first involving just the bloc and are being read by many as a signal to China. China's nine-dash line, which it uses to demarcate its claim to most of the South China Sea, has brou

India believes code of conduct for S China Sea should be effective: PM Modi

In his remarks at the East Asia Summit on Thursday, the Prime Minister said that peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region is in the interest of all

US, Indonesia and 5 other nations hold war drills amid China concerns

Soldiers from the US, Indonesia and five other nations began annual training exercises Thursday on Indonesia's main island of Java while China's increasing aggression is raising concern. American and Indonesian soldiers have held the live-fire drill since 2009, and Australia, Japan and Singapore joined last year. The United Kingdom and French forces are participating in this year's Super Garuda Shield exercises, with a total of about 5,000 personnel. China sees the expanded drills as a threat, accusing the US of building an Indo-Pacific alliance similar to NATO to limit China's growing military and diplomatic influence in the region. Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, and East Timor also sent observers to the two-week exercises in Baluran, a coastal town in East Java province. Commanding general of US Army Pacific, Gen. Charles Flynn, said the 19 nations involved in the training are a powerful ...

Trains suspended, people warned as Typhoon Saola churns toward south China

Chinese state media report at least 121 passenger trains are suspending service in anticipation of the arrival of Typhoon Saola, while people in coastal areas of southern China were being warned to stay away from the coastline. The suspensions on key lines running from north to south as well as on regional networks will begin Thursday and continue through September 6, state broadcaster CCTV reported. China's National Meteorological Centre said Saola was moving toward the coast at a speed of about 15 kph (9 mph) and is due to make landfall Friday afternoon in the southern province of Guangzhou with sustained winds of 119 kph (74 mph) and gusts of up to 220 kph (137 mph). The storm will then travel west down the coast into the Guangxi region before curving south out to sea between Saturday night and Sunday morning, gradually weakening as it goes. The weather centre has already issued a red alert for potentially destructive winds and possible flooding, with some areas expected to rece

Philippines rejects China's 'standard map' claiming entire South China Sea

The Philippines called on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award

China sends aircraft toward Taiwan days after US approves $500 mn arms sale

Taiwan's defence ministry said Saturday that China sent dozens of aircraft and vessels toward the island, just days after the United States approved a USD 500-million arms sale to Taiwan. The defence ministry said in a statement that 32 aircraft from the People's Liberation Army and nine vessels from the navy were detected in the 24 hours between 6 am Friday and 6 am Saturday. Of these, 20 aircraft either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan tasked its own aircraft, vessels and missile systems to respond to the activities, the defense military said. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military drills around the island in reaction to Taiwan's political activities. The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan last week as a stern warning after Taiwan's vice president stopped over in the US while on an offici

US, Japan, Aus plan navy drills in South China Sea: Philippine official

The United States, Japan and Australia are planning a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines this week to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region after a recent show of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, Filipino security officials said Sunday. On August 5, Chinese coast guard ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels in the contested waterway where disputes have long been regarded as a potential flashpoint and have become a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China in the region. The drill will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers sailing together in a show of force and undertaking joint drills. Their commanders are set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after the offshore drills, two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to publicly discuss details of the planned drills. The US plans to deploy an ...

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ONGC Videsh secures 3-yr extension for Vietnam oil block in South China Sea

India's flagship overseas firm ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has secured another three-year extension to explore oil and gas in a Vietnamese block in the contested waters of the South China Sea, the firm's parent ONGC said. This is the eighth extension for OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The seventh extension to explore oil and gas was till June 15, 2023 and PTI on August 13 reported that the company was in talks with Vietnamese authorities for another three-year extension. OVL "secures extension of 3 more years to explore in South China Sea's Block 128! India's strategic commitment stays strong as ONGC Videsh continues its exploration journey with its 8th extension till 15 June 2026," ONGC said in a post on social messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The firm had in a proposal to regulator PVN sought a three-year extension of the exploration phase-1. "We are embracing challenges, safeguarding interests & fostering partnerships," ..

ONGC Videsh secures three-year extension to explore South China Sea

India has sparred diplomatically with China in the past over its gas and oil exploration block off the coast of Vietnam.

China appears to be building an airstrip on disputed South China Sea island

China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to satellite photos. The work on Triton island in the Paracel group mirrors construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group to the east which have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems, although it currently appears to be somewhat more modest in scale. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own, denying the claims of others and defying an international ruling invalidating its assertion. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the by The Associated Press show construction on the airstrip first visible in early August. News website The Drive first reported on the satellite images Tuesday. The runway, as currently laid out, would be more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) in length, long enough to accommodate turboprop aircraft and drones, but not fighter jets or bombers. Also visible are large .

China appears to be constructing airstrip on disputed S China Sea island

China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press. The work on Triton island in the Paracel group mirrors construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group to the east which have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems, although it currently appears to be somewhat more modest in scale. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own, denying the claims of others and defying an international ruling invalidating its assertion. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the AP show construction on the airstrip first visible in early August. The runway, as currently laid out, would be more than 600 metres (2,000 feet) in length, long enough to accommodate turboprop aircraft and drones, but not fighter jets or bombers. Also visible are large numbers of vehicle tracks running across much of the island,

ONGC Videsh seeks 3-yr extension for Vietnamese oil block in S China Sea

India's flagship overseas firm ONGC Videsh Ltd has sought another three-year extension to explore for oil and gas in a Vietnamese block in the contested waters of the South China Sea, officials said. If granted, this will be the eighth extension for OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Officials said the seventh extension to explore for oil and gas was till June 15, 2023 and the company is in talks with Vietnamese authorities for another three-year extension. OVL, they said, has submitted a proposal for a three-year extension of the exploration phase-1 to the regulator PVN and the approval is awaited. The company has so far not found any commercially recoverable oil and gas reserves in the block in the 17 years it has been exploring there but has continued presence there because of India's strategic interest in the South China Sea. Vietnam too wants the Indian firm to counter China's interventions in the contested waters. OVL had signed a .