ChinaFile Recommends
02.13.18Britain to Test China by Sailing Ship in Disputed Sea
Financial Times
Anti-submarine frigate to sail through contested waters of South China Sea.
Conversation
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Is the United States Still the Predominant Power in the Pacific?
In late August, a U.S. destroyer collided with an oil tanker—the fourth such accident for the U.S. Navy in Asia since January. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has increased troop commitments in Afghanistan, threatened to strike North Korea with “...
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08.23.17If a Crisis Shuts down the South China Sea, Here Are the Losers — and a Few Winners
CNBC
Several industries are trying to assess what open confrontation in the South China Sea would cost them, and a lot of them don't like what they’re finding. The world’s second–largest economy is getting more wary — and...
ChinaFile Recommends
08.15.17South China Sea: Vietnam Takes Up Fight Against China
CNN
When it comes to the disputed waters of the South China Sea, Vietnam’s leaders must feel very lonely these days.Their fellow Southeast Asian claimants have either reversed course after years of escalating tensions with Beijing, or are...
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08.10.17U.S. Warship Sails Close to China-Held Island in Disputed Sea
ABC
A U.S. warship sailed close to a Chinese man-made island in the disputed the South China Sea in an operation that challenged China’s vast territorial claims in busy international waters, a U.S. Navy official said Thursday.
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06.09.17China Says It Is Vigilant as Two U.S. Bombers Fly over South China Sea
Reuters
The U.S. military conducts such "freedom of navigation" patrols to show China it is not entitled to territorial waters there, U.S. officials said at the time.
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06.05.17China Tries to Play Nice at Key Security Forum
Nikkei Asian Review
Although China attempted to strike a more conciliatory tone in this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, a major Asian security forum held here through Sunday, officials’ uncompromising comments on Taiwan and the South China Sea only highlighted its rifts...
ChinaFile Recommends
05.25.17South China Sea: U.S. Warship Challenges China’s Claims with First Operation under Trump
CNN
A U.S. Navy destroyer has sailed close to a disputed South China Sea island controlled by China for the first time under U.S. President Donald Trump.
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05.22.17Philippines, China Play down Duterte's Talk of War in Disputed Sea
Reuters
The Philippines and China played down on Monday a warning by President Rodrigo Duterte that China would go to war if the Philippines drilled for oil in the disputed South China Sea.
ChinaFile Recommends
05.17.17China, Philippines to Hold First South China Sea Talks Friday
Nikkei Asian Review
The meeting will take place in the southern Chinese province of Guizhou, which is also hosting talks on Thursday between China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on establishing a framework for a code of conduct in the...
Conversation
04.04.17![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-3arx1i3g6zod.jpg?itok=kM9KBHk9)
What Should We Expect When Trump and Xi Meet in Florida?
On April 6-7, U.S. President Donald Trump will host Xi Jinping in their first face-to-face meeting when China’s President arrives at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The meeting comes early in Trump’s presidency, after a campaign in which he frequently...
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03.29.17South China Sea Controversy Heats up as Man-Made Islands Are Almost Complete
News.com.au
The controversy in the South China Sea is heating up, with a new report from the U.S. warning China has almost completed construction of three mysterious man-made islands.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.22.17Philippine Ministers Cry Foul over China’s Island Plans
Financial Times
Fears of a Chinese plan to build a radar station on a disputed ocean outcrop have laid bare tensions in the Philippine government over President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign to woo Beijing.
ChinaFile Recommends
03.13.17Japan Plans to Send Largest Warship to South China Sea, Sources Say
Reuters
China claims almost all the disputed waters and its growing military presence has fueled concern in Japan and the West, with the United States holding regular air and naval patrols to ensure freedom of navigation.
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01.13.17South China Sea: China Media Warn US over ‘Confrontation’
BBC
Blocking China from islands it has built in contested waters would lead to “devastating confrontation,” Chinese state media have warned.
ChinaFile Recommends
01.12.17Tillerson Channels Reagan on South China Sea
Lawfare Blog
Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson said that perhaps the United States should deny China access to its artificial islands in the South China Sea.
Viewpoint
12.15.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/donaldtaiwanmagazine.jpg?itok=93mDf5_m)
The Missing Topic in Trump’s Tough Talk on China
President-elect Donald Trump’s rhetoric suggests he will push China on many issues, not just one. Some observers have held on to the hope that his phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, his burst of anti-China tweets, and his most recent...
China in the World Podcast
11.02.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/lawofsea.jpg?itok=3ki_4v64)
Law of the Sea and the U.S. Election
from Carnegie China
The South China Sea has been a central point of tension in the U.S.-China relationship under the Obama administration. In this podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with John Bellinger, the most senior international lawyer in the George W. Bush administration...
ChinaFile Recommends
10.28.16Philippines Says China Vessels Have Left Disputed Scarborough Shoal
South China Morning Post
Unimpeded access for first time in four years, Philippine minister says
China in the World Podcast
09.28.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/29791_sm.jpg?itok=xeg2EMQ0)
North Korea and The South China Sea: What’s Next?
from Carnegie China
Given the increasingly complex security environment in the Asia-Pacific, it is critical for the United States and China to deepen cooperation on promoting regional stability. In this podcast, Paul Haenle and Admiral Gary Roughead, former Chief of...
ChinaFile Recommends
09.26.16Japan Warns China After Warplanes Were Spotted Flying Close to Disputed Islands
Time
This comes days after Japan announced plans to step up presence in the South China Sea
Media
08.17.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/28796_sm.jpg?itok=G77Im9UK)
How the Philippines Can Win in the South China Sea
The Philippine Islands has a problem. It has international law on its side in its quarrel with China over maritime territory, but no policeman walking his beat to enforce the law. That means that, despite an international court’s findings, the...
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08.15.16China Says Other Topics Must Not Divert G-20’s Economy Focus
Bloomberg
Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said leaders shouldn’t be distracted by the South China Sea issue.
ChinaFile Recommends
08.11.16Japan Rescues Chinese Fishing Boat Amid Tense Relations
BBC
The boat had collided with a 300m long Greece-flagged merchant ship, near a group of Japan-controlled islands.
ChinaFile Recommends
08.11.16China Says New Satellite Will Help Safeguard Interests at Sea
Reuters
The “Gaofen 3” satellite has a radar system that captures images from space down to 3 feet and can operate in all weather conditions.
ChinaFile Recommends
08.08.16Beijing Flies Bombers Over Disputed South China Sea
Wall Street Journal
Development comes as former Philippine leader heads to China for talks on resolving maritime dispute.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.28.16China Asks Vietnam to Investigate Report of Defaced Passport
Washington Post
The incident comes at a time of high tensions in the region.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.28.16Chinese Propaganda Video on South China Sea Will Be Played 120 Times Everyday in Times Square
Shanghaiist
The video will play from July 23rd to August 3rd.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.28.16China and Russia to Hold Joint Drills in South China Sea
BBC
The announcement follows a ruling by an international tribunal earlier this month that rejected China’s claims in the region.
The NYRB China Archive
07.28.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/28741.jpg?itok=YGnvGoFR)
China: The People’s Fury
from New York Review of Books
It has long been routine to find in both China’s official news organizations and its social media a barrage of anti-American comment, but rarely has it reached quite the intensity and fury of the last few days. There have been calls from citizens on...
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07.25.16Southeast Asian Nations Give Weak Rebuke to China Over South China Sea Dispute
Los Angeles Times
It exposes the deep divisions in a regional body that prides itself on unity.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.25.16China Sets Up South China Sea Environment Protection Fund
Reuters
The funds would initially be spent on exploring the world's deepest underwater sinkhole.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.21.16Dialogue the Right Way Forward in Settling South China Sea Disputes
Xinhua
“China's ‘dual-track’ approach offers an excellent opportunity” for dialogue, a Xinhua commentary argues.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.21.16South China Sea Spat Looms Over Asean Meeting in Laos
Wall Street Journal
ASEAN has long been divided on the South China Sea.
China in the World Podcast
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Interpreting the South China Sea Tribunal Ruling
from Carnegie China
International responses to the tribunal’s ruling in the South China Sea have raised questions about the stability of the Asia-Pacific region and what roles the United States and China have in it. In this podcast, Paul Haenle and Elizabeth Economy...
ChinaFile Recommends
07.18.16South China Sea and Nice Attack Preoccupy Asian, European Leaders at ASEM
Diplomat
“We should attach great importance to the rule of law,” Japanese Prim Minister Shinzo Abe said.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.18.16China Announces New Military Drills in South China Sea
Financial Times
The new drills are the first since last week’s decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.14.16Tribunal Has Handled Arbitration Case Irresponsibly, Law Experts Say
China Daily
‘I don't think China is getting a fair shake,’ one expert said.
ChinaFile Recommends
07.14.16Ruling ‘Null and Void,’ With No Binding Force
China Daily
Nation remains committed to resolving maritime disputes through negotiation, President Xi says.
Conversation
07.12.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/reactions-to-the-hagues-rejection.jpg?itok=oiTY_v9J)
China’s Claims in the South China Sea Rejected
On Tuesday in the Hague, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claims that a scattering of rocks and reefs in the contested South China Sea qualify as Exclusive Economic Zones for China. The court found in favor of the Philippines’...
Viewpoint
07.07.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/28086_sm.jpg?itok=0d5MvF8I)
The South China Sea Needs ASEAN More Than Ever
A ruling from The Hague next week on maritime disputes in the South China Sea is likely to exacerbate frictions between China and the U.S. Both would be better off respecting the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)...
ChinaFile Recommends
06.30.16Beijing Slams South China Sea Case as Court Ruling Nears
Reuters
"China does not accept any dispute resolution from a third party."
ChinaFile Recommends
06.27.16Top Chinese Envoy Visits Vietnam as South China Sea Tension Rises
Reuters
Yang Jiechi and Pham Binh Minh expressed a need for agreements that prevent rows from getting out of hand.
ChinaFile Recommends
06.23.16China Brushes Off Doubts Over Support on South China Sea, Says It's Growing
Reuters
China has stepped up its rhetoric ahead of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.
Conversation
06.13.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-538126204.jpg?itok=lwc8-2Xo)
A War of Words Over the South China Sea
Beginning earlier this year, four-star Admiral Harry Harris, the U.S. Navy’s top commander in the Pacific, has spoken out in speeches, interviews, private meetings, and testimony to Congress urging that the U.S. take more aggressive action against...
ChinaFile Recommends
06.08.16U.S.: Chinese Jet Makes ‘Unsafe’ Intercept of Air Force Plane
CNN
China demands the U.S. to stop close-in survailance flights to avoid their “unsafe interceptions”....
Environment
05.26.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/26656_sm.jpg?itok=qZYl-SK6)
Beijing Calls South China Sea Island Reclamation a ‘Green Project’
Sand, cement, and Chinese military facilities now sit on top of some of the South China Sea’s once-thriving reefs; China has built over half a dozen new artificial islands in a bid to bolster its territorial claims in the hotly disputed region. Such...
Conversation
05.16.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-117613606.jpg?itok=cYCg0GFz)
Escalation in the South China Sea
International tensions are rising over the shipping lanes and land formations in the South China Sea. Last week, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force scrambled fighter jets in response to a U.S. Navy ship sailing near the disputed Fiery Cross Reef...
Media
03.10.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/sansha_south_china_sea_24226_sm.jpg?itok=Cj2Sg9aO)
China’s Secret Weapon on Disputed Island: Beer and Badminton
Soldiers, ships, and military outposts are the usual tools of nations staking out their territory. But on disputed shoals in the South China Sea, Beijing may be deploying a new arsenal: soccer fields, pipelines, and tea shops.Woody Island is a...
Conversation
02.02.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-55391335.jpg?itok=r36lVk3B)
How Close Was the Latest Close Call in the South China Sea?
Had things in fact calmed down in recent weeks as the Chinese official press claimed, only to be stirred up again needlessly by another Freedom of Navigation sail by the U.S. Navy?
Viewpoint
01.08.16![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-503341802.jpg?itok=-t0VZINa)
The Storm Beneath the Calm: China’s Regional Relations in 2016
On the surface, 2015 came to a close in a moment of relative tranquility after a turbulent year for China’s neighborhood. But the calm is misleading: the optics of regional diplomacy have become increasingly detached from the reality of the...
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01.07.16China Lands More Civilian Planes on Fiery Cross Reef
BBC
China has landed two civilian planes on an island built in the disputed South China Sea, days after an earlier landing there prompted international concern.
ChinaFile Recommends
12.31.15China Defence: Work Starts on Second Aircraft Carrier
BBC
China is expanding its navy amid rising tension with its neighbours in the East and South China Seas.
ChinaFile Recommends
12.26.15Japan Protests Intrusion of Armed Chinese Vessel Into its Waters
Bloomberg
The vessel was formerly a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship and is now operated by another department.
ChinaFile Recommends
12.15.15U.S. Navy Commander Implies China Has Eroded Safety of South China Sea
New York Times
A senior American naval commander has implicitly accused China of creating artificial islands in the South China Sea.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.23.15Obama Pledges Military Aid to Allies in Southeast Asia
New York Times
“We have a treaty obligation, an ironclad commitment to the defense of our ally the Philippines, who can count on the United States.”
ChinaFile Recommends
11.20.15Japan Could Risk Chinese Anger by Joining U.S. Sea Patrols
Guardian
Shinzo Abe reported told Barack Obama that Tokyo would think about participating in operations in South China Sea.
ChinaFile Recommends
11.18.15Obama Calls on Beijing to Stop Construction in South China Sea
New York Times
President Obama addressed the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Manila, where he discussed China, trade and climate change.
Conversation
11.18.15![](https://www.chinafile.com/sites/default/files/styles/system/public/assets/images/article/system/gettyimages-496963068.jpg?itok=PI8gMs4v)
How Can China’s Neighbors Make Progress at APEC?
Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit next week, we asked a group of experts from China’s neighboring countries what they thought the main thrust of discussion in Manila should be. If host, the Philippines, under pressure from...
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11.17.15China in Mind, Obama Pledges Military Aid to Allies in Southeast Asia
New York Times
“My visit here underscores our shared commitment to the security of the waters of this region and to the freedom of navigation.”