Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Japan- China- Philippines

Joint Japan-Philippine Flight Over South China Sea Riles China ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Shannon Tiezzi)

JMSDF P3C Orion ( Source- Wikimedia Commons / Author: Namazu- tron) Source- The Diplomat  Author- Shannon Tiezzi A Japanese surveillance plane flew over disputed waters in the South China Sea on Tuesday, as part of joint drills with the Philippines. As The Diplomat reported previously, the Philippines is holding separate drills with the United States and Japan this week, with both exercises held near the South China Sea. The Japan-Philippine drill, only the second ever between the two countries, simulated maritime search and rescue operations, part of the drill’s larger focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. As part of the drill, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF) P3-C Orion surveillance plane flew past Reed Bank, an area claimed by both China and the Philippines. The Japanese plane carried three Philippine crew members on board as guests, and was accompanied by a Philippine patrol aircraft, Reuters reported. Philippine Marine Colonel Jon

Rival claimants in S China Sea will not leave Beijing unchallenged ( Source- Want China Times)

Image credits- Reuters Source- Want China Times Tensions are high in the South China Sea with the US stating that it may patrol disputed areas in the region after a P8 Poseidon aircraft patrolled the skies over Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys, leading to an exchange of words between Beijing and Washington, according to Duowei News, a media outlet run by overseas Chinese. Other claimants are also building up their naval forces, leading to fears that open conflict may be imminent in the region. The most vocal rival to China is the Philippines, which has openly requested military aid from the US and has discussed joint action with Japan on the South China Sea issue as well as taking its case to the UN for arbitration. Military Build-up By 2020, the average military spending of Southeast Asian countries will increase from the current US$42 billion to US$58 billion, according to the UK's IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Beijing's acceleration of land reclama

China and Strategic Imbalance ( Copy Right @ The Diplomat, Author- Mohan Malik)

Chinese Military ( Image Credits- Wikimedia Commons/ United States DOD) The recent Shangri-la meeting in Singapore saw some sharp exchanges between Chinese and other participants. Beijing’s deployment of an oil rig protected by more than 80 naval vessels in the South China Sea four days after President Barack Obama’s “reassurance trip” to China’s East Asian neighbors in April 2014 was widely seen as a deliberate and calculated provocation. Yet China’s move fits a pattern of advancing territorial claims on its periphery through coercion, intimidation, and the threat of force through what may be called “paramilitary operations short of war” (POSOW). China’s drilling rig is also a political statement of Beijing’s resolve and capability to control and exploit the South China Sea and deny it to others – and this message is meant as much for Washington as for Tokyo, Hanoi, Manila, Jakarta, and New Delhi. While exploring oil in the disputed waters, the $1 billion oil rig is supposedly

Japan: The Philippines’ new best friend? ( Copy Right @ The Yahoo News)

Japanese Emperor with The Philippines President ( Image credits- Wikimedia commons) With a rising China eclipsing American influence in Asia, Japan has stepped up its efforts to rein in Beijing’s territorial ambitions. And President Aquino’s recent visit to Japan couldn’t be more timely. Despite the dangerous upsurge in maritime disputes between China, on one hand, and the Philippines and Vietnam, on the other, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) still struggles to forge a unified position on the South China Sea disputes. Given the lingering doubts over Washington’s commitment and wherewithal to counter China’s territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea, both Hanoi and Manila have predictably sought more assistance from like-minded powers such as Tokyo. In many ways, Japan has gradually re-emerged as a geopolitical counterweight to China – or, at least, this is what prime minister Shinzo Abe has in mind. Since his return to power in late-2012, Abe has