| Regional Affairs
Japan, Malaysia to cooperate in stabilizing South China Sea Global Post 22nd May 2014
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Wednesday with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak to enhance maritime security cooperation, stressing the need for a peaceful solution to territorial disputes between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea. "We...reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea," Najib said at a joint press conference following their meeting in Tokyo. "All issues should be dealt with, consistent with the principles of internal law and international norms." The summit, the first since last December, came amid growing tensions between China and Vietnam in the sea, where Beijing has deployed a large oil rig in an area also claimed by Hanoi. Both sides have accused each other of ramming ships. The development has added to Japan's concern about the assertive maritime policy of China as the two countries have been in conflict over the sovereignty of a group of Japan-administered islands in the East China Sea. "I want to deepen our broad cooperation, including dealing with regional issues," Abe said at the press conference, where he also announced Japan will offer aid to Malaysia in capacity building and human resource development through more exchange between their coast guards and defense authorities.
China and America Clash on the High Seas: The EEZ Challenge TNI 22nd May 2014
During U.S Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s recent trip to China, China’s Minister of Defense, General Chang Wanquan, warned that Beijing would make “no compromise, no concession, [and] no trading” in the fight for what he called his country’s “territorial sovereignty.” Chang told Hagel: “The Chinese military can assemble as soon as summoned, fight any battle, and win.” The comments come amid an escalating campaign by Chinese nationalists to alter the status quo in the Western Pacific that has raised alarm in capitals across the region. While China’s more aggressive external posture in the East and South China Seas has been on display since 2009, Beijing’s dispute with Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands and with Vietnam over disputed waters and islands in the South China Sea have grown increasingly volatile over the past year. Just this February, U.S. Navy Captain James Fanell, Director of Intelligence and Information Operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, warned that recent navy war games by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) revealed a “new task” for the service:
Tensions in South China Sea Growing USNI 22nd May 2014
Following a tumultuous week in which the United States openly accused People’s Liberation Army members of participating in an industrial espionage effort, and historic joint naval drills held between China and Russia were held, the ruckus over the South China Sea isn’t winding down. Despite the bolstering effects of a newly minted U.S.-Philippines defense pact and the successful conclusion of the Balikatan 2014 annual exercise, Philippine military reconnaissance photos confirmed China is reinforcing its hold over Mabini (Johnson South ) Reef in the contested Spratlys by reclaiming an area large enough to establish an airfield—either for resupplying other outposts or creating a much desired air defense zone. As a secondary effect, the act of converting the reef into a reclaimed “island” potentially alters the basis by which the Philippines raised its territorial case to the U.N. Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) court. If the “island” is recognized as a valid geographic feature, China could make a case for establishing a 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) based around the reclaimed area. The Philippines’ case rests on the idea that individual reefs or projections above the sea do not constitute such features, and ownership of the same is based upon whether they fell into internationally recognized EEZs.
Xi Jinping's Excellent Adventure: A Calibrated Takeover of the South China Sea Huffington Post 20th May 2014
Chairman Mao's "little red book" is no longer a fashion accessory in Beijing, but China's leaders seem to be drawing inspiration from one of its aphorisms: "There is great disorder under the Heavens and the situation is excellent." Judging by the calculatedly risky steps they have taken -- like moving a gigantic drilling rig deep into Vietnam's Exclusive Economic Zone -- China seems to have concluded that, with the West preoccupied with Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, Southeast Asia divided over how to respond to its aggressive moves, and with Japan and the U.S. unsure as to how to respond to North Korea's saber rattling, the situation is indeed excellent.
Magnetic Rocks: Assessing China's Legal Strategy in the South China Sea TNI 19th May 2014
Centuries ago, Chinese fishermen referred to the isles of the South China Sea as “magnetic rocks”—a morbid allusion to the uncanny force that drew ships to unlucky fates on the shoals. Today, however, the South China Sea attracts a different kind of trouble. For the last six decades, the Sea has been the center of a geopolitical maelstrom fueled by great power politics, toxic nationalism, and bountiful petroleum reserves. Six different parties – Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam – feud with each other over both the South China Sea’s insular territories and their surrounding waters. Of the six contenders, China has become the key player. It is the largest and most powerful disputant, and it has also advanced the most sweeping claims. Yet Beijing’s behavior does not always mirror its growing power and ambitions. Instead, China’s strategy is more complex, and is shaped primarily by Beijing’s desire to sustain regional peace and stability while also advancing its expansive claims. This dilemma has led China to emphasize delaying resolution of the conflict, as best exemplified in its legal strategy for the dispute. But this strategy has become increasingly marginalized in recent years as China has become a victim of its own success. Other claimants have realized the perils of playing by China’s rules, so they have instead countered China’s delaying strategy with a more pro-active posture intended to push Beijing to stop dithering and to face its dilemma head-on. China has struggled to respond, and its reaction has raised tensions across the region while failing to change its opponents’ calculus. As the dispute escalates, China may feel mounting pressure to abandon its delaying strategy and to seek a swifter resolution to the conflict—as the events unfolding now are beginning to show.
China’s Push in the South China Sea Divides the Region CSIS 16th May 2014
As China brings in a $1 billion oil exploration rig, parking it in a disputed region of the South China Sea and unleashing a deadly anti-China protest in Vietnam, nearby Southeast Asian neighbors appear relatively mute and impotent. Myanmar, which hosted the meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), released a statement May 11 expressing “serious concerns over ongoing developments in the South China Sea.” The statement said the leaders had called for restraint and peaceful resolution of the dispute, but without mentioning China. This is remarkable as Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam had warned his ASEAN colleagues at the meeting that China’s “extremely dangerous action had been directly endangering peace, stability, security, and marine safety.” President Beningo Aquino III of the Philippines, which also disputes China’s claims in South China Sea, raised with ASEAN colleagues indications that China was reclaiming land around disputed Johnson South Reef of the Spratly Islands, possibly to build an airstrip. Shortly before the meeting, Philippine maritime police arrested Chinese fishermen for reportedly poaching protected sea turtles near the islands, also claimed by the Philippines. ASEAN foreign ministers issued a rare standalone statement expressing “serious concerns” about developments in the sea and calling for quicker action in negotiating a code of conduct between China and the grouping. Vietnam and the Philippines undoubtedly hoped for stronger support from their neighbors, two of which—Malaysia and Brunei—have their own overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea, which serves as a major international shipping route, has rich fishing grounds, and is believed to hold deposits of oil and gas.
Japan PM Abe calls for new defence law interpretation BBC 15th May 2014
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for a new interpretation of the constitution, which could pave the way for the military to fight overseas. His call came hours after a panel of advisers - picked by Mr Abe - released a report recommending changes to defence laws. Japan's constitution bans acts of war and "the threat or use of force" to settle international disputes. China has criticised the move, accusing Japan of taking "negative actions". Under Article 9 of its post-war pacifist constitution, Japan is blocked from the use of force to resolve conflicts except in the case of self-defence. But Mr Abe has indicated he wants to re-examine the role of Japan's military to meet the changing security environment in the Asia-Pacific region.
Solving Intra-ASEAN South China Sea Disputes The Diplomat 14th May 2014
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has once again stood paralyzed in the face of Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. As my colleague Shannon discussed on China Power, and Ankit and myself talked about on the podcast this week, the 10 ASEAN member states failed to take a united stance on the issue at the summit in Myanmar over the weekend. The crux of the issue hasn’t changed since at least the 2012 ASEAN summit, which ended without a communique for the first time ever due to disagreements on the South China Sea. Namely, only four ASEAN member states — the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia (and possibly now Indonesia) — have ongoing territorial disputes with China (and Taiwan) over the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China remains ASEAN’s largest trading partner and the largest trading member of many of its member states. Thus, many of the member states without a direct stake in the South China Sea maritime disputes are opposed to antagonizing China for an issue that in their view doesn’t concern them. This suits China well, as Beijing has long argued that the maritime disputes should be discussed on a bilateral basis where its influence over its much smaller neighbors is greatest. Although efforts to forge a united ASEAN position should continue, the claimant states must acknowledge that they may not get the rest of the multilateral body on board with their position to present a unified front towards China. After all, unless Beijing enters into a prolonged economic stagnation, its influence over ASEAN is likely to grow in the years and decades ahead as its consumer market expands and initiatives like the Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road begin to bear fruit. That doesn’t mean that the Southeast Asian claimants to the South China Sea should stand idle as China becomes more forceful in asserting its claims to the disputed waters. Indeed, one of the strongest moves they can make doesn’t require the participation of the rest of ASEAN.
China Begins Construction in Spratly Islands WSJ 14th May 2014
China has begun a construction project in the disputed Spratly Islands, drawing a formal protest from the Philippines, which said the move violates a longstanding pledge not to build on any of the South China Sea's contested islands. The project is the latest example of Beijing's increasingly assertive behavior in the South China Sea, a week after it boldly deployed a large oil rig, guarded by a flotilla of ships, to disputed waters east of Vietnam. That action sparked anti-Chinese protests and violence against factories in Vietnam, and prompted U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to criticize Beijing's "aggressive" and "provocative" moves. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Wednesday that it had lodged a formal protest with China on April 4 regarding the construction work at Johnson South Reef in the Spratlys. China had rejected the protest, it added. The DFA didn't respond to questions about how it knew about the construction work, or what it suspected China of attempting to build there. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed Wednesday that China is indeed building on Johnson South Reef, saying that the "reef is Chinese territory" and such activity was normal.
Chinese general tours U.S. carrier as maritime tensions fester Reuters 13th May 2014
A top Chinese general toured an American aircraft carrier on Tuesday at the start of a U.S. visit expected to expose tensions over territorial disputes between Beijing and U.S. allies in the South and East China Seas. General Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, visited the nuclear-powered Ronald Reagan in San Diego, California, escorted by the head of the U.S. military's Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Locklear. Fang was expected to visit the National Defense University in Washington On Wednesday, and meet the top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, at the Pentagon on Thursday. Chinese military brass are no strangers to U.S. warships, including aircraft carriers, and PLA navy chief Admiral Wu Shengli visited the carrier Carl Vinson last year. But Fang's visit is the latest example of efforts by both countries to improve military ties as China ramps up defense spending, investing in sophisticated hardware, including "carrier killer" missiles, which Pentagon officials suspect are aimed at countering U.S. military capabilities. It is also an opportunity for the two sides to discuss tensions in the South China Sea, which again flared last week when China positioned a giant oil rig in an area also claimed by Vietnam. China also rejects rival claims from U.S. ally the Philippines as well as from Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei in the resource-rich waters.
A Beijing power play in the South China Sea is met with U.S. inaction WP 13th May 2014
WITH A $1 billion oil rig the size of a football field, China has literally laid down a new marker in its ambition to dominate the South China Sea — and challenged President Obama’s “rebalancing” policy in Asia, only weeks after the president’s tour of the region. The rig is about 130 miles off the coast of Vietnam, in waters that Vietnam claims as an exclusive economic zone under international law. China’s claim is more tenuous, but it is backed up with a flotilla of some 80 ships that for a week have engaged in a dangerous contest of ramming and water-hosing Vietnamese vessels. The message of the deployment is as simple as it is provocative: The regime of Xi Jinping intends to unilaterally assert China’s sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea without regard for the competing claims of five other countries or Mr. Obama’s newly restated commitment to uphold defense agreements with two of those nations. In that sense, the rig, like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is a fundamental challenge to the international order the United States has tried to preserve since the end of the Cold War.
U.S., China spar again on South China Seas dispute Reuters 13th May 2014
China hit back at the United States over the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday, after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said recent Chinese moves in the resource-rich waters were "provocative". Tensions rose last week after China moved a giant oil rig into an area also claimed by Vietnam. Each country accused the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts of it from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. "He (Kerry) said China's introduction of an oil rig and numerous government vessels in waters disputed with Vietnam was provocative," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, referring to a telephone call between Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in which North Korea was also discussed. "He urged both sides to de-escalate tensions, ensure safe conduct by their vessels at sea, and resolve the dispute through peaceful means in accordance with international law." China's foreign ministry said there certainly had been provocative moves in the South China Sea, but that China was not the guilty party and repeated that it was the United States' fault for encouraging such behavior.
China denies U.S. version of Kerry's remarks to foreign minister Reuters 13th May 2014
China has said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry did not refer to "provocative" action by Beijing in the South China Sea while holding a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. "In fact, U.S. Secretary of State Kerry made no such comments during the phone conversation," China Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying told the official Xinhua news agency late on Tuesday. Kerry's message during the phone talks was that the United States does not take sides in the South China Sea dispute, and has no intention to make any judgment on the issue of territorial sovereignty, Xinhua said. Tensions rose last week after China moved a giant oil rig into an area also claimed by Vietnam. Each country accused the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts of it from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
Japan To Take Major Step Toward Collective Self-Defense Defense News 11th May 2014
By the end of this week, a key panel will recommend Japan adopt the right to collective self-defense, a move that would fundamentally change Japan’s deterrence posture, according to a senior member of the Japanese government who requested anonymity. The Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security, which first convened Feb. 8, 2013, under the express wish of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to push the changes through, will provide the parameters within which the government will reinterpret Japan’s constitution to allow Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense under certain circumstances and to come to the aid of another nation under attack. Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, called this “a major change in one of the basic principles of Japan’s post-war defense policy. “If we can use this new opportunity well ... we’ll be able to maintain the balance of power in the region against the might of China,” he said. Under present interpretation of Article 9 of the postwar Japanese constitution, Japan chooses specifically not to exercise its right of collective self-defense that is allowed under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Lawmakers condemn actions by Chinese ships The Hill 9th May 2014
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Friday said they find recent moves by Chinese vessels in the South China Sea to be “deeply troubling.” Vietnamese officials claim that over the last week Chinese military and civilian ship have repeatedly intimated their vessels around the Paracel Islands, ramming into them and firing water cannons. Beijing fired back, blaming Hanoi for disrupting drilling operations and demanding that it remove all vessels from the area. “China’s recent movement of an oil drilling rig escorted by military and other ships into disputed water in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam — and the subsequent aggressive tactics used by Chinese ships, including the ramming of Vietnamese ships — is deeply troubling,” said Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in a joint statement. “These actions threaten the free flow of global commerce in a vital region,” the lawmakers said. Beijing’s unilateral declaration of an “air defense identification zone” in the region last year and harassment of Japanese ships “raise serious questions about China’s approach to regional security,” they added.
White House urges dialogue, not intimidation in China rig dispute Reuters 14th May 2014
The White House said on Wednesday that a dispute between China and Vietnam that erupted within days of President Barack Obama's visit to Asia to address regional tensions needs to be resolved with dialogue, not intimidation. While the United States was not a party to the dispute, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama had repeatedly stressed on his trip last month the need for peaceful dialogue on various disputes involving China and the South China Sea
Philippines Challenges China Over Disputed Atoll New York Times 14th May 2014
The Philippines said on Wednesday that it had protested signs of land reclamation by China aimed at expanding a disputed coral atoll near the southern Philippines, the latest in a series of disputes pitting China against its neighbors in the South China Sea. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it had lodged a protest with China on April 4, nearly five weeks ago, regarding the Chinese activity, but Beijing had rejected the protest. The Philippines also raised the issue at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit meeting over the weekend in Myanmar, and has included the dispute in a legal case against China filed with a United Nations tribunal, demanding arbitration of territorial disagreements.
US slams China over Vietnamese vessels dispute in South China Sea Financial Times 8th May 2014
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/84ddefb2-d5a4-11e3-a017-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz... The US condemned China on Wednesday for moving an oil rig into waters disputed with Vietnam, calling the decision “provocative” and likely to “raise tensions”. These tensions in the South China Sea had earlier escalated dramatically after Vietnam said Chinese ships rammed its vessels near the Paracel Islands and the Philippines detained a Chinese fishing boat and crew. China and Vietnam have traded rhetoric in recent days after China moved an oil rig near the disputed islands. But the situation turned into a confrontation on Wednesday when the Chinese vessels fired water cannons at Vietnamese ships and deliberately rammed them, according to the government in Hanoi.
Cambodia
Cambodia: US Training of Abusive Military Exposed HRW 20th May 2014
US military training to Cambodia’s abusive armed forces could easily be misused against the political opposition and labor unions and may violate US law. The US military support was evident in official publicity material and personal pages posted on Facebook during the annual “Angkor Sentinel” exercises conducted from April 21 to 30, 2014. “It’s shocking that the US military is providing armed soldiers training in kicking down doors soon after Cambodian armed forces killed protesting workers in Phnom Penh,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “While the ‘enemy’ the US is training Cambodia to defend against isn’t stated, these forces of late have only been used against opposition protesters and striking factory workers.” US military forces have provided training that would assist Cambodia’s military in government crackdowns on the political opposition and civil society activists, Human Rights Watch said. This includes expanded military coordination with local political authorities and the police and a situational exercise centered on “security techniques in an urban environment.” A Cambodian military video featuring the seizure of a building shows troops advancing with assault rifles and kicking down an imaginary door to enter the building while US officers supervise the exercises. A photograph on the official Angkor Sentinel Facebook page, under the caption “vehicle search technique in an urban environment” shows a Cambodian soldier stopping a vehicle by standing in front of it with his assault rifle aimed at the windshield.
Indonesia
Indonesia Seeks Finalized Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Jakarta Globe 21st May 2014
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has called for bolstering trust across Asia Pacific as part of the push to get the nuclear test ban treaty ratified throughout the region, amid reports of North Korea being closer than previously thought to developing a nuclear missile. “It’s essentially [about] how we can maintain that momentum toward the promotion of our common objective of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation,” Marty said on Tuesday at a three-day regional conference on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), held in Jakarta. “How can we, as government, create a constant irreversible march in the effort toward our common goals? Back in 2012, Indonesian believed that by ratifying the CTBT, we could be party of momentum-generating efforts.” But a lack of trust between countries, stemming from various conflicts and tensions in the region, had undermined that momentum, Marty said. “Future generations will look back and ask why did we miss that strategic opportunity? And I see this, in all areas, how lack of trust [arises] because it’s not confronted in a more urgent manner,” he said.
Indonesia joins push against China; beefs up air force in South China Sea China Daily Mail 23 May 2014
Indonesia is beefing up its air presence along the South China Sea, a military officer has announced. According to IHS Jane’s, Lieutenant Colonel Andri Gandy, the commander of Ranai airbase on the Riau Islands, which borders the South China Sea, said Indonesia was upgrading the airbase so that it could accommodate Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 fighter aircraft. Separately, Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) Chief of Staff General Budiman said that four Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters would be deployed to Ranai airbase. Lt. Col Gandy said that the TNI had already installed runway lights, taxiway lights and integrated radar at the airbase. He added that there were plans to extend the length of the runway in order to accommodate the Su-27 and Su-30s. The announcement comes at a time when Indonesia has been raising concerns about China’s territorial designs on the Natuna Sea off the coast of the Riau Islands. As The Diplomat previously reported, Commodore Fahru Zaini, a senior Indonesian defence official, told reporters: “China has claimed Natuna waters as their territorial waters. This arbitrary claim is related to the dispute over Spratly and Paracel Islands between China and the Philippines. This dispute will have a large impact on the security of Natuna waters.” Although there have long been suspicions that China’s nine-dashed line overlapped with Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Riau Islands, Indonesia has refused to officially acknowledge the dispute exists. Zaini’s comments seemed to depart from this position.
TNI says no need for aircraft carrier Jakarta Post 21st May 2014
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko said the country had no intention of procuring an aircraft carrier to strengthen its primary defense system. “An aircraft carrier is inappropriate for the Indonesian Military’s doctrine,” Moeldoko said as quoted by tempo.co on Monday. He added that an aircraft carrier was unnecessary as the country had thousands of islands, from Aceh to Papua, that could accommodate the Air Force’s aircraft. Navy chief of staff Adm. Marsetio explained that the Navy would act in accordance with Indonesia’s Green Water doctrine, which stipulates that its naval forces should not enter international waters. “Only countries with a Blue Water doctrine need aircraft carriers,” Marsetio said. He said countries with a Blue Water doctrine tended to be aggressors that threatened other countries, adding that Indonesia was a peaceful country that considered its territorial sovereignty of paramount importance.
Next govt must focus on maritime issues Jakarta Post 20th May 2014
Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Marsetio has urged the next government to pay more attention to addressing maritime issues since Indonesian is widely known as one of the largest archipelagic countries in the world. He said Indonesia was prone to hijacking, natural-resource smuggling, transnational crimes and people smuggling. "The maritime era is becoming even more prominent," he said in his keynote speech at a national maritime leadership seminar at the Borobudur Hotel, Central Jakarta. Despite increased multilateral naval activities -- such as the 2014 Multilateral Naval Exercise held in the Riau Islands province – Marsetio insisted that the current government was still focused on developments on land instead of developing the nation’s maritime potential. Currently, the Indonesian Navy is in the middle of procuring several vessels in accordance with its second strategic plan (Renstra), also known as the second stage of the Minimum Essential Force (MEF), which is slated for 2015 to 2019.
Indonesia holds military joint drill 2014 Antara News 19th May 2014
The Indonesia Military Commander General Moeldoko inaugurated the military joint drill 2014, which is an exercise of all the corps: Indonesian Army, Navy and Air Force. "The military drill is held to keep the synergy among the military corps in tactical, technical and doctrine tests. We also want to improve the combat power in each branch of the force and create strength," Moeldoko said here on Monday. The Indonesia Military (TNI) Commander had inaugurated the joint drill in the hall of Squadron 17, Halim Perdana Kusuma Air Base, Jakarta. The drills aim is also to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the joint operational duty command, which is prepared to face any emergency.
Indonesia against use of military power in South China Sea Antara News 12th May 2014
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on all countries involved in or concerned with the problems in South China Sea to refrain from using military power to settle them. "The key is no party must be tempted to use military power. If this is agreed upon any problem in South China will have its solution," he said at a press conference before leaving home to Jakarta after attending an ASEAN Summit here on Monday. He said one of the topics of discussions in the meeting was whether the rise of China was a threat or not. Indonesia, he said, would see it from various angles. Based on it the rise of China could be made positive and responded without worries through mutually beneficial cooperation among countries in the region.
Malaysia
Asia Can Explore Ways To Make Bigger Contribution To Global Security, Says Najib Bernama 22nd May 2014
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak believes Asia can explore ways to make a bigger contribution to global security challenges. Citing non-proliferation, he said Asean has adopted a comprehensive treaty, the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. "We should also make a concerted effort to implement and enforce strategic trade controls to cut the risk of dual-use goods," Najib told a captive audience comprising political leaders, economists and captains of industry at the prestigious Nikkei 20th International Conference on the Future of Asia here Thursday.
Modernization of Malaysian Navy Defense Studies 19th May 2014
Malaysia’s physical geography, divided between a peninsular and the island of Borneo, creates a unique set of defence challenges for the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) that is armed with a disparate range of weapons. Yet recent events have reminded the country of the need to modernise its equipment. Malaysia’s proposed 2014 core defence budget has increased by six percent to $5.1 billion. However, just $868 million of this will go towards new equipment, despite current security threats.
Navy to beef up assets, logistics off Sabah waters The Sun Daily 8th May 2014
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) will beef up its assets and logistics to strengthen security off Sabah waters following the second kidnapping reported this year and the Sulu intrusion last year. This entails upgrading the naval seabasing system by deploying more interceptor boats and personnel as well as building a small naval base offshore, said Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar. (Seabasing is a naval capability that provides commanders with the ability to conduct selected functions and tasks at sea without reliance on infrastructure ashore and away from traditional logistics centres.) Abdul Aziz said the RMN had submitted the proposal to the government and it was expected to be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak soon.
Myanmar
Experts Detail Suspicions About Mysterious Defense Site in Myanmar NTI 12th May 2014
Nonproliferation experts on Friday said they had found reason to be suspicious about the purpose of a mysterious defense site in Myanmar. Earlier this year, the small Burmese journal Unity ran an investigative report alleging that a defense facility in the central Magwe region was manufacturing chemical warfare materials. Government officials swiftly denied the report, arrested the journalists responsible for the article and acted to confiscate print copies of the journal. However, as Myanmar has yet to join the Chemical Weapons Convention, there is no formal mechanism for verifying that the government is telling the truth. Analysts with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in their Friday report said they believe the facility merits closer examination due to a number of design features that are "consistent" with a chemical production plant. "It is not possible to determine whether the facility is a chemical weapons site, but there are a number of aspects to its size, layout and location that raise questions," wrote CNS research associate Catherine Dill and Jeffrey Lewis, who directs the think tank's East Asia Nonproliferation Program. Dill and Lewis said they were able to identify the location of the facility by comparing photos printed in the Unity journal article with commercial satellite photographs taken in 2004, 2009, 2012 and January 2014. The facility is located near the Pauk township and consists of five sizable warehouses, according to the CNS report.
Government prepared to meet NCCT half way, says Aung Min Mizzima 9th May 2014
The Government is prepared to compromise on more than half of the remaining demands being made by the Nationwide Cease-fire Co-ordination Team, the vice-chairman of the Union Peace-Making Work Committee, U Aung Min, said on May 4. U Aung Min, who is also a Minister of the President’s Office, was speaking in Nay Pyi Taw after a dinner hosted by President U Thein Sein for outstanding youth. U Aung Min was referring to the remaining 45 points of the 122-point national cease-fire agreement being negotiated following the conclusion of a draft agreement between negotiators from the UPWC and the NCCT, which represents 16 armed ethnic groups, at talks in Yangon on April 8.
Philippines
Navy Tankers to be Equipped with Defensive Armaments Defense Studies 22nd May 2014
The Philippine Navy (PN) announced that the three tankers, donated by the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC), will be fitted with defensive armaments. This was revealed by Navy public affairs office chief, Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic, in an interview with PNA. "All Navy ships, regardless of their roles, are always fitted with defensive armaments to protect themselves against possible attacks by hostile forces. And in the case of the tankers, defensive armaments are needed as they are carrying and transporting very valuable cargo," he said in Filipino. Fabic declined to state what weapons will be fitted to these ships for security reasons. However, military sources said that .50-caliber heavy machine guns and 20-mm automatic cannons can be fitted aboard these ships. Earlier, Fabic said that the PNOC-donated tankers are now undergoing dry-dock at a secured and undisclosed location. The three tankers are currently unnamed. For the moment they are called "Tanker 1", "Tanker 2" and "Tanker 3". Fabic said these vessels will be commissioned by June or July.
Vietnam, Philippines jointly denounce China's maritime moves Reuters 21st May 2014
Vietnam and the Philippines are determined to oppose Chinese infringement of their territorial waters, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on Wednesday, calling on the world to condemn China's actions in a rare public show of unity bound to infuriate Beijing. China is embroiled in disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and others over boundaries in the potentially energy-rich South China Sea and has said it seeks to resolve differences in one-on-one talks with the countries involved. Beijing and Tokyo are also at loggerheads over disputed islands in the East China Sea. "The president and I shared the deep concerns over the current extremely dangerous situation caused by China's many actions that violate international law," Dung said in a statement after talks with Philippine President Benigno Aquino during a two-day visit to Manila. "...In particular, China's illegal placement of the oil rig and deployment of vessels to protect the rig deep into Vietnam's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone have seriously threatened peace, stability, maritime security and safety, and freedom of navigation in the East Sea."
DND to Acquire Two Long-Range Patrol Aircraft Defense Studies 21st May 2014
In a bid to enhance the country's capabilities to protect and defend its airspace, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced that it is allocating the sum of P5,976,000,000 to acquire two brand-new long-range patrol aircraft. The money will be sourced from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act Trust Fund. This includes sensors, sensor integration, mission support facilities and integrated logistic support, DND undersecretary Fernando Manalo said. Winning bidders are required to deliver the aircraft within 1,035 calendar days upon receipt of the notice to proceed. Manalo added that participants must have completed a similar project within the last 10 years.
AFP to Start Construction of New Naval Base in Subic Defense Studies 17th May 2014
The government will allot P1 billion from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization fund for the construction of a new naval operating base in this town, according to Mayor Jefferson Khonghun. Khonghun said on Wednesday the construction of a pier, warehouses and housing facilities for the naval base has been set to start this month in a 500-hectare area in Barangay Cawag. The site of the proposed base is near the shipyard of the Korean-owned Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd.-Philippines and the Subic Bay Freeport. “Local government officials are very supportive of this and we’re fortunate to have a naval base in our town,” Khonghun told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He said the Subic town council on May 7 passed a resolution endorsing the project “without any objection.” He said the proposed pier would be designed to accommodate “big and modern ships” of both the Philippine and American naval forces.
Philippines Jails Chinese Sailors in Fish Dispute NYT 10th May 2014
Raising the stakes in its confrontation with China, the Philippines said Saturday that it had imprisoned 11 Chinese fishermen who were caught with endangered sea turtles in a part of the South China Sea that is claimed by both nations. The fishermen were seized on Tuesday by the Philippine National Police, who found the 350 marine turtles after intercepting the fishing boat off Half Moon Shoal in the Spratly Islands. The run-in has been overshadowed by a clash between Chinese and Vietnamese ships 120 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam, where China has been setting up an oil rig in waters claimed by both nations. In that case, Chinese ships fired water cannons at Vietnamese Sea Guard ships that had confronted the Chinese vessels, and both countries say the other’s ships rammed theirs. The fishermen who were detained by the Philippines face prison terms ranging from 12 to 20 years. They are being held on charges of violating wildlife protection laws. “They will remain in detention until the office of the provincial prosecutor has determined whether there is probable cause for the filing of formal charges,” Allen Ross Rodriguez, a government lawyer, told The Associated Press.
Philippine, US Marines Hold Annual War Games Amid South China Sea Tensions Defense News 9th May 2014
Scores of U.S. and Filipino marines launched mock assaults on a South China Sea beach in the Philippines on Friday, as a row escalates between Beijing and its smaller neighbors over the strategic waters. The drills, part of annual war games between the two countries, came after Vietnam said its vessels were rammed by Chinese ships protecting a deep-sea oil rig in disputed waters off Vietnam's coast. The flare-up — which saw counter-accusations from Beijing which said its own vessels had been repeatedly attacked — sparked concern from Japan, the United States, and the European Union about deteriorating security in the region. The US-Philippine exercises — involving about 5,500 troops — included Friday's drills on a beach about 220 kilometers (135 miles) from Scarborough Shoal, which China took control of two years ago after a stand-off with the much-weaker Philippine forces. Three US rubber raiding craft and two small-unit Filipino riverine boats practiced stealth landings from before dawn at the desolate beach inside a northern Philippines navy base.
Gov’t defends action against Chinese boat Business World 8th May 2014
Malacanang yesterday defended the action of the Philippine police to apprehend a Chinese fishing boat in the disputed West Philippine Sea caught poaching sea turtles, saying the country was merely enforcing its maritime laws. Secretary Herminio B. Coloma, Jr. of the Presidential Communication Operations Office, in a press briefing Thursday, said: "The action taken by the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday in apprehending a foreign fishing vessel and a local fishing boat is accordance with its duty to enforce environment protection and wildlife conservation laws while upholding Philippine sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zone (EEZ)." A maritime police on Tuesday morning seized a Chinese fishing boat off what locals call Hasa-Hasa Shoal (or Half Moon Shoal to foreigners) with 11 crew members and about 500 turtles in vessels. A Philippine boat with crew was also nabbed carrying 70 live turtles on board. A senior naval officer said there were two Chinese boats, but the other one escaped. Several species of sea turtles are protected under Philippine laws. Chief Supt. Niel Vargas of the PNP Maritime Group has said maritime police towed the boats to Puerto Princesa town on the island of Palawan where appropriate charges will be filed against them. Hasa-Hasa Shoal is within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone and near to Second Thomas Shoal, where a small Philippine garrison is based.
China slams PH for 'premeditated provocative act' Rappler 8th May 2014
China has accused the Philippines of committing a "premeditated provocative act" in detaining 11 Chinese fishermen caught poaching in Philippine waters, and warned of a "further" erosion of bilateral ties over the incident. In a statement released to Philippine media, the Chinese Embassy in Manila alleged that Philippine authorities seized the Chinese fishing boat to deliberately elevate tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). "The Chinese side warns the Philippine side not to take provocative actions, so as to avoid further damage to the bilateral relations. The Chinese side will keep following closely the development of this provocative act," the statement read. It maintained China's claim over the area where the fishermen and other fishing boats were caught conducting illegal fishing activities on Tuesday, and said the arrest of its fishermen was a "severe" violation of its sovereignty and maritime rights. "China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, including the Banyue Reef. This provocative action is premeditated in an attempt to create tensions, and severely violates China's sovereignty and maritime rights," the Chinese Embassy said.
China building airstrip on Mabini Reef–DND Business Mirror 14th May 2014
Details Category: Nation 14 May 2014 Written by Rene Acosta THE Department of National Defense (DND) confirmed on Wednesday the ongoing construction of China in the Johnson South Reef, or Mabini Reef, on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), which came amid the escalating tension on the South China Sea that is brought by Beijing’s expansive claims. “There is ongoing reclamation or earthmoving activities in that portion [of the disputed area],” said DND Spokesman Peter Paul Galvez, adding that although the reef has been occupied by China, it still falls within the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
Singapore
RSAF Participates in Air Combat Exercise with USAF's F-22 Fighter Aircraft in Alaska Defense Studies 22nd May 2014
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is participating in the United States Air Force (USAF)-hosted Exercise Red Flag - Alaska at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, United States from 8 to 23 May 2014. The RSAF has deployed nine F-16C/D fighter aircraft and about 100 personnel from its Peace Carvin II Detachment in Arizona, United States, to engage in this air combat operations exercise together with 67 other aircraft, including the USAF's F-22, F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft and the E-3 airborne early warning aircraft. This is also the second time that the RSAF is participating in Exercise Red Flag together with the USAF's F-22, a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Highlighting the significance of the RSAF's participation in the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Maximillion Goh, the RSAF Exercise Director for Exercise Red Flag - Alaska, said, "We are pleased to train and operate alongside our USAF counterparts in this large-scale exercise. It hones our operational competencies and allows us to forge closer co-operation and stronger friendship among the participants."
Thailand
Thailand to Receive First UH-72A in April 2015 Defense Studies 16th May 2014
Airbus has produced the first of six UH-72A light utility helicopters for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), officials at the company's production facility in Columbus, Mississippi, said on 14 May. The aircraft will be delivered in December to the US Army, which will transfer it to the RTA, according to a company spokesman. The remaining five aircraft will be built in 2015. Thailand requested six UH-72As through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process in 2013. The contract is worth USD77 million and would be the first international sale of the aircraft, a variant of the EC145 civil helicopter. Thailand is recapitalising its rotary wing fleet. In February 2011 it acquired three Mil Mi-17V-5 multimission helicopters from Russia, with three further helicopters ordered. In October 2012 the RTA signed a contract for two AgustaWestland AW139s for transport and utility missions with delivery set for this year.
Thailand Military Declares a Coup WSJ 22nd May 2014
Thailand's army chief formally seized control of power Thursday, declaring a military coup and detaining several ministers and faction leaders, after two days of talks to negotiate an end to a monthslong political impasse failed. Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a televised statement that the military needed "to seize control of the situation in the country" and cited worries that political violence in the increasingly polarized Southeast Asian country could escalate. (Follow the latest updates on the crisis in Thailand.) The military later ordered Acting Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan and cabinet ministers to immediately report to an army base, terminating a government that has been under siege by protesters and suspended the constitution except for articles relating to the monarchy.
Army battles to maintain role as guardian of ‘Thai-ness’ FT 21st May 2014
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/607c76b2-e0ed-11e3-a934-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz... The declaration of martial law in Thailand underscores the power of a military that has long shaped politics in the country thanks to prestige, patronage and the backing of western allies. General Prayuth Chan-ocha, chief of the army, has insisted that the military has not launched a coup. But few doubt he is now the man who counts in a country that is nominally a parliamentary democracy but which has spent long periods of its modern history under military rule. Television stations in Thailand broadcast screens on Wednesday that were blank, except for messages indicating that they had been ordered off air. Some analysts saw this as an attempt to shut down criticism by armed forces that are neither accustomed to, nor tolerant of, external challenges to their self-mythology.
Vietnam
Oil rig incident means Vietnam–China relations face a new test EAF 21st May 2014
The current face-off between Vietnam and China over the latter’s installation of its deep-water oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 deep within Vietnam’s claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is probably the biggest test for their bilateral relations since normalisation in 1991. China’s decision to deploy the rig came despite the fact that the two countries have achieved significant improvements in their relations over the last two decades, with China now Vietnam’s biggest trading partner and one of its two ‘comprehensive strategic partners’. There have also been some positive developments in the management of the bilateral disputes over the South China Sea, such as the 2011 agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea issues and the establishment of hot lines between the leaders, as well as their relevant authorities, to manage crises in the sea. But the current row over the rig threatens to undo these positive developments. A sense of brinkmanship has pervaded Vietnam in recent days as footage and images of Chinese vessels ramming and firing water cannons at Vietnamese law enforcement ships are widely disseminated via the internet and mass media channels. The timelines of Vietnamese Facebook users are inundated with angry comments about China’s actions. Last weekends, mass demonstrations broke out across the country in protest of China’s ‘expansionism’. There were even unconfirmed reports of Vietnam’s relocation of its troops in anticipation of a deteriorated situation.
ASEAN’s Tepid Response to the Vietnam-China Faceoff The Diplomat 17th May 2014
As ASEAN wound up its annual meeting in Naypyidaw with the usual round of backslapping and handshakes, Thailand was again close to political implosion while Vietnam’s navy faced another Chinese incursion in waters not far from Danang. Sadly, both threats to regional stability elicited only a tepid response from ASEAN leaders gathering for the first time ever in Myanmar, a country whose human rights record could end a global attempt to coax its regime out of a North Korean-like status. Not much was said about Brunei’s introduction of Sharia law and punishments that range from the stoning of adulterers, gays and apostates to lopping the limbs off thieves. Hard-line Muslims are pushing for something similar in Malaysia, which has been embarrassed by its fumbled response to the disappearance of Flight MH370. Neither a ruthless crackdown on dissent in Cambodia nor a massive borrowing binge in Laos rated much of a mention among ASEAN leaders. Little mention was made of a serious economic crunch in Vietnam, which alongside the Philippines is providing the international bulwark against China’s extraordinary nine-dash line declaration. Enthusiasm for ASEAN, and in particular the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of 2015, has been waning, particularly among heavyweight members like Indonesia. This lack of interest in ASEAN affairs, and a willfully blind attitude to the more weighty issues of state, could not have come at a worse time. The Thais had been tasked with negotiating a code of conduct between China and ASEAN over Beijing’s “ancient claims” in the South China Sea – also known as the West Philippines Sea and East Sea in Vietnam – as gunboat diplomacy between Hanoi and Beijing reaches its most dangerous levels since 1979.
Anger Grows in Vietnam Over Dispute With China NYT 14th May 2014
Thousands of workers rampaged through an industrial area in southern Vietnam on Tuesday in what reportedly began as protests against China’s stationing of an oil rig in disputed waters off of Vietnam’s coast. The riots were some of the worst civil unrest in recent years and appear to have prompted restraints on the local media by Vietnam’s authoritarian government. An article about the protests that was posted online by a Vietnamese state newspaper on Tuesday was removed by Wednesday morning.
Report: Vietnam, Chinese Ships Fire Water Cannons ABC News 13th May 2014
A Vietnamese patrol boat and several Chinese vessels blasted each other with water cannons Monday near an oil rig recently positioned by Beijing in disputed waters, Vietnamese state media reported, in the latest incident in a dangerous standoff between the two nations. The Tuoi Tre newspaper said it was the first time that Vietnamese vessels have responded to aggressive Chinese actions close to the deep sea rig, which was positioned May 1 in an area of the South China Sea claimed by Beijing and Hanoi. Both sides have accused the other of ramming ships. Vietnam has presented a video showing Chinese ships hitting its vessels. In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday the U.S. and other nations involved in navigating in the South and East China Seas were deeply concerned about the "aggressive" Chinese action.
Vietnam Says It Is Exercising 'Restraint' in Standoff With China WSJ 13th May 2014
-A senior Vietnamese official said Tuesday the Vietnamese coast guard is exercising restraint in its standoff with China in the South China Sea, following state media reports that vessels from the two countries exchanged water-cannon fire. "We are still exercising restraint, while trying to avoid being rammed and attacked by water cannons by Chinese forces at the area," Rear Adm. Ngo Ngoc Thu, vice commander of Vietnam's coast guard, told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. China and Vietnam claim maritime rights over an area near the Paracel Islands where state-run China National Offshore Oil Corp. has moved an oil rig. Since the beginning of the month, Vietnam has been trying to stop the deployment. "Currently, China has 86 vessels around the oil rig, including military vessels, notably one antisubmarine ship," Mr. Thu said, adding that Chinese helicopters flew low over Vietnamese vessels in the area on Monday. State media reported that Vietnam on Monday for the first time exchanged water-cannon fire with Chinese vessels. The Tuoi Tre newspaper said the incident between one Vietnamese vessel and several Chinese vessels lasted about one hour, but there were no Vietnamese casualties. At a daily press briefing Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that since May 2, Vietnam has dispatched many vessels, including military vessels, and disrupted Chinese companies' normal operations. Ms. Hua added that China had to take necessary steps to ensure the security of facilities and personnel. Officials at Cnooc couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
China says Vietnam efforts to rope in others on spat will fail Reuters 12th May 2014
China's foreign ministry said on Monday Vietnam's efforts to garner support over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea would fail, a day after Southeast Asian leaders meeting for a regional summit in Myanmar refrained from criticizing Beijing. Tensions rose in the resource-rich South China Sea last week after China positioned a giant oil rig in an area also claimed by Vietnam. Each country accused the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands. "The facts prove that Vietnam is trying to rope in other parties and put pressure on China, (but) will not achieve its aims," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news conference. "We hope that Vietnam can see the situation clearly, calmly face up to reality, and stop harassing the Chinese operations."
Vietnam allows anti-China protests over South China Sea oil rig FT 11th May 2014
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/39d5aaca-d8e5-11e3-a1aa-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz... Vietnam allowed several hundred demonstrators to stage a noisy rally outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi on Sunday against Beijing’s deployment of an oil rig in the contested South China Sea that has triggered a tense stand-off and raised fears of confrontation. The country’s authoritarian leaders keep a tight grip on public gatherings for fear that they could attract anti-government protesters. But this time, they appeared to give in to public anger that also provided them with the opportunity to register their own indignation at Beijing. High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/39d5aaca-d8e5-11e3-a1aa-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz... Other protests, including one that drew more than 1,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City, took place in other locations around the country. For the first time, they were reported on enthusiastically by the state media. The government has in the past forcibly broken up anti-China protests and arrested their leaders, many of whom are also campaigning for greater political freedom and human rights. “We are infuriated by the Chinese actions,” said Nguyen Xuan Hien, a lawyer who printed his own placard reading “Get Real. Imperialism is so 19th century”. “We have come to so that the Chinese people can understand our anger,” he said. Vietnam’s government protested the deployment of the oil rig on May 1, and dispatched a flotilla that was unable to break through a circle of more than 50 Chinese vessels protecting the facility. The Vietnamese coast guard released video of Chinese vessels ramming and firing water cannons at Vietnamese ships.
Vietnam Fails to Rally Partners in China Dispute NYT 11th May 2014
Vietnam’s prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, accused China on Sunday of “dangerous and serious violations” in a territorial dispute that has raised anger toward China here to the highest levels in years. Mr. Dung’s comments, which were carried in the Vietnamese state news media, were addressed to leaders of Southeast Asian countries attending a summit meeting in Myanmar. It was his strongest statement since China towed a huge oil rig into disputed waters off the coast of Vietnam this month. “This extremely dangerous action has been directly endangering peace, stability, security, and marine safety,” Mr. Dung was quoted as saying, adding that Vietnam had acted with “utmost restraint.” Mr. Dung’s comments were uncharacteristically spirited for the typically anodyne meetings of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but they failed to produce collective criticism of China. The leaders, who work by consensus, did not mention the dispute in their final statement on Sunday. Myanmar then released a statement after the meeting was over that expressed “serious concerns over the ongoing developments in the South China Sea,” but did not mention China. It called for self-restraint and the resolution of disputes by peaceful means.
China, Vietnam, Philippines collide amid escalating South China Sea tensions CNN 9th May 2014
Tensions escalated in the South China Sea region this week after China, Vietnam and the Philippines were involved in a series of potentially explosive confrontations over disputed territory. Vietnamese officials say Chinese military and civilian ships have been intimidating their vessels near the Paracel Islands -- which are controlled by Beijing but claimed by Hanoi -- since Sunday, even accusing the Chinese of repeatedly ramming into them and shooting water cannons. But China blames Vietnam for forcefully disrupting drilling activities, and demand that it withdraw all vessels from the area, said Yi Xianliang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs in a press briefing yesterday.
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