China’s Drone Grab and the Dangers of ‘Strategic Ambiguity’
A closer look at a recent military flashpoint between China and the United States. Last week the USNS Bowditch, an unarmed U.S. Pathfinder-class survey ship manned by a civilian crew, was shadowed by...
View ArticleUS sees China returning drone as early as Tuesday in South China Sea
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The United States expects China to soon return an underwater U.S. drone after a Chinese naval vessel seized it last week, with one U.S. official...
View ArticleChina Expected to Return US Navy Drone 'Soon'
China is expected to return the U.S. Navy underwater research drone seized last week off the Philippines as soon as Tuesday, U.S. officials say. The handover is expected to occur near Scarborough...
View ArticleChina to hand back US probe within 24 hours: US official
WASHINGTON: The Chinese military is expected to return a seized underwater probe to the US Navy in the South China Sea on Tuesday (Dec 20), a US defence official said. The small craft, taken around 90...
View ArticleTrump and US Asia Policy: Why Intel Matters
The Rebalance author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into the U.S. rebalance to Asia. This...
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China's drone seizure was a 'test' for Trump
USGS | Getty Images A satellite image of Subi Reef, an artificial island being developed by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, on September 4, 2016. The drone episode was merely a...
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Does China Really Want to Be the South China Sea's Policeman?
Uncertainty creates a vicious cycle in Asia’s arms race. How Desert Storm taught us all the wrong lessons. OPEC has just delivered a major windfall to American industry. China now has more tools of...
View ArticleJapan to Increase Military Spending for Fifth Year in a Row
Updated Dec. 21, 2016 10:52 p.m. ET TOKYO—Japan’s cabinet on Thursday approved an increase in military spending for a fifth successive year—including funds for missile defense upgrades and new...
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Cambodia's premier wraps up Vietnam visit; inks three agreements
By VnExpress  December 22, 2016 | 10:42 am GMT+7 Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and his Cambodia’s counterpart Hun Sen in an official welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on December...
View ArticleJapan sets record defense budget with eyes on China, N Korea
The $44 billion (5.1 trillion yen) Defense Ministry spending plan puts a focus on defending the Senkaku Islands, the chain in the East China Sea administered by Japan but also claimed by China, which...
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Following ‘summer’ days, Hanoi faces cold snap
By VnExpress  December 22, 2016 | 03:31 pm GMT+7 Hanoi is going to experience cold days from Thursday. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Nguyen Rain and cool breezes are expected in the capital for...
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Islands of Mass Destruction
On a map of the world, the South China Sea appears as a scrap of blue amid the tangle of islands and peninsulas that make up Southeast Asia between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its 1.4...
View ArticleChina begins daily civil charter flights to South China Sea outpost
BEIJING: China has begun daily civilian charter flights to Woody Island in the disputed South China Sea after approved the airport there for civil operations, state news agency Xinhua said on...
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Vietnam to cut Tet firework displays
The Communist Party Central Secretariat has just asked localities not to organise firework displays for the Tet Lunar New Year. A firework display near the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi in 2014 Lunar New...
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South China Sea: China launches daily civilian charter flights to disputed...
China’s territorial disputes explained IBTimes UK China is reported to have started operating daily charter flights to transport civilians to one of the islets in the South China Sea, state media said...
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China launches daily flights to flashpoint island
A destroyed land bridge (top) is seen in this view of a North Island, near Tree Island and Woody Island in the Paracel chain, in the South China Sea November 14, 2016 in this Planet Labs handout photo...
View ArticleThe ASEAN Crisis, Part 3: What Should ASEAN Do About the South China Sea...
This is the third and final entry in a series addressing how the South China Sea dispute caused a crisis for ASEAN. Part 1 explained why and how the South China Sea dispute poses a critical test for...
View ArticleJapan-Thailand Defense Relations in the Spotlight
In light of news of a potential radar deal, it is worth putting things in broader perspective. On December 22, Reuters reported that Japan is seeking to win a contract to supply Thailand with an air...
View ArticleTrump’s China Hawk
Peter Navarro’s position as head of the National Trade Council is a dangerous sign for U.S.-China relations. By Andrew Gawthorpe for The Diplomat December 23, 2016 Donald Trump’s appointment of the...
View ArticleSouth Asia’s Changing Landscape in 2016
The year 2016 will be long remembered in India for the dramatic decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to nullify all 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes, the most common currency denominations in the...
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