Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticised the United States, Japan and Australia for a joint statement on the South China Sea that he said was only “fanning the flames” of regional tensions just as countries have agreed to cool them… Read More ›

Month: July 2016
Cadence Column: Asia, July 25, 2016
The words “China” and “tariffs” are appearing in headlines together again. Cambodia is seen as a Chinese puppet in ASEAN. And, one dissenting opinion from Forbes claims that tariffs are only about consumers, not about jobs and whole economies. Contrary… Read More ›
Philippines rules out talks with China over international tribunal ruling
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte assured US lawmakers Wednesday that he has no plans to negotiate with China over their territorial dispute in the South China Sea even as former President Fidel Ramos said he will meet with the President over… Read More ›
Cadence Column: Asia, July 18, 2016
The Hague ruling has stirred the waters and the ripples are bouncing. According to the tribunal, China has no basis for its claims concerning the nine-dash line. However, this also affects sovereign waters Taiwan has enjoyed, and it has implications… Read More ›
China must be stopped from blocking supply in the South China Sea
Australia and other countries are currently pushing for freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, in response to China’s aggression and illegal claims in the region. For the immediate future, these countries should have a permanent presence in… Read More ›
China may establish air defence zone over South China Sea after losing court ruling
China said Wednesday it has the right to set up an air defence zone in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a day after a landmark court ruling against Beijing’s claims in the contested waters. Liu Zhenmin, China’s vice foreign… Read More ›
International tribunal rejects China’s claims in South China Sea
An international tribunal in The Hague, The Permanent Court of Arbitration, has delivered a sweeping rebuke on Tuesday of China’s behaviour in the South China Sea, from the construction of artificial islands to interference with fishing, and ruled that its… Read More ›
The Hague ruling against China is a moral victory for international law, but the struggle continues…
I am writing on the eve of the expected judgement to be handed by the Hague Court which various international experts, pundits and scholars had already considered to be historic. This case concerns the bold and unprecedented act of the… Read More ›
Cadence Column: July 11, 2016
Abe’s landslide re-election in Japan, a US shield deployment in South Korea, and $2B USD pumping into Taiwan’s navy won’t exactly be sweet music to countries on the other side of the line. China isn’t in a position to make… Read More ›
Cadence Column: July 4, 2016
We see the psychology of Chinese cultural leadership on full display. China stopped communicating with Taiwan. An accidental firing of a live missile, killing one and injuring two, on a parked Taiwanese naval corvette was judged to indicate a “loose… Read More ›
Taiwanese warship accidentally fires missile towards China
A Taiwanese warship has mistakenly launched a supersonic “aircraft carrier killer” missile towards China, the navy said, as ties between the island and its once bitter rival deteriorate. The domestically developed Hsiung-feng III missile flew about 45 miles before plunging… Read More ›