Category: Geopolitics
Tensions Surge Between China and the Philippines Over WWII Warship at the Center of Territorial Dispute
The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) immediately dismissed China's call to remove a decommissioned World War II-era warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, from a disputed shoal in the South China Sea that Manila claims is anchored well within the country's territorial waters.
China Releases New Video That Aims to Counter Claims It Attacked the Philippine Supply Vessel
The China Coast Guard released a new video on Tuesday that aims to bolster its assertions that it did not strike the Philippine supply vessel with a direct blast of water but instead merely used the blast to keep it from entering what it deems as Chinese territorial ...
Some 40 Countries Want to Join the BRICS Group, But Not Mexico, Says President
Applying to join the BRICS club has become increasingly fashionable among developing countries, with 40 states expressing interest in becoming a member of the China-initiated club -- but not Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Tuesday that he has nothing ...
China Demands the Philippines Remove WWII Wreck
The government of the Philippines summoned the Chinese ambassador to account for an incident earlier this week in which a Chinese coast guard vessel sprayed a Philippine fishing boat with a water cannon. Meanwhile, Beijing is demanding that the Philippines tow away BRP ...
Tensions Flare in South China Sea Following China’s Use of Water Cannon Against Unarmed Philippine Navy Supply Boat
The Philippine military condemned the Chinese Coast Guard's use of a water cannon against a much smaller unarmed supply boat that took place in disputed waters in the South China Sea on Saturday. The use of a cannon to block the ...
China’s Use of a Water Canon Against Philippines Vessels Was Planned in Advance to Set an Example for Others, Says U.S. Analyst
The following is an excerpt from an article written by Ray Powell, director of the Project Myoushu at Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, that tracks Chinese maritime activity in the South China Sea. Powell spent more than 30 ...
China Coast Guard: Philippines Hyping South China Sea Issue at the Behest of Its “American Father”
The China Coast Guard (CCG) published its side of the story in a post on WeChat on Sunday that blasted the Philippines for unnecessarily "hyping" what happened. It appears the tactic of the Philippine Coast Guard to quickly release videos and photos ...
Guessing China’s Military Basing Ambitions
By Lukas Fiala Occasionally, a new report reignites the debate over where China might place its next military base. And just in time for the PLA’s 96th anniversary on Tuesday this week a recent study from AidData sheds new light on the topic. ...
China Tries To Rebut Reports That It Killed G20 Renewable Energy Commitment
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back this week against reports that China helped to block a G20 measure to triple renewable energy capacity. The Ministry called the reports “completely inconsistent with the facts.” While the statement then goes on to list many ...
Inside Details of China’s Oil Buys from Iran
Iran’s oil output has jumped by 80% to about 1 million barrels per day since President Ebrahim Raisi took power in 2021. China is one of the Islamic Republic’s largest oil buyers, despite formidable sanctions from the U.S. and other countries. ...
Reflections on a Summer in the United States
I'll be heading back to Vietnam this week after seven weeks in the U.S. -- the longest period I've spent in this country in almost 15 years. I'm so grateful to the hundreds of people who took the time to meet ...
U.S. Lawmakers Want to Sell More Stuff to Africa and Latin America to Counter China
Tucked away in a remote corner of the U.S. Senate's version of the massive $875 billion proposed budget for the U.S. Defense Department is a small piece of legislation that aims to boost U.S. exports to Africa. The legislation, known as the ...