U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized Friday the importance of ensuring the freedom of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to choose and forge alliances without facing coercion. Speaking to reporters following the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Indonesia, Blinken said the United States and the 10-member bloc have embarked on “a new…

Hot wars frequently happen where they are least expected, or while attention is diverted elsewhere. The North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950, the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the 1998–99 Kosovo conflict, and other armed hostilities surprised many by their eruption and intensity. The world has been fixated on Ukraine…

The United States on Tuesday urged China to stop interfering with the freedoms in the South China Sea and end its “routine harassment” of claimant state vessels operating in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ). State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal that…

France and Germany have voiced concern over the recent incidents in the South China Sea and affirmed support for a 2016 arbitrary ruling on the sea dispute, which upheld the Philippines’ territorial claims. The French embassy called for respect for international law and resolving disputes through dialogue after reports of Philippine coast guard ships being…

The Philippines will keep exposing Chinese ship incursions in the South China Sea as part of its strategy to drive Chinese forces out of its territorial waters, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Sunday. PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said this would prompt the international community to criticize China’s actions and prevent Chinese vessels from occupying…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Indonesia next week for talks with the Southeast Asian allies as the United States seeks to push back against China’s “coercive” actions in the disputed South China Sea. Mr. Blinken will travel to Indonesia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers summit after concluding his…

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday that two Chinese coast guard vessels had “followed, harassed, and obstructed” its ships on a support mission in the disputed South China Sea on June 30. PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said the PCG vessels—BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua—were assisting a naval operation in the Ayungin Shoal when…

Moviegoers may be surprised to learn that the forthcoming “Barbie”—a movie based on the popular children’s doll toy franchise—has been banned in Vietnam over its depiction of an international maritime dispute with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC—a single-party state controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—has asserted maritime rights to much of…

Australia and Japan have conducted military exercises in the highly contested South China Sea as both countries seek to quell Beijing’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. The military exercises took place from June 24-25 and followed the signing of a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation (JDSC) in October 2022 that seeks closer defence and security ties…

The United States must push back on China’s communist regime and its aggression in the South China Sea and beyond, according to one congresswoman. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, will only continue to expand the scope and intensity of its aggression until it is met with real resistance,…