4 d. ago Is Japan facing higher risk of drone warfare over Diaoyu Islands?

China could test Japan’s resolve by flying drones near disputed islands in the East China Sea after Tokyo clarified that its military is authorised to shoot down such unmanned aircraft intruding into its airspace, according to analysts. In response to a written query from a lawmaker, the Japanese government affirmed at a cabinet meeting on June 27 that the Self-Defence Forces could take such an action even if foreign drones were not an immediate threat to the country’s security. Ryo...

Events

1 week ago China carries out ‘largest’ military, civilian rescue drill in South China Sea

Chinese coastguard and military forces took part in a large land-air-sea emergency rescue exercise near the disputed Woody Island on Thursday, as Beijing continues to assert its claims in the South China Sea. More than 200 personnel, 15 vessels and two rescue helicopters carried out what was described by the government and state media as “the largest rescue drill in recent years”. Woody Island, called Yongxing Island by China, is part of the Paracel Islands, a contested archipelago known as the...

Events

2 w. ago Japan flags 216 days of Chinese intrusions near East China Sea islands

Japan flags 216 days of Chinese intrusions near East China Sea islands  South China Morning Post

Politics

2 w. ago China weighs strategic impact as US mulls military response in Iran

China is likely to remain cautious about intervening in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict even if the US engages militarily, a prospect that would bring mixed results for Beijing, according to observers. Speculation over US intervention has grown since last Friday, following Israel’s most intense strikes on Iran in decades. Washington has since sent an aircraft carrier from the South China Sea and deployed a large number of fighter and tanker aircraft to the Middle East. US President Donald...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Any time, any place’: Philippine army to be deployed to South China Sea islands

A senior Philippine military official has revealed a soon-to-be-deployed strategy that would involve an army contingent to support law enforcement units on occupied islands in the South China Sea. Observers said the strategy would align with Manila’s policy shift from an internal to external defence posture aimed at protecting the country’s territorial waters. One expert, however, warned that it could lead to more aggressive moves by the Chinese navy and coastguard if Beijing were to view...

Politics

3 w. ago Chinese vessel grounding: concern in Philippines over new grey

A recent case of a Chinese militia vessel running aground on a strategic island in the disputed South China Sea has raised concerns from the Philippine side of another wave of so-called grey-zone activities by Beijing, even as Manila’s officials acknowledge the incident could be down to inclement weather. Observers point to the Philippines having adopted the same strategy to stake claim over the Second Thomas Shoal when it permanently grounded the war vessel BRP Sierra Madre in 1999. The recent...

Politics