The US and Philippine navies conducted a joint patrol in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, a step that increases the chance of a dangerous encounter between US and Chinese vessels. The US Navy's Japan-based Seventh Fleet said the guided missile-destroyer USS...
US Military in Talks to Build Port in Northern Philippines Facing Taiwan
The US military is in talks to build a Taiwan-facing port in the northernmost Philippine islands, Reuters reported on Thursday. The proposed project would be in the Batanes islands, less than 125 miles from Taiwan. US involvement in the project would raise tensions...
China Outlines ‘Obstacles’ to Resuming High-Level Military Talks With US
A spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry on Thursday outlined "obstacles" that are preventing the resumption of high-level military talks between the US and China. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu both attended the...
British Parliament Calls Taiwan an ‘Independent Country’ as FM Visits China
An influential group of British members of parliament referred to Taiwan as an "independent country" in a report issued Wednesday as British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is visiting China. The language was used in a report issued by the Foreign Affairs Committee...
US Navy Commander Says China Must Be ‘Challenged’ in the South China Sea
The commander of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet said Sunday that the US must "challenge" China's "aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea, an area that has become a potential flashpoint for a conflict between Washington and Beijing. The comments from Vice Adm. Karl...
BRICS Invites Six Countries to Join Bloc in Major Expansion
BRICS has invited six new members to join in the most dramatic expansion of the bloc since it was formed, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Thursday at the conclusion of the three-day BRICS summit in Johannesburg. Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE,...
China Says It Allowed Philippines to Resupply Grounded Ship on Disputed Reef
The Chinese Coast Guard said that on Tuesday, it allowed Philippine vessels to resupply a grounded Philippine warship on Second Thomas Shoal, a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the Chinese Coast Guard, said a...
State Department Approves Sale of F-16 Search and Track Systems to Taiwan
The State Department on Wednesday approved a potential $500 million arms sale to Taiwan for infrared search and track systems for the island's F-16 fighter jets. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale is to the Taipei Economic and Cultural...
China Hits Back at the US, Japan, and South Korea After Summit
China on Monday hit back at the US, South Korea, and Japan after the leaders of the three nations accused Beijing of "dangerous and aggressive" behavior in the South China Sea. The accusation was made in a joint statement issued by President Biden, Japanese Prime...
China Launches War Games Around Taiwan After Taiwanese VP Visits US
On Saturday, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched extensive air and sea drills around Taiwan after Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te returned from a trip that included stops in the United States. Lai, the frontrunner for Taiwan's 2024 presidential...