Vietnamese officials have seized a Chinese ship and arrested its crew after it wandered into Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea, the latest in a string of similar seizures of trespassing Chinese ships around the globe. In addition to not being able to justify their presence in Vietnam, the Qiong Yangpu’s crew refused to identify the origin of their cargo: 100,000 liters of diesel fuel.
A Chinese defense ministry spokesman warned the United States to “be careful” in the South China Sea following declarations from American Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work that the U.S. would not respect a unilaterally imposed exclusion zone in the disputed territory.
Police in Malaysia announced this week the arrest of fifteen people suspected of fundraising, recruiting, and attempting to purchase and amass bomb-making materials for the Islamic State (ISIS/IS/Daesh) terrorist group. One of those arrested is a police officer.
Following the arrest of the crew of a Chinese ship allegedly fishing illegally in its waters, the government of Indonesia is facing regional criticism for shooting at two Taiwanese ships that it also alleges had trespassed into Indonesian territory. The recent incidents are helping to raise Indonesia’s profile as a formidable player in growing tensions in the South China Sea.
After a dramatic incident at sea that resulted in the arrest of a Chinese fishing crew trespassing in the waters of Indonesia, China protested Indonesia had no right to intervene on what has long been a “traditional Chinese fishing ground.”
So-called “liberal Muslims” in Malaysia are being monitored by the country’s government, which has deemed them “deviants.”
In a joint statement, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his counterpart President Taur Matan Ruak of East Timor noted their “serious concern” that the Chinese government is expanding its control over disputed territory in the South China Sea too aggressively.
The Malaysian government is seeking to expand cooperation with Australia to combat China’s expansive construction projects in the South China Sea, suggesting Beijing’s behavior in the region demands “pushback” from relevant parties.
On the second anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, relatives of the missing must face a deadline to file lawsuits against the companies responsible for the commercial jet, and in doing so the reality that their loved ones are most likely dead.
In a press conference Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi struck a conciliatory tone regarding China’s militarization of disputed territory in the South China Sea, suggesting “maritime cooperation” with the United States and teasing that Beijing may invite foreign journalists to tour the region in question.
As China expands its military presence in the international waters of the South China Sea, U.S. Pacific Command head Admiral Harry B. Harris is proposing that the United States join with Australia, India, and Japan in conducting operations in the region to keep Beijing from stretching its military muscle against its smaller neighbors.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed an envoy of the head of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, to Beijing this week, urging Vietnam to seek strengthened ties with China after years fighting over territory in the South China Sea have exacerbated tensions between the two nations.
Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said Wednesday the Navy plans to expand the frequency and variety of freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, following reports that Beijing has escalated its militarization of islands and reefs in disputed territory in the region.
Australia has warned of a possible terror attack in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, urging travellers to be vigilant after a number of arrests. “Terrorists may be planning attacks in and around Kuala Lumpur,” Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak declared the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) poses a “very real” threat to the Asian country after the group threatened the nation as a backlash to numerous arrests.
A 16-year-old boy linked to the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS) attempted a “lone cub” attack, trying to kidnap a woman at a mall in Malaysia.
TEL AVIV – After Israelis were barred from participating in a windsurfing competition in Malaysia, World Sailing said it will draft new guidelines that include sanctions against any host nations that don’t allow all competitors to participate equally. Israel’s delegation
Chinese state news outlet Xinhua is reporting that the government has landed two more planes on a landing strip illegal constructed in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, days after Vietnam and the Philippines filed a formal complaint over a similar incident.
The governments of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan have all condemned China for landing a plane on an artificial island in the South China Sea, constructed in what is widely regarded as sovereign Vietnamese territory. China rejects international claims in the sea and has begun constructing military facilities in the Spratly Islands.
Israeli athletes dropped out of an international windsurfing competition in Malaysia after the organizers refused to let them compete with the Israeli flag and national anthem.
A patriotic organization opposed to Chinese imperialism in the Philippines has made a voyage to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has begun constructing numerous military facilities in violation of international law.
Rayani Air of Malaysia, described as the country’s first Islamic-compliant airline, has begun offering cabin service compliant with sharia law.
JERUSALEM – In recent weeks, at least twenty members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the so-called “military wing” of Hamas, have traveled abroad from the Gaza Strip to participate in combat training, according to a Palestinian security source.
The Foreign Desk’s editor-in-chief, Lisa Daftari, launched the MyTreedom campaign on Facebook this week to give Christians celebrating Christmas in regions where they face intense persecution a platform to showcase their proud Christmas decor.
As the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague prepares to hear the territorial dispute among nations framing the South China Sea – and the Chinese government vows to ignore any verdict – experts suggest a ruling against China could significantly hamper China’s construction of illegal artificial islands and military facilities there.
Contents: China blocks Miss World Canada from attending Miss World pageant; ASEAN leaders harshly criticize China over South China Sea actions; Occupied Crimea declares state of emergency after electricity is cut
“We will not give in to fear, or start turning on each other, or treating some people differently because of religion or race or background,” Obama said during a press conference in Malaysia. “That wouldn’t just be a betrayal of our values, it would also feed ISIL’s propaganda.”
President Obama is using his visit to a refugee center in Malaysia to highlight the plight of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar and remind the world that he’s committed to bringing more refugees to America.
(Reuters) China has shown “great restraint” in the South China Sea by not seizing islands occupied by other countries even though it could have, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday ahead of two regional summits where the disputed waterway is likely to be a hot topic.
After announcing that the U.S. presence in the South China Sea would become “routine” as a challenge to Chinese territorial claims this month, the Pentagon announced Thursday it had flown two strategic bombers in the region, which were contacted by Chinese authorities but flew through without incident.
The European Union made its strongest call yet for China and other Asian nations to resolve their dispute over the South China Sea, a position Brussels insists is neutral but that the United States is likely to welcome after pressing the bloc to speak up.
After 70 years, three U.S. airmen are finally coming home from Malaysia for a proper burial and resting spot.
After stating last week that, despite Chinese objections, American naval ships will “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter personally made good on that promise by joining the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea today.
An American defense official said this week that the U.S. Navy is planning to navigate through disputed waters in the South China Sea “about twice a quarter or a little more than that,” activity likely to irritate China, which claims complete control over the sea, even further.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch has published a report blasting the Malaysian government for clamping down on free speech in order to silence critics.
The Chinese government is warning the United States and its allies to stop “adding fuel to the flames” in the longstanding territorial dispute in the South China Sea, following a joint announcement by America and Australia that the nations fully intend to exercise their right to navigate the body of water, which China claims entirely for itself.
The Philippine Navy denied reports that wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been found in the island nation.
Chinese state media is working hard to portray President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States as a success, but even in a column intending to herald bilateral talks as a step in the right direction, Xinhua asserts that it is the United States which is prompting states to be “aggressive” in the South China Sea.
A rally of thousands of ethnic Malays froze the city of Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with police resorting to water cannons to subdue the group. The Malay majority organized to show support for Prime Minister Najib Razak as he faces a corruption probe but had clear ethnic undertones as many chanted anti-Chinese slogans.
Malaysian authorities on Monday announced the arrest of three suspects—two Malaysians and a Pakistani national—in connection with the August 17 terrorist bombing of the Erewan shrine in Bangkok, in which 20 people were killed.
