Page 6 - South China Sea

Trains suspended, people warned as Typhoon Saola churns toward south China

Chinese state media report at least 121 passenger trains are suspending service in anticipation of the arrival of Typhoon Saola, while people in coastal areas of southern China were being warned to stay away from the coastline. The suspensions on key lines running from north to south as well as on regional networks will begin Thursday and continue through September 6, state broadcaster CCTV reported. China's National Meteorological Centre said Saola was moving toward the coast at a speed of about 15 kph (9 mph) and is due to make landfall Friday afternoon in the southern province of Guangzhou with sustained winds of 119 kph (74 mph) and gusts of up to 220 kph (137 mph). The storm will then travel west down the coast into the Guangxi region before curving south out to sea between Saturday night and Sunday morning, gradually weakening as it goes. The weather centre has already issued a red alert for potentially destructive winds and possible flooding, with some areas expected to rece

Philippines rejects China's 'standard map' claiming entire South China Sea

The Philippines called on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award

China sends aircraft toward Taiwan days after US approves $500 mn arms sale

Taiwan's defence ministry said Saturday that China sent dozens of aircraft and vessels toward the island, just days after the United States approved a USD 500-million arms sale to Taiwan. The defence ministry said in a statement that 32 aircraft from the People's Liberation Army and nine vessels from the navy were detected in the 24 hours between 6 am Friday and 6 am Saturday. Of these, 20 aircraft either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan tasked its own aircraft, vessels and missile systems to respond to the activities, the defense military said. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military drills around the island in reaction to Taiwan's political activities. The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan last week as a stern warning after Taiwan's vice president stopped over in the US while on an offici

US, Japan, Aus plan navy drills in South China Sea: Philippine official

The United States, Japan and Australia are planning a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines this week to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region after a recent show of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, Filipino security officials said Sunday. On August 5, Chinese coast guard ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels in the contested waterway where disputes have long been regarded as a potential flashpoint and have become a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China in the region. The drill will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers sailing together in a show of force and undertaking joint drills. Their commanders are set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after the offshore drills, two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to publicly discuss details of the planned drills. The US plans to deploy an ...

Top headlines: Hero Moto targets enhanced mkt share, market wrap and more

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

ONGC Videsh secures 3-yr extension for Vietnam oil block in South China Sea

India's flagship overseas firm ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has secured another three-year extension to explore oil and gas in a Vietnamese block in the contested waters of the South China Sea, the firm's parent ONGC said. This is the eighth extension for OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The seventh extension to explore oil and gas was till June 15, 2023 and PTI on August 13 reported that the company was in talks with Vietnamese authorities for another three-year extension. OVL "secures extension of 3 more years to explore in South China Sea's Block 128! India's strategic commitment stays strong as ONGC Videsh continues its exploration journey with its 8th extension till 15 June 2026," ONGC said in a post on social messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The firm had in a proposal to regulator PVN sought a three-year extension of the exploration phase-1. "We are embracing challenges, safeguarding interests & fostering partnerships," ..

ONGC Videsh secures three-year extension to explore South China Sea

India has sparred diplomatically with China in the past over its gas and oil exploration block off the coast of Vietnam.

China appears to be building an airstrip on disputed South China Sea island

China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to satellite photos. The work on Triton island in the Paracel group mirrors construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group to the east which have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems, although it currently appears to be somewhat more modest in scale. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own, denying the claims of others and defying an international ruling invalidating its assertion. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the by The Associated Press show construction on the airstrip first visible in early August. News website The Drive first reported on the satellite images Tuesday. The runway, as currently laid out, would be more than 600 meters (2,000 feet) in length, long enough to accommodate turboprop aircraft and drones, but not fighter jets or bombers. Also visible are large .

China appears to be constructing airstrip on disputed S China Sea island

China appears to be constructing an airstrip on a disputed South China Sea island that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, according to satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press. The work on Triton island in the Paracel group mirrors construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group to the east which have been equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems, although it currently appears to be somewhat more modest in scale. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own, denying the claims of others and defying an international ruling invalidating its assertion. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analysed by the AP show construction on the airstrip first visible in early August. The runway, as currently laid out, would be more than 600 metres (2,000 feet) in length, long enough to accommodate turboprop aircraft and drones, but not fighter jets or bombers. Also visible are large numbers of vehicle tracks running across much of the island,

ONGC Videsh seeks 3-yr extension for Vietnamese oil block in S China Sea

India's flagship overseas firm ONGC Videsh Ltd has sought another three-year extension to explore for oil and gas in a Vietnamese block in the contested waters of the South China Sea, officials said. If granted, this will be the eighth extension for OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Officials said the seventh extension to explore for oil and gas was till June 15, 2023 and the company is in talks with Vietnamese authorities for another three-year extension. OVL, they said, has submitted a proposal for a three-year extension of the exploration phase-1 to the regulator PVN and the approval is awaited. The company has so far not found any commercially recoverable oil and gas reserves in the block in the 17 years it has been exploring there but has continued presence there because of India's strategic interest in the South China Sea. Vietnam too wants the Indian firm to counter China's interventions in the contested waters. OVL had signed a .

US sees growing role for India in South China Sea: Biden admin official

The US sees a growing role for India in the disputed South China Sea and there will be a collaboration between Washington and New Delhi in this strategically vital region, a top Biden administration official said, amid growing Chinese aggression in the area. These remarks were made by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Kritenbrink on Wednesday at the Thirteenth Annual South China Sea Conference by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea (SCS) as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Responding to a question on if Kritenbrink sees a growing role for India in the South China Sea and if there will be US-India collaboration in this, Yes, I do. And yes, I think we will. he .

India-China rivalry not episodic or contextual but structural: Experts

It is not exactly true that India's rivalry with China is spoken of only in hushed tones. The Indian strategic community is quite vocal about this reality, & this rivalry is not limited to South Asia

India monitored Chinese ships during military drill in South China Sea

Ships participating in the Asean-India security exercises were expected to track simulated vessels of interest and practice dealing with unplanned encounters to reduce the likelihood of accidents

Burning oil tanker Pablo in the South China Sea is a global problem

The Gabon-registered ship, capable of carrying some 700,000 barrels of crude oil, was coming through the South China Sea after offloading a cargo in China

China tweaks its military rules; focus on veterans, intelligence warfare

The changes come amid rising geopolitical tensions, especially in the South China Sea with Taiwan

Joe Biden, Ferdinand Marcos set to meet as tensions grow with China

President Joe Biden is set to host President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines for White House talks on Monday as concerns grow about the Chinese navy's harassment of Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. Marcos' visit to Washington comes after the US and Philippines last week completed their largest war drills ever and as the two countries' air forces on Monday will hold their first joint fighter jet training in the Philippines since 1990. The Philippines this year agreed to give the US access to four more bases on the islands as the US looks to deter China's increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea. Meanwhile, China has angered the Philippines by repeatedly harassing its navy and coast guard patrols and chasing away fishermen in waters close to Philippine shores but which Beijing claims as its own. Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Macros said he was determined to forge an ever stronger relationship with the United Stat

US holds drills in South China Sea amid tensions over balloon spy

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are holding joint exercises in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The 7th Fleet based in Japan said Sunday that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been conducting integrated expeditionary strike force operations in the South China Sea. It said exercises involving ships, ground forces and aircraft took place Saturday but gave no details on when the began or whether they had ended. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and strongly objects to military activity by other nations in the contested waterway through which $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year. The U.S. takes no official position on sovereignty in the South China Sea, but maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight must be preserved. Several times a year, it sends ships sailing past fortified Chinese outposts in the Spratly ..

Chinese intercept over South China Sea could have caused air collision: US

The US military says a Chinese navy fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea earlier this month, forcing the American pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision. US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Thursday that the incident occurred December 21 when the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy J-11 flew in front of and within 6 metres (20 feet) of the nose of an RC-135, a type of large reconnaissance plane operated by the US Air Force. The US plane was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, the statement said. Its pilot was forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision," it said. China frequently challenges military aircraft from the US and its allies, especially over the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behaviour led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed. The US Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated t

Beijing building up unoccupied land features in South China Sea, says West

While China has previously built out disputed reefs, islands in the area, the West presented images of what they called the first known instances of a nation doing so on the territory

Stocks sputter as growth fears offset China's shift in Zero-Covid policy

World stocks eased on Wednesday and bonds remained supported after a chorus of Wall Street bankers warned about a likely recession ahead