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Beijing Claims to Plant Flag
under South China Sea
(Reuters,
Aug. 27, 2010) China said
it had used a small, manned submarine to plant the national flag deep beneath
the South China Sea, where Beijing
has tussled with Washington and Southeast Asian nations over territorial
disputes.
U.S. Announces New Joint
Exercise with South Korea
(Reuters,
Aug. 18, 2010) The U.S. military will conduct an anti-submarine warfare
exercise with South Korea early next month, sending a message to the North
that Washington is committed to defending its ally, the Pentagon said.
PLA Urges Tough Stance
against US Exercises in Region
(Reuters,
Aug. 13, 2010) China’s
People Liberation Army (PLA) demanded a tough response to US plans to send an
aircraft carrier to naval exercises near its coast, saying that “respect” was
at stake.
Chinese Admiral Says U.S.,
South Korea Drills ‘Fresh Provocation’ to China (Bloomberg, Aug.
12, 2010) A U.S. decision to use a nuclear- powered aircraft carrier in joint
naval drills with South Korea in the Yellow Sea would be “a fresh
provocation” to China and its surrounding region, Rear Admiral Yang Yi wrote
in a commentary published in China Daily.
US Navy Destroyer Docks in
Vietnam for Four-Day Visit
(VoA, Aug. 10, 2010) The visit by the guided-missile USS
John S. McCain comes amid escalating tensions with China
over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
China Shaken by US Move to
Sign Nuclear Deal with Vietnam
(Times
of India, Aug. 6, 2010) China, which has recently dominated the
security situation in North Asia, appeared shaken by a surprise move by the US administration to begin negotiations for a
civilian nuclear deal with Vietnam.
Vietnam Says China Violates
Its Sovereignty in Sea
(Reuters, Aug. 5, 2010) Vietnam accused China
of violating its sovereignty by conducting seismic exploration near disputed
islands in the South China Sea.
U.S. to Send Aircraft
Carrier into Waters off China for Drills
(Bloomberg, Aug. 5, 2010) The U.S. will send a
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to South Korea’s
west coast in the coming months for more joint drills that have sparked
opposition from China.
Beijing Urges Seoul to
Refrain from West Sea Drill
(Chosun Ilbo, Jul. 8, 2010) China
has asked the South Korean government through a diplomatic channel to refrain
from a join exercise with the U.S.
in the West Sea this month.
Opposition in ASEAN Nations
As China Free-Trade Agreement Comes into Force (Bloomberg, Jan. 2, 2009) A FTA between China and ASEAN came into
force, consolidating a sixfold surge in economic
activity over the past decade between countries representing a quarter of the
world’s population.
ASEAN-China Open Free Trade
Area
(AFP, Dec. 29, 2009) China and Southeast Asia
establish the world's biggest free trade area (FTA), liberalizing billions of
dollars in goods and investments covering a market of 1.7 billion consumers.

FTA Pushes ASEAN Ties By
Zheng Anguang
(Xinhua, Aug. 24, 2010) Washington's
intention to sow discord between China and Southeast Asian
countries will be in vain. China
and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are beginning to
harvest tangible economic benefits two decades after a dialogue mechanism
between the two was initiated.
For China, Will Money Bring
Power? By Piers Brendon
(New York Times, Aug. 22, 2010) China may well keep its promise,
for the moment at least, to follow the path of peaceful development. We can’t
know, of course. But doom-merchants predicting that China will topple America from its pre-eminence
should recognize that history is not necessarily on their side.
Rising China Tests the
Waters By Abraham M Denmark and Daniel M Kliman (Asia Times, Aug. 20, 2010) An anemic international reaction will
embolden China, not only
in the South China Sea, but elsewhere as
well. Insistence on open access to the South China Sea, if backed by US and
regional action, will incline China
to reassess its approach.
Hawks vs. Doves: Beijing
Debates “Core Interests” and Sino-U.S. Relations By
Willy Lam (China Brief 10(17), Jamestown Foundation, Aug. 19, 2010) An
intriguing divergence of views has been exposed within China’s foreign-policy
establishment on how to handle the country’s worsening ties with the United
States that may highlight a growing dissonance between China’s civilian and
military establishments.
Singapore’s Tightrope Walk
on Taiwan By Ernest Z. Bower and Charles Freeman (ABS-CBN,
Aug. 19, 2010) Singapore’s
policy toward Taiwan is an
example of the tightrope that Southeast Asian countries must walk in the new
era of an increasingly powerful China
asserting itself – particularly in relation to its “core interests,”
including Tibet, Taiwan and the South
China Sea.
The Chinese Military
Challenge
(Wall Street Journal, Aug. 19, 2010) Considering
that the Pentagon's annual report on China's military power tells us little
that we didn't already know, we'll put the delay down to the Obama
Administration's reluctance to offend Beijing's sensitivities. That may be
the most alarming fact of all.
China and the US Battle to
Assert Presence in South China Sea By
Peter Ford (Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 17,
2010) US warships are currently staging their third set of exercises in less
than a month off the coast of China, in a show of force that has prompted
sharp criticism from Beijing and fears of prolonged maritime tensions in the
region.
The Gathering Storm: China’s
Challenge to US Power in Asia
By John Mearsheimer (University of
Sydney, Aug. 4, 2010) The picture I have painted this evening of what is
likely to happen if China continues its impressive economic growth is not a
pretty one. Indeed, it is downright depressing.
US Dips into Mekong Politics By
Simon Roughneen
(Asia Times, Aug. 14, 2010) China's dam-building
on the upper reaches of the Mekong River is raising hackles with countries
downstream and providing the United States with another strategic theater to
counterbalance China's growing influence in Southeast Asia.
US-Vietnam Ties Strengthen
with Military Exercises, to China’s Chagrin By
Donald Kirk (Christien
Science Monitor, Aug. 12, 2010) In the latest twist to Southeast Asia's
blood-stained history, this week the USS John McCain is training Vietnamese
forces in the South China Sea in
search-and-rescue.
Power Game in Asia Trips Nuclear
Non-Proliferation By Harsh V. Pant (YaleGlobal, Aug. 12, 2010) While China
plans to assist Pakistan’s nuclear program, even Japan, a long-time critic of
proliferation, may now aid India’s nuclear program as a balancing act.
Concerned about China’s
Rise, Southeast Asian Nations Build Up Militaries By
John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Aug. 9, 2010) The nations of Southeast Asia are building up
their militaries, buying submarines and jet fighters at a record pace and
edging closer strategically to the United States as a hedge against China's
rise and its claims to all of the South China Sea.
Former Enemies US, Vietnam
Now Military Mates By Margie Mason
(AP, Aug. 7, 2010) Cold War enemies the United
States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations as a U.S.
nuclear supercarrier floated in waters off the
Southeast Asian nation's coast — sending a message that China is not the
region's only big player.
The Gathering Storm: China’s
Challenge to US Power in Asia
By John Mearsheimer (University of Sydney, Aug. 4, 2010) The picture I
have painted this evening of what is likely to happen if China continues its
impressive economic growth is not a pretty one. Indeed, it is downright
depressing.
Former Enemies US, Vietnam
Now Military Mates By Margie Mason
(AP, Aug. 7, 2010) Cold War enemies the United
States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations as a U.S.
nuclear supercarrier floated in waters off the
Southeast Asian nation's coast — sending a message that China is not the
region's only big player.
Asia-US Bond Remains Strong By
Tommy Koh
(PacNet #33, Jul. 22,
2010) My conclusion is that all the countries in Asia, including China, view the US
as a stakeholder in Asia’s peace and
prosperity. No one in Asia is seeking to exclude the US from the region.
China’s Cheonan Problem By
Bonnie S. Glaser and Grad Glosserman
(PacNet #31, Jun. 18,
2010) Historians may well look back at the sinking of the South Korean
corvette Cheonan in March 2010 as a turning point
in China’s relations with Asia and the wider world.
Panda-Hugger Hangover By
Christian Caryl
(Foreign Policy, Aug. 4, 2010) Until recently,
the Chinese were earning praise for their shrewd handling of Southeast Asia. Not anymore.
U.S. Enlists China’s Worried
Neighbors By Alan Dupont
(The Australian, Aug. 3, 2010) Like two circling
titans, the US and China have now locked arms in a struggle for global
pre-eminence that will define international politics and power for the next
half century.
India Digs Under Top of the
World to Match Rival By Lydia Polgreen
(New York Times, Aug. 1, 2010) India is racing to
match China for regional and global power, building and bolstering airstrips
and army outposts, shoring up neglected roads and building a tunnel to bypass
the deadly Rohtang Pass.
Beijing Claims ‘Indisputable
Sovereignty’ Over South China Sea By
John Pomfret (Washington Post, Jul.
30, 2010) The Chinese military declared that China had "indisputable
sovereignty" over the South China Sea but insisted it would continue to
allow others to freely navigate one of the busiest waterways in the world.
U.S. Takes a Tougher Tone
with China By John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Jul. 30, 2010) The Obama
administration has adopted a tougher tone with China
in recent weeks as part of a diplomatic balancing act in which the United States welcomes China's rise in some areas but also confronts Beijing when it butts up
against American interests.
China Warns U.S. to Stay Out
of Islands Dispute By Andrew Jacobs
(New York Times, Jul. 27, 2010) The Chinese
government reacted angrily to an announcement by Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton that Washington might step
into a long-simmering territorial dispute between China
and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea.
China Rejects U.S. Efforts
in Maritime Spat By Jay Solomon
(Wall Street Journal, Jul. 25, 2010) The U.S.
shouldn't internationalize the South China Sea
issue, China Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said. Mr.
Yang said the best way to solve the disputes relevant to the South China Sea
was through bilateral negotiations between China and the countries involved.
China: US Comments on S
China Sea Are An ‘Attack’
(AP, Jul. 25, 2010) The Chinese foreign ministry
accused U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of an "attack" on China for her recent comments that competing
claims over South China Sea island chains
should be resolved without coercion or threat.
Offering to Aid Talks, U.S.
Challenges China on Disputed Islands By
Mark Landler (New York Times, Jul. 24, 2010)
Opening a new source of potential friction with China,
the Obama administration said that it would step into a tangled dispute
between China and its
smaller Asian neighbors over a string of strategically significant islands in
the South China Sea.
U.S. Continues Effort to
Counter China’s Influence in Asia By
John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Jul. 23, 2010) The Obama administration's announcement that
it will resume relations with Indonesia's
special forces is the most significant move yet by the United States to strengthen ties in East Asia
as a hedge against China's
rise.
On North Korea and More,
China Flexes Its Muscles By Ishaan Tharoor (Time, Jul. 22,
2010) U.S. implicit
hegemony is being steadily challenged by an ascendant China, charged by a
feeling of historical grievance and an eagerness to assert itself on the
global stage.
China Warily Eyes U.S.-Korea
Drills By Elisabeth Bumiller and Edward Wong (New York
Times, Jul. 21, 2010) The United States and South
Korea announced that the first in a series of
large-scale naval exercises off Japan
and the Korean Peninsula
would begin next week, despite objections from China.
U.S. Criticism of China May
Overshadow Asian Security Meeting
(Bloomberg, Jul. 16, 2010) U.S. criticism of
China’s military buildup may overshadow Asia’s biggest security forum next
week after the sinking of a South Korean warship showed the potential for
conflict in waters vital to world trade.
How Serious Is the Chinese
Challenge? Part I By Bruce Stokes
(YaleGlobal, Jul. 13,
2010) Possible scenarios for how China might apply its newfound power are
countless, and responses from US, European and Asian neighbors could do as
much, if not more, than China to upset the status quo.
Full Steam Ahead for China’s
Territorial Ambitions By Peter Hartcher (Sydney Morning
Herald, Jul. 13, 2010) In an assertive redefinition of its place in the
world, China has put the
South China Sea into its "core national interest" category of
non-negotiable territorial claims - in the same league as Taiwan and Tibet.
Aims and Motives of
China’s East China Sea Live Fire
Drills By Russell Hsiao (China Brief, Jamestown Foundation,
Jul. 9, 2010) In spite of a lack of expert agreement over Chinese intentions,
one aspect of the exercise seems clear, the combined arms exercise
demonstrates the PLA’s growing integrated
war-fighting capabilities.
US Misses History Lessons on
Korea By Sung-Yoon Lee
(Asia Times, Jul. 2, 2010) It's also important
for Washington to hold quiet consultations with Beijing to envision and
prepare jointly for a unified Korea under Seoul's initiative, a new polity
that will necessarily remain free, peaceful, capitalist, pro-US and
pro-China.
Regional Overview: They’re
(Not Quite) Baaaack! By Ralph A. Cossa and Brad Glosserman (Comparative
Connections 12(1), Apr. 14, 2010) Speculation about the “changing balance of
power” in Asia continues as a result of China’s economic resilience and
apparent newfound confidence, although it still seems premature to announce
that the Middle Kingdom is back, given the challenges highlighted at this
year’s National Peoples’ Congress.
The Changing State of US-Asia Ties By
Simon Tay
(PacNet #15, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Mar. 30, 2010) US President
Barack Obama’s decision to postpone his visit to Indonesia and Australia was
understandable but neither insignificant nor without consequence.
Xinjiang—Where China’s Worry
Interests the World By Christopher M. Clarke (YaleGlobal, Mar. 19, 2010) Xinjiang is
likely to remain a sore spot for Beijing as it worries about pressure from
all sides regionally and tries to dampen unrest internally.
Asia-Pacific Security: Community, Concert or What? By
Amitav Acharya (PacNet #11, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Mar.
12, 2010) I argue that while a concert recognizes the de facto inequality of
nations and is useful in regulating relations among the great powers
themselves, it is likely to fail if it tries to manage the Asia-Pacific
region as a great power club.
Nepal: Caught Between the
Ambitions of China and India By Jyoti Thottam (Time, Mar. 2,
2010) India has just launched a plan to spend $361 million over the next
several years on roads and rail links in the terai;
China, meanwhile, recently increased its annual aid to Nepal by 50% to about
$22 million.
New World Order without a
Hegemon: Compete and Cooperate
By Dilip Hiro (YaleGlobal, Feb. 24, 2010) The US,
China, EU, Russia, India, and Brazil are emerging as the key players whose
relationships will define the future of global relations. While the era of
unrivalled American supremacy is over, a new pattern of relations is
emerging.
Globalization in
Trouble—Part II By David Dapice
(YaleGlobal, Feb. 15,
2010) Free trade works well when there is relatively full employment. With
rising unemployment globally, the tendency toward protectionism is bound to
rise. Indeed, there are signs that it may already be here.
China Intensifies Tug of War
with India on Nepal By Jim Yardley
(New York Times, Feb. 18, 2010) If
it once regarded Nepal with intermittent interest, China is now exerting
itself more broadly toward its small Himalayan neighbor, analysts say.
India Worries As China
Builds Ports in South Asia By Vikas Bajaj
(New York Times, Feb. 16, 2010) As trade in the
region grows more lucrative, China
has been developing port facilities in Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Myanmar, and it is planning to build railroad
lines in Nepal.
Australia’s Old Ties with
U.S. Deepened in the Past Decade By
John Pomfret
(Washington Post, Feb. 14, 2010) Behind the scenes, the United States and Australia
were working to strengthen their security and intelligence ties with a view
to countering a rising China.
Globalization in
Trouble—Part I By Bernard K. Gordon
(YaleGlobal, Feb. 12,
2010) While still too early to tell, if burden-sharing transforms into
burden-shifting, the prognosis for free trade, let alone security, is bleak.
As Obama Bets on Asia,
Regional Players Hedge By Jim Hoagland
(Washington Post, Feb. 14, 2010)
These are clear signs of Indian hedging: seeking allies for worst-case
scenarios while accommodating China
on economic matters.
Demonizing China: Pundits
Get Its Role in Africa Wrong By Barry Sautman and Yan Hairong (YaleGlobal,
Feb. 10, 2010) China may be the newest scapegoat for Africa’s development
problems, but in the end, the debate on China’s involvement in Africa misses
the point – that of improving the lot of the poorest continent in the world.
A Reality Check in Asia By
Brad Glosserman
(PacNet #5A,
Pacific Forum, CSIS, Feb. 8, 2010) There is a
growing sense that we are witnesses to the first stages in a fundamental
transition in the way the world works. This is a compelling portrait – but it
is simplistic.
China Casts Nervous Eye at
Erstwhile Ally Myanmar By Ben Blanchard (Reuters, Jan. 25, 2010) China's fear is that the kind of unrest
seen last August in Kokang will be repeated with
any one of a number of different ethnic rebel militias, and spill into its
territory again.
China-ASEAN Pact Offers More
Than Win-Win By Brantly Womack
(Asia Times, Jan. 7, 2010) The formal inauguration
of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) on January 1 marks the culmination
of arguably the most successful big-power diplomacy of the post-Cold War era.
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