South China Sea
China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue

Amid the heightening tension between China and the United States (US) over the Korean issue, on 21 June 2017, the first China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue (D&SD) was held at the US State Department in Washington. The D & SD dialogue...

Achievements: India-Vietnam Defence and Security Cooperation

“We realise that our efforts to bring economic prosperity to our people need to be accompanied by steps to secure them. Prime Minister and I have, therefore, agreed to deepen our defence and security engagement to advance our common interests. The...

‘Beati Sunt Possidentes’ (Blessed are Those in Possession): A Leitmotif for Chinese (& Pakistani) Statecraft

Tucked away in Chapter 1 of Book 6, boringly titled ‘Defense’ in Clausewitz’s ‘On War’, is yet another nugget of his strategic wisdom: ‘In daily life, and especially in litigation (which so closely resembles war) it is summed up by the Latin proverb...

The Seventh Xiangshan Forum

The Trend of Confabulations The Seventh ‘Xiangshan’ (literal meaning ‘Fragrant Hills’) Conference was held from 10 to 12 October 2016 at the Haidian District of Xiangshan near Beijing. The Xiangshan Forum is co-sponsored by China Academy of...

South China Sea imbroglio: Setting The Record Straight

China is a signatory to United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) but not the US. The South China Sea (SCS) covers an area of nearly four million square kilometers. It is estimated that US $5 trillion worth of sea borne trade and one...

Round Table Discussion on The South China Sea Dispute Ruling - Implications

Against the backdrop of 12 July 2016, award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the South China Sea (SCS), a Round Table Discussion was held on 2 August 2016, on “South China Dispute Ruling: Implications”. The discussion started with the...

South China Sea: China’s Achilles Heel?

In an eleven-page press release, the Permanent Court of Arbitration has given its unanimous award by the Tribunal under Annex VII to the United Nation Convention on the Laws of the Sea (the “Convention”) in the arbitration instituted by the Republic...

Vietnam and The South China Sea

The South China dispute has seen a recent spike in activity with the US Navy conducting a Freedom of Navigation patrol and Chinese fighters intercepting an American reconnaissance aircraft in the past few weeks. The much talked about case filed by...

Vietnam’s Flexible Foreign & Security Policies to Protect its Interests in South China Sea

Nearly 14 years after it signed the ‘Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea’ (DOC) with ASEAN countries--it also signed in October 2003--the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia -- China’s approach to the South...

Malabar 2016 - Ruffling Feathers in South China Sea

The Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet is ‘Acting East’ with four of its ships en route to the seas east of the Malacca Straits, an area of maritime interest to the Indian Navy. In a press release, the MoD has stated that the four ships, the INS Satpura,...

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