China uses Coast Guard vessels to send message to Japan, U.S.

The Chinese Coast Guard sailed three ships within Japan’s territorial waters yesterday, likely another intentional provocation fitting a pattern of recent Chinese actions in the South China Sea. The territorial waters in question are part of the Senkaku Islands, a handful of uninhabited islands that lay roughly due east of Mainland China. Japan has claimed […]

Pentagon chief advocates restraint in response to Iran, China

TOKYO — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday that the threat from Iran’s missile program does not currently require the realignment of U.S. forces in the Middle East, striking a note of restraint shortly after the White House issued a strong warning to Tehran. Mattis, on a three-day visit to South Korea and Japan, echoed […]

SECDEF Mattis meets with South Korean leaders to strengthen alliance

Secretary of Defense James Mattis embarked on his first official trip since being appointed head of the Pentagon on Thursday, landing in Seoul, South Korea to assure the nation of America’s commitment to its alliance. South Korea, like many nations throughout the world, has developed concerns about its ties with the United States since Donald Trump […]

The real purpose behind China’s mysterious J-20 combat jet

The US Marine Corps did not mince words when deploying F-35s to Japan, saying that the “arrival of the F-35B embodies our commitment to the defense of Japan and the regional security of the Pacific.” Tensions among the US, US allies, and China have been steadily mounting for years as China builds artificial islands and […]

Trump’s team and China exchange barbs over South China Sea

With Donald Trump’s recent transition into the presidency behind us, he and his administration are facing their first political stare-down with economic rival and frequent Donald Trump talking point: China. On Monday, Sean Spicer, new White House Press Secretary, made a clear statement regarding the Trump administration’s stance on China’s aggressive behavior in the South […]

U.S. adds extra aircraft to Marine force in Australia

The United States will send extra military aircraft to Australia’s tropical north this year, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesman said on Wednesday, bolstering its military presence close to the disputed South China Sea. The Marines’ deployment in the strategic city of Darwin, agreed in 2011, was a critical part of former U.S. President Barack Obama’s […]

Trump team struggles for cohesion on tougher China policy

The incoming U.S. administration’s tough talk against China has set the stage for showdowns on everything from security to trade and cyberspace, but contradictory signals are sowing uncertainty over how far President-elect Donald Trump is prepared to go in confronting Beijing. Highlighting the contested South China Sea as a potential flashpoint, Trump’s Secretary of State […]

Taiwan latest to deploy military personnel to intercept Chinese operations

Taiwan has become the latest Asian state to scramble aircraft in response to Chinese military operations in the waterways dividing the region. China’s first and only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, as well as accompanying naval vessels, entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Wednesday, prompting the Taiwanese Defense Ministry to send a Naval Frigate and […]