Latest news with #WuShicun
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
South China Sea: expect ‘more provocations' from Manila, and Hanoi could be next
Tensions could worsen between Beijing and Manila over the disputed South China Sea with 'more provocations' expected after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr shored up support in the midterm election, a Chinese maritime analyst says. Wu Shicun, founder of the government-sponsored think tank the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, also said Beijing and Hanoi could be heading for confrontation over Vietnam's increasing land reclamation activities in the contested Spratly Islands. He said there was no sign that tensions would ease over the maritime disputes in the South China Sea and the Philippines was now the 'most prominent' rival claimant. Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images Wu made the remarks at a seminar in Beijing on Thursday ahead of the ninth anniversary of a historic ruling by a tribunal in The Hague that dismissed China's claims to large swathes of the resource-rich South China Sea, saying they had 'no legal basis'. The case was brought by the Philippines and the ruling was rejected by China. Addressing foreign diplomats, academics and officials, Wu accused Manila of trying to 'occupy' new maritime features and to 'expand disputes' over Second Thomas Shoal, Sandy Cay and Scarborough Shoal, where a series of run-ins between Chinese and Philippine vessels have taken place in recent months. He also pointed to the Philippines allowing a US mid-range missile system to be deployed in the north of the country, saying it was an attempt to 'disrupt cross-strait peace'. The mid-range capability launcher, also known as Typhon, was stationed in the Philippines in April 2024 during joint exercises with the US, its first overseas deployment. Manila later said it had decided to keep the system indefinitely. Beijing was angered by the move given the strike capabilities of the ground-based launcher, which can fire Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles with a range of up to 2,000km (1,242 miles) – meaning parts of the South China Sea, Taiwan Strait and even southern China would be within reach.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CCTV4: CMG Launches Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies and Releases Southeast Asia Perceptions Report on the South China Sea
BEIJING, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 29, China Media Group launched the Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies in Sanya, Hainan Province, China. The Committee brings together 28 leading experts and professionals from institutions including the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of History, the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) , the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific (BRICAP), and the Institute for China-Indonesia Partnership Studies. Committed to advancing peace and development in the South China Sea through rational, impartial, and objective advocacy, the Committee pools intellectual resources to contribute expertise and momentum for regional stability and cooperation. Wu Shicun, Member of the Committee and Chairman of Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, stated that CMG Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies brings together multidisciplinary and multinational experts specializing in marine-related research, and that this new collaboration mechanism and platform will elevate policy discussions and intellectual exchanges in the South China Sea region to new heights. Ong Tee Keat, also Member of the Committee and former Minister of Transport of Malaysia, as well as President of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific, remarked that China-ASEAN cooperation serves as a successful model of regional integration and multilateralism, and that the launch of the Committee is highly timely. Peter T.C. Chang, Member of the Committee and visiting senior fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, emphasized that Southeast Asian nations should determine their regional destiny independently and autonomously by upholding the principle of an "ASEAN-centric" order. On the same day, CMG also launched the Southeast Asia Perceptions Report on the South China Sea. Academically supported by the Global Public Opinion Research Center at Renmin University of China, the report analyses public opinion polls and sentiment data collected from citizens in six Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The findings indicate that the people of these nations have expressed a high level of recognition for resolving the South China Sea issues through diplomatic channels and dialogue. They are generally wary and concerned about external forces' intervention in the South China Sea. They also look forward to cooperation with China in the region. Link of Southeast Asia Perceptions Report on the South China Sea： View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE CCTV4 Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beijing ready with fresh tactics if Manila launches new South China Sea case: expert
Armed with "more diverse tools", Beijing will not sit idle this time if Manila launches a second high-profile arbitration case against Beijing over the South China Sea, according to a leading Chinese maritime expert. The Philippines is considering another legal challenge against Beijing over the disputed waterway. One option is for the Philippines to sue China for the alleged extraction of giant clams and substantial ecological harm to coral reefs within Manila's exclusive economic zone. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Wu Shicun, the founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said Beijing could take strong countermeasures to show its resolve and escalate costs for Manila in response to its initiation of legal proceedings. "The very fact that the Philippines is pursuing a legal challenge suggests that it benefited from the first case and sees the attempt as a worthwhile endeavour," Wu said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on the weekend. "To counter this, China must ensure that the costs for the Philippines outweigh the gains, making its actions a futile effort." An effective countermeasure could involve Beijing imposing a deadline for Manila to remove the BRP Sierra Madre - a World War II-era tank landing ship intentionally stationed on Second Thomas Shoal - Wu suggested. Should Manila fail to comply with the deadline, Beijing could assume responsibility for towing the vessel away, he added. Developing infrastructure on Scarborough Shoal - including a coastguard law enforcement base, logistical support installations, marine environmental research institutions and lighthouses - would also be feasible to fortify Chinese control. "Furthermore, China's reaction may also act as a cautionary signal to other countries regarding the repercussions of undertaking similar measures," Wu said. Scarborough Shoal, known as Panatag in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China, is a triangular cluster of small, low-lying rocky islets within Manila's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Since 2012, China has maintained control over this area, despite competing claims from Manila. In 2016, the Philippines secured a victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which determined that China's extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea were unfounded under international law. China adhered to its "four noes" policy in the case - no acceptance, no participation, no recognition and no implementation - but Wu hinted that China's response "might not be that simple" this time. The South China Sea has increasingly become a source of international tension. Last week, Australia and China traded barbs over their mid-air encounter in the Paracel Islands, known as the Xisha Islands in China and the Hoang Sa Islands in Vietnam. The archipelago is the subject of a long-standing and contentious maritime dispute between Beijing and Hanoi. Canberra said a Chinese J-16 fighter jet released flares within 30 metres (98 feet) of an Australian surveillance plane over the area and called the incident an "unsafe and dangerous" manoeuvre. Beijing defended its action and accused Australia of violating its sovereignty and entering its airspace. The mid-air incident marks the latest in a series of episodes between China and external countries or claimants within the increasingly disputed airspace and maritime routes of Asia. Referring to the recent development, Wu foresaw more foreign military involvement in the waterway and said the expanded presence of foreign military activities in the South China Sea represented a pressing new challenge that China must confront. "These military operations may extend beyond conventional naval and aerial manoeuvres, poised to broaden into the spheres of unmanned equipment and undersea activities," he said. Wu, who is chairman of the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance in Hainan, has emphasised the urgent need for crisis-management mechanisms and legally binding rules to govern military interactions in the air and at sea, to prevent collisions. US President Donald Trump has yet to articulate a clear US position or strategy on the South China Sea issues. According to Wu, this is because Trump is occupied with domestic issues, and the maritime dispute is not his priority. "At this juncture, forecasting the future policy direction of the United States in the South China Sea is challenging, particularly in terms of the level of US military support extended to the Philippines. It may take from six months to a year to fully discern how Washington's policy in the region will evolve," he said. The Trump administration may re-evaluate the value of the US-Philippine military alliance and the military support offered to the Philippines throughout the years, according to Wu. "In a sense, the provocative encouragement by Washington is unlikely to exceed what occurred during the Biden era," he said. Ian Bremmer, founder and president of the New York-based Eurasia Group, also said Trump would be more focused on bilateral trade unless Chinese action or a sudden conflict drew his attention to the South China Sea. "But short of that, I don't think this is a policy priority for him," he told the Post on the sidelines of the Munich conference. During a panel discussion about the waterway during the conference, former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying expressed concern that "the shadow of the US" behind the claimant's actions was alarming to China. Ng Eng Hen, Singapore's defence minister, indicated in the panel discussion that the conflict extended beyond mere territorial claims, with major global powers influencing the dynamics of the region. "China's actions in the South China Sea, if we are frank about it, are a response to US containment strategy ... Now China is saddled with two conflicting goals. While it needs to show strength and power to the US and its allies, China also needs to manage its relations with its smaller neighbours in Asean," Ng said. "You either accept that there is strategic rivalry, the great game, is going on in the South China Sea or you don't. And whether there are mechanisms to reduce conflict, whether external powers are needed, those are all self-evident questions with self-evident answers." This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
South China Morning Post
18-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China to ‘ensure cost outweighs gains' if Manila launches new South China Sea case: expert
As Manila mulls launching a second high-profile arbitration case against Beijing over the South China Sea, Beijing may not sit idle this time and has 'more diverse' tools to use in its response, according to a leading Chinese maritime expert. Advertisement The Philippines is seeking another legal challenge to hold Beijing accountable regarding the disputed waterway. One option it is contemplating is suing China for the alleged extraction of giant clams and substantial ecological harm to coral reefs within Manila's exclusive economic zone. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Wu Shicun, the founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said Beijing could take strong countermeasures to show its resolve and escalate costs for Manila in response to its initiation of legal proceedings. 'The very fact that the Philippines is pursuing a legal challenge suggests that it benefited from the first case and sees the attempt as a worthwhile endeavour,' Wu said, adding that Beijing would have 'more diverse tactics' to respond. 'To counter this, China must ensure that the costs for the Philippines outweigh the gains, making its actions a futile effort,' Wu said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. 02:34 Chinese and Philippine ships clash in first incident under Beijing's new coast guard law Chinese and Philippine ships clash in first incident under Beijing's new coast guard law An effective countermeasure could involve Beijing imposing a deadline for Manila to remove the BRP Sierra Madre – a World War II-era tank landing ship intentionally stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal – Wu suggested. Should Manila fail to comply with the deadline, Beijing could assume responsibility for towing the vessel away, he added.
South China Morning Post
18-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China to ‘ensure cost outweighs gains' in any new South China Sea case: expert
The Philippines is seeking another legal challenge to hold Beijing accountable regarding the disputed waterway. One option it is contemplating is suing China for the alleged extraction of giant clams and substantial ecological harm to coral reefs within Manila's exclusive economic zone. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Wu Shicun, the founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said Beijing could take strong countermeasures to show its resolve and escalate costs for Manila in response to its initiation of legal proceedings. 'The very fact that the Philippines is pursuing a legal challenge suggests that it benefited from the first case and sees the attempt as a worthwhile endeavour,' Wu said, adding that Beijing would have 'more diverse tactics' to respond. 'To counter this, China must ensure that the costs for the Philippines outweigh the gains, making its actions a futile effort,' Wu said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. 02:34 Chinese and Philippine ships clash in first incident under Beijing's new coast guard law Chinese and Philippine ships clash in first incident under Beijing's new coast guard law An effective countermeasure could involve Beijing imposing a deadline for Manila to remove the BRP Sierra Madre – a World War II-era tank landing ship intentionally stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal – Wu suggested. Should Manila fail to comply with the deadline, Beijing could assume responsibility for towing the vessel away, he added.
