South China Sea

Beijing’s Belligerent Revisionism: Reconstituting Asia’s ‘End of History’?

In this Centre of Gravity paper, Christopher B.

China v US: Who needs allies?

China’s only ally, they say, is North Korea, while America has an entire alliance system encompassing many key regional states, as well as a wider circle of close friends. Without allies and friends like that, the argument goes, China can never replace America as the region’s leading power.

Facing reality in the South China Sea

Iain Henry and Greg Raymond say that the news that China has placed surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island, part of the disputed Paracel Islands group in the South China Sea, will surprise many observers.

Wave of rhetoric on South China Sea sets dangerous tone

As China island-hops its way across the South China Sea, should Australia be concerned about Beijing's land reclamation activities?

Australia needs a diplomatic sea change in the South China Sea

The Australian government needs to show that diplomacy int eh South China Sea has been seriously tried and found wanting. But the evidence is that multilateral diplomacy hasn’t been pursued with the required vigour or intensity.

Asean’s response to Chinese militarisation in the South China Sea? Keep quiet and carry on

Huong Le Thu says the recent summit demonstrates yet again why sweeping contentious issues such as the South China Sea under the carpet will only doom the grouping to irrelevanc

Has ASEAN given up on tackling the South China Sea issue?

Huong Le Thu writes that the current consensus suggests that ASEAN given up on tackling the South China Sea issue.

Risk and imagination in the Trump era

Although the Australia-US alliance is a relationship of longstanding mutual benefit, Canberra now needs to take very seriously the possibility of its ally devising plans that are not well matched to the risks the nation now faces, Greg Raymond writes.

Trump Pushes Australia Toward China

CANBERRA, Australia — The United States-Australia alliance faces a crucial test over how to deal with a powerful and increasingly assertive China. Under President Trump, it is already failing.

US 'sail through' will not deter China

President Barack Obama's decision to send a U.S. Navy ship through waters claimed by China, around an artificial island in the South China Sea, was presented as a warning that Washington will not allow Beijing to block freedom of navigation. Officials have suggested that the operation in late October might be the first in a series of similar maneuvers with the same objective. But such operations are unlikely to deter China or reassure America's friends in Asia