China, Russia to stage military drills in South China sea
A boy holds Russian, left, and Chinese flags before a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (File Photo: AP)
China’s military said that on Thursday it will hold joint exercises with Russian forces in the South China Sea, following a recent arbitration ruling that rejected Beijing’s claim to almost the entire strategic body of water.
The air and sea drills will be held sometime in September and were aimed at deepening relations between the two militaries and boosting their capacity to respond to maritime threats, ministry spokesman Colonel Yang Yujun said at a monthly news briefing.
Yang said the exercises weren’t targeted at any third parties. He didn’t disclose the specific location, and some areas of the South China Sea are not disputed.
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China appreciates Putin's position on South China Sea issue
"With regards to security, our nations reaffirmed our commitment to a regional order, where worldwide rules and laws are upheld and where disagreements are all peacefully resolved".
Obama, speaking to reporters after Thursday's meeting, continued to insist that the tribunal ruling is "legal and binding" and said ASEAN leaders recognized its importance in declaring that Chinese claims to the disputed waters have no legal basis.
He said during the Summit, all nations have agreed to respect the worldwide laws, not militarising disputed areas and not occupy uninhabited islands, reefs and shores.
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South China Sea News: Russia & China Band Against US?
South China Sea news update is zooming in on a potential banding of Russia and China against the US. China’s navy announced that China and Russia are to hold eight days of navy drills in the contested waters of the South China Sea starting on Monday. There are speculations that the drill might not completely be a coincidence that it falls on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US.
The exercises ensued during the time of heightened tension in the wake of the ruling of the arbitration court in the international court at The Hague. The ruling states that China possesses no historic rights to the South China Sea and such actions encourage the environmental destruction in the area.
China has been aggressively pushing an axis that involved Russia in order to counteract the regional tension which has been spearheaded by the anti-China quasi alliance as they attempt to vehemently reject the ruling.
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Sino-Russian drills show mutual support
The Joint Sea-2016 drill between China and Russia started on Monday in the South China Sea. It features naval surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine corps and amphibious armored equipment from both navies. "Island seizing" activities, including anti-submarine operations, will feature alongside live fire drills and island defense. It is undoubtedly a joint exercise of great scale and depth.
China and Russia have announced that the drill does not target a third party, but countries such as the US and Japan have been extremely sensitive. Let them be. Joint exercises between China and Russia have been conducted in various waters such as the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, while this is the first time the drills are conducted in the South China Sea. It was arranged long ago, and just happens to follow the South China Sea arbitration. The US and Japan have burnt their own fingers.
The Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is partly attributed to the US which keeps strategically squeezing the two countries. The joint drills by the two in the South China Sea do not differ much from the ones in the other waters.
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China and Russia to hold joint South China Sea naval drills as pressure rises from US
China and Russia will launch eight days of joint naval drills in the South China Sea on Monday, a move observers said underlined the growing partnership between the countries amid rising military pressure from the United States.
The exercise off Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, would involve surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters and marines from China’s South Sea Fleet, a statement on the defence ministry’s website quoted People’s Liberation Army Navy spokesman Liang Yang as saying.
The drills come two months after an international tribunal in The Hague dismissed China’s historical claims to most of the South China Sea.
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Routine China-Russia joint naval drill no reason for fear mongering
As China and Russia started on Monday an eight-day joint naval drill off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province, speculations are going rife that the military exercises are meant as a "sabre-rattling" event in the South China Sea."
Those susceptible to such speculations are either ill-informed about the fact that the joint naval drill has been an annual event since 2012 and that the ongoing drill takes place just off China's southern coast, or misled by their prejudice about China and Russia.
The drill, code-named "Joint Sea - 2016," comprises defense, rescue and anti-submarine operations, as well as island seizing activities, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry, which also said most of the Chinese soldiers participating in the event are from the South Sea Fleet.
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Chinese-Russian Joint-Sea 2016 Naval Drills to Improve Security
Russian-Chinese Joint-Sea 2016 naval exercises will increase the two countries' common security capabilities, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Deputy Commander Wang Hai said Monday
ZHANJIANG (Sputnik) — China is hosting this year's joint naval exercises with Russia. A total of 18 ships and supply vessels, 21 aircraft and over 250 service personnel from PLAN and the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet are taking part in the Joint-Sea 2016 naval drills on September 12-19 in the South China Sea. Russian vessels arrived earlier.
The vice admiral expressed hope that Russian and Chinese crews will learn from each other's experience and improve friendly cooperation.
Speaking at a welcoming ceremony for the arriving Russian ships, Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov said that the two countries are improving their defense capabilities against potential third party aggression.
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Joint China-Russia naval drills in South China Sea focus on anti-submarine, ‘island-seizing’ operations
China and Russia kicked off eight days of naval drills Monday in the South China Sea off southern Guangdong province — a move likely to further stir tensions in the disputed waters.
The joint exercises come after a July 12 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that decisively rejected Beijing’s expansive claims to much of the South China Sea. China has built artificial islands in the contested Spratly chain, including several with military-grade airfields and high-tech radar systems, in its bid to consolidate its control of the area. Beijing blasted the ruling, calling it “waste paper,” and has vowed to ignore it.
The exercises, called Joint Sea-2016, feature navy surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine corps and amphibious armored equipment from both navies, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted spokesperson Liang Yang as saying Sunday.
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Russia and China embark on LARGEST EVER military operation to seize control of South China
Russia's President Putin and China's President Xi Jinping have teamed up in their military task
China and Russia's military operation, 'Joint Sea-2016', includes eight days of "seizing and controlling" islands and shoals, entrenching island defences, conducting anti-submarine operations and live fire drills.
The two countries have teamed up for the ambitious operation to control the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in annual trade passes.
The military move is likely to anger US officials who regularly sail military ships through the region in a bid to assert the right to freedom of navigation.
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China, Russia begin joint exercises in South China Sea
The Russian destroyer Admiral Tributs arrives for exercises with the Chinese navy
Chinese and Russian naval forces began joint exercises in the South China Sea on Monday, adding a new twist to ongoing tensions over Chinese island-building in the region.
The eight-day exercises will highlight marine corps units in "live-fire drills, sea crossing and island landing operations, and island defense and offense exercises," Chinese navy spokesperson Liang Yang said in a report from China's official Xinhua News Agency.
Aside from the marines, Chinese and Russian surface ships, submarines, planes, helicopters and amphibious armored equipment would be used, Liang said.
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CHINESE-RUSSIAN NAVIES HOLD JOINT WAR GAMES
The Chinese and Russian navies launched eight days of war games in the South China Sea on Monday, in a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces against the backdrop of regional territorial disputes.
The "Joint Sea-2016" maneuvers include surface ships, submarines, ship-borne helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, along with marines and amphibious armored vehicles who will conduct live-firing exercises, according to a Defense Ministry statement issued Sunday.
Tasks will include defensive and rescue drills, anti-submarine exercises and the simulated seizure of an enemy island by marines from both sides.
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China, Russia launch South China Sea naval war games
People walk past a poster that reads "The South China Sea is China's inland sea" in Shanghai, China, Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. The Chinese and Russian navies launched eight days of war games in the South China Sea on Monday, in a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces against the backdrop of regional territorial disputes. (Chinatopix via AP)
The Chinese and Russian navies launched eight days of war games in the South China Sea on Monday, in a sign of growing cooperation between their armed forces against the backdrop of regional territorial disputes.
The "Joint Sea-2016" maneuvers include ships, submarines, ship-borne helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, along with marines and amphibious armored vehicles who will conduct live-firing exercises, according to a Defense Ministry statement Sunday.
Tasks will include defensive and rescue drills, anti-submarine exercises and the simulated seizure of an enemy island by marines from both sides.
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China, Russia launch South China Sea naval wargames
This combination of Sept. 3, 2016 photos provided by the Philippine government shows what it claims to be surveillance pictures of Chinese coast guard ships and barges at the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. (AP photo)
China and Russia have launched eight-day joint naval wargames in the disputed South China Sea amid tensions with the US which is expanding its military presence in the region.
The "Joint Sea-2016" maneuvers kicked off on Monday with the participation of 21 aircraft and 18 ships from both sides including destroyers, cruisers, amphibious warfare ships and supply vessels.
In a statement, the Chinese navy said the exercises will be conducted in an area off China’s southeastern province of Guangdong.
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Russia over a South China Sea barrel
Russia and China have just kicked off a joint naval exercise in the South China Sea, Joint Sea 2016. It is scheduled to last until 19 September, including a visit by the Russian surface contingent to China’s South Sea fleet headquarters at Zhanjiang. This is the latest in a series of Russo-Chinese drills that have evolved steadily into more frequent and sophisticated interactions over the past decade. Previous exercises have taken place as far away as the Mediterranean, demonstrating a global dimension to the budding Beijing-Moscow strategic axis.
Joint naval exercises have allowed both parties to engage in concerted strategic signaling to the US and its allies, while deriving military benefits from operating together. Last year’s amphibious drill in the Sea of Japan was especially noteworthy for its scale and complexity. At the same time, these naval interactions occurred within the confines of a loose alignment in ways and in places that did not expose the reality of Russia’s increasingly junior status within the relationship.
In a broader but related context, President Vladimir Putin has shown recent signs of using Russia’s limited room for maneouvre in East Asia. Moscow has engaged in parallel outreach to Japan and South Korea, including a curious cameo role for Kevin Rudd in Vladivostok. Western sanctions and the under-development of Russia’s Far East make such outreach an economic imperative. But diversification from growing economic dependency on China is primarily a strategic need for Russia.
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Beijing and Moscow begin naval drills in South China Sea
A satellite image of Subi Reef, an artificial island being developed by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Image taken on 4 September 2016
China and Russia begin naval drills in the South China Sea on Monday in what Beijing calls a "routine exercise," but the move could revive tensions in the long-running territorial conflict.
Over the next eight days, both nations will carry out rescue and anti-submarine operations as well as live-fire drills, island defense and landing operations, Reuters reported, citing a statement by the Chinese navy. The drills, first announced in July, are supposedly the largest naval project ever taken together by the two countries.
On surface, the drills aren't surprising. Both countries boast a close relationship, reflected by years of technology transfers, arm sales and a common aim of preventing U.S. hegemony in Asia-Pacific.
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China and Russia start joint war games
In spite of tense regional debate over the South China Sea, the two countries are set to conduct joint drills. Moscow and Beijing have enjoyed increasingly close military cooperation in recent years.
China and Russia began eight days of joint naval exercises on Monday as the two nations moved to fortify military cooperation. While China has maintained that the maneuvers do not target any specific third parties, their South China Sea setting has drawn criticism given the fierce territorial disputes in the region.
The "Joint Sea-2016" war games aim to "consolidate and advance the Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, and deepen friendly and practical cooperation between the two militaries," said Liang Yang, a spokesman for the Chinese navy.
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2016 marks the sixth 'Joint Sea' drill
This year marks the sixth time that China and Russia have conducted such drills. Starting from 2012, the first China-Russia "Joint Sea" exercise was held in China's northern waters of the Yellow Sea.
The following year, they took place in the waters near the Russian city of Vladivostok. The Chinese navy assembled its largest number of seamen ever for that drill.
In 2014, the third "Joint Sea" drill was held in the north of the East China Sea, where vessels from the navies mixed together for the first time.
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China and Russia to stage 8-day naval war games in South China Sea
China and Russia are reportedly going to start a joint military exercise in the South China Sea from Monday (12 September).This comes at a time when tensions continue to mount over the disputed waters. The eight-day naval war games are reported to be an apparent show of force after The Hague international tribunal invalidated Beijing's unilateral and historical claims in the region.
The massive military exercises – termed as the Joint Sea 2016 – will include a focus on "seizing and controlling" of islands and shoals in the hotly contested waters, Chinese navy spokesman Liang Yang said in a statement on Sunday (11 September).
The drill is expected to feature surface ships, submarines, ship-borne helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Besides, marines and amphibious armoured vehicles are also said to participate in the live-firing exercises, which is believed to be the single largest joint military operation by the navies of two countries.
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Sino-Russian military drill begins in South China Sea
China and Russia on Monday began their largest joint military drill in the South ChinaSea off Guangdong province.
Five ships, two helicopters, submarines and nearly 100 soldiers are part of the eight-day long drill, said the Chinese Ministry of National Defence.
The military sources had said over the weekend that Russian and Chinese forces will be conducting defence and rescue operations and anti-submarine exercises along with simulation of island takeovers by the navy, EFE news reported.
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China, Russia launch 1st naval drill in South China Sea
China and Russia launched Monday their first joint naval exercise taking place in the disputed South China Sea.
The state-run China Daily cited navy spokesman Liang Yang as saying that the eight-day war games will cover rescue, defense and anti-submarine operations, as well as “joint-island seizing missions and other activities”.
The drill, the fifth held by the countries’ navies since 2012, will take place east of Zhanjiang, the southernmost city of coastal Guangdong province.
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Pyongyang has changed South China Sea dynamics
It’s been two months since the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China did not have any historic rights to coral reefs it is turning into islands to bolster its marine and territorial claims — and there has been little to suggest that that ruling has changed anything on the ground. Beijing is still pushing ahead with its construction of airfield and military facilities on the disputed islands in the South China Sea — a maritime area contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam and one through which more than $5 trillion (Dh18.39 trillion) in international trade passes through annually.
While Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has spoken in his usual brash and street-smart style about teaching Beijing a lesson, he has done little to press Manila’s claims further since The Hague panel sided with it and his foul-mouthed bluster at the recent gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Vientiane, Laos, merely antagonised his allies there.
There is also the reality that whatever the rival claims of the neighbouring nations are, there is now a far more serious threat that needs to be addressed in the region — North Korea and the regime’s dangerous obsession in obtaining nuclear weaponry, small enough to be mounted on its ballistic missiles.
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Rody wants US special forces to pack up, leave
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the United States Special Forces based in Mindanao should leave.
In a speech Monday before new appointees, Duterte said that the world’s most powerful country has not yet apologized for its wrongdoings against Moros and Filipinos during the American occupation and again brought up the March 1906 Bud Dajo massacre, where hundreds of Moros, including women and children, were killed by US forces in Sulu.
Once again flashing pictures of the Bud Dajo Massacre which he presented during the Asean-East Asia Summit, Duterte said the Americans should leave to prevent further damage between Filipinos and Americans.
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South China Sea: is Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte charting a course away from US?
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has signalled he wants to move his country away from dependence on the United States, ordering all US special forces out of the southern Philippines.
The order came after Mr Duterte boasted about snubbing his US counterpart Barack Obama at a summit of world leaders in Laos last week, after earlier labelling him the "son of a whore."
The US has long been most important military ally of the Philippines, which Washington ruled from 1898 until 1946, except for a period of Japanese occupation during World War II.
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Connection with US reason for terrorist threat in S. Philippines: official
The Philipine government blamed Monday the United States for the continued terrorist threat in Mindanao.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte said that American special forces in southern Philippines have to leave the place.
"The statement reflects PRRD's (Duterte) new direction towards coursing an independent foreign policy; he has made reference to the unrecognized, unrepented and un-atoned for massacre at Bud Dajo in Sulu by the Americans, hence our continued connection with West is the real reason for the 'Islamic' threat in Mindanao," he said.
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China, Vietnam Vow to 'Maintain Peace, Stability' in South China Sea
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sept. 12, 2016
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc officially started his high-profile visit with Chinese officials in Beijing Monday, amid simmering tension over the territorially-contested South China Sea issue.
The first official visit to China by a Vietnamese premier in six years, Phuc’s trip came at the invitation of Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. Vietnamese and Chinese media are reporting that Phuc and Li jointly pledged to "manage maritime differences" and "maintain peace and stability" at a Monday news conference that followed wide-ranging talks at the Great Hall of the People.
Phuc's visit coincides with the launch of annual Sino-Russian naval drills, which, according to Chinese military officials, will include simulated "seizure and control" of contested islands and shoals. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the training exercises aren't "against any third party.”
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China, Vietnam vow to properly manage maritime differences
China and Vietnam pledged on Monday to properly manage maritime differences and further enhance bilateral substantial cooperation.
The pledge came as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is paying an official visit to China starting Saturday.
During the talks held at the Great Hall of the People, Li told Phuc the South China Sea issue is related to territorial sovereignty, maritime interests as well as national sentiment.
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