Tag: South China Sea

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Chinese Ships Suspected as Cutting Internet to Taiwan’s Outlying Islands

Several news sources including a report from ABC News, report that Chinese ships have cut the internet access to Taiwan’s outlying islands, which are located close to China. The disruption has affected around 6,000 people, who are now unable to access the internet or make phone calls. The Taiwanese government has condemned the move and said that it is a violation of international law. The incident comes amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

  • Chinese ships have cut off internet access to Taiwan’s outlying islands, affecting about 6,000 people according press report
  • The move has been condemned by the Taiwanese government as a violation of international law.
  • This incident occurs amidst growing tensions between China and Taiwan.
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Chinese boats harass Philippines

The Philippines has reported that it is monitoring dozens of armed Chinese fishing vessels around a disputed island in the South China Sea, with the boats being part of China’s “gray zone” efforts to assert sweeping claims in the energy-rich waters. The unmarked fishing boats, accompanied by a naval and coast guard presence, were described as “a form of harassment” by a Philippine official. China’s ambitious maritime and territorial claims were dismissed in 2016 by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, but China has rejected the verdict, leading to tensions with the US, which is committed to freedom of the seas.

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Chinese vessels near Philippines

Thitu Island, NASA • Public domain

The Philippines has reported the presence of a Chinese navy ship and 42 Chinese maritime militia vessels around Thitu island, a Philippine-occupied island in the South China Sea according to press reports by Reuters.

Thitu is the Philippines’ largest and most strategically important outpost in the disputed region. The Chinese embassy in Manila has not responded to the assertion. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has previously stated that the Philippines “will not lose an inch” of territory and has protested against China’s “aggressive activities” in the area according to press reports.

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South China Sea – Chinese Fighter Jet Intercepted

A CNN crew aboard a US Navy reconnaissance jet witnessed a Chinese fighter jet intercepting their plane over the South China Sea. The Chinese fighter jet was so close that the CNN crew could see the pilots turning their heads to look at them. The Chinese fighter jet armed with air-to-air missiles escorted the US plane for 15 minutes before turning away. The incident reveals the tensions simmering between the US and China in the South China Sea. China claims historic jurisdiction over almost the entirety of the South China Sea, which is a major potential flashpoint in the Asia Pacific. Islands in the South China Sea, like the Paracels near which the US Navy plane was intercepted, are the subject of overlapping territorial claims from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.