China plans building spree on Southeast Asian islands
On June 14, China announced that it had begun to construct a school on Woody Island which is known as Yongxingdao in China, and Phu Lam Island in Vietnam. (more…)
Vietnam sentences two for damaging businesses during anti-China riot
Two Vietnamese men were sentenced to 6 and 5 months imprisonment for mistakenly damaging Taiwanese business properties during the May 14 anti-China riots across the nation. The protests were (more…)
Seoul to deliver warship to Manila to boost defenses against China
In yet another sign of China’s deepening isolation among its neighbors, South Korea has announced that it will deliver a corvette warship to the Philippine navy. The Pohang-class corvette (more…)
Russia writes off North Korean debt, launching its own Asia pivot
The Kremlin recently announced that it would forgive a huge debt owed to Moscow by North Korea. The debt, totaling close to $11 billion, dates back for the most (more…)
China’s state media applauds ‘heroic’ ramming of Vietnam vessel
A ramming incident between a Chinese and a Vietnamese maritime vessel on June 1 highlighted the escalation of violence in the South China Sea between the two communist countries (more…)
Japan suspends aid to Vietnam for widespread corruption
On June 2, Japan officially informed Vietnam that the Japanese government would temporarily suspend official development assistance [ODA] because of a series of alleged corruption and kickback cases involved (more…)
Iran denies air space to South Korean presidential flight
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye’s plane was denied permission to overfly Iran on May 19 while en route to the United Arab Emirates for a state visit. As a (more…)
As thousands of Chinese return to Libya, engineer killed in Benghazi
Unidentified insurgents shot and killed a Chinese engineer in Benghazi, Libya on May 20. The engineer was on his way to work at a Chinese-assisted construction project. China had (more…)
North, S. Korean warships exchange fire near site of 2010 shelling
On May 22, a North Korean war ship fired two artillery shells at a South Korean war ship on routine patrol in the disputed sea boundary area in the (more…)