Russian Analyst says North Korea will go ahead with ballistic missiles launches

Russian Analyst says North Korea will go ahead with ballistic missiles launches. (Tass).

North Korea will go ahead with launches of ballistic missiles and its missile program in general, the director of the Russian Strategy for Asia Center at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Economics, Georgy Toloraya, has told TASS.

"North Korea makes no secret of its intention to continue its missile program in defiance of all sanctions, and it will be doing so in an outspoken and challenging manner," Toloraya said. In his opinion, the latest launches are connected with the "US-South Korean exercise scheduled to begin soon."

"North Korea suspects that this exercise is directed against it," he said.

"Also, there are plans for practicing operations aimed at the elimination of the North Korean leadership and so on and so forth. Small wonder, therefore, there will be more launches in the future," Toloraya said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said that North Korea at 07:50 local time on Wednesday launched a ballistic missile from Hwanghae-namdo province towards the Sea of Japan. Last time North Korea launched two medium-range missiles Nodon and one short-range missile Scud on July 19. Hmmmm......Seems China has no desire to rein in North Korea, now that the South China sea is heating up.

Related: North Korea launches ballistic missile into Japanese waters.

The missile that landed in the Sea of Japan was launched at about 7.50am Seoul time on Wednesday (2250 GMT on Tuesday) from a region in South Hwanghae province to the south-west of the capital, Pyongyang, South Korea’s office of the joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

The launch showed North Korea’s ambition to “directly and broadly attack neighbouring countries and target several places in the Republic of Korea such as ports and airfields”, the statement said, referring to South Korea by its official title.


The missile appeared to be a Rodong-type medium-range missile and flew about 620 miles (1,000km), it said. Read the full story here.

North Korea: " We will not passively watch how US undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula".

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry: " We will not passively watch how US undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula". (Tass).

The tense situation persists on the Korean Peninsula "due to the fault of the United States," a representative of North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"US deliberately aggravates the situation in the region by sending strike groups, including USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, USS Mississippi nuclear-powered submarine and strategic bombers," the diplomat said.

At the same time, Washington plans to send 12 F-16 fighter aircraft to South Korea to participate in maneuvers that will "train technique of delivering strikes at main military facilities of North Korea," he added. Pyongyang also criticized Washington’s decision to deploy THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea "will not passively watch how US undermines peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and will take decisive measures," he warned. Read the full story here.

China to build up atoll in contested South China Sea, source says.

China to build up atoll in contested South China Sea, source says. (Scmp).

China will start reclamation at the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea later this year and may add an airstrip to extend its air force’s reach over the contested waters, a military source and mainland maritime experts say.

A source close to the PLA Navy said Beijing would ramp up work to establish a new outpost 230km off the coast of the Philippines as the US and Manila drew their militaries closer together.

An upcoming ruling on territorial claims by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, widely expected to go against China, would also accelerate the plan, the source said.

Manila wants the court to ­declare that Beijing’s claims must comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the decision could come next month or in June.

“Beijing will take action to carry out land reclamation at Huangyan Island within this year,” said the source, who ­requested anonymity, referring to the shoal.

“China should regain the initiative to do so because Washington is trying to contain Beijing by establishing a permanent military presence in the ­region.” Read the full story here.

China on Saturday urged U.S. not to undermine mutual trust and regional peace.

China on Saturday urged U.S. not to undermine mutual trust and regional peace. (NewsAcrossChina).

China on Saturday urged the United States to respect and abide by its laws, and not to undermine the mutual trust and regional peace and stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks as reports said a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhongjian Dao, Xisha Islands.

According to the China's law on the territorial sea and contiguous zone enacted in 1992, foreign warships entering China's territorial waters must be approved by the Chinese government.

"The U.S. warship violated Chinese law and entered China' s territorial sea without authorization. The Chinese side conducted surveillance and vocal warnings to the U.S. warship," Hua said.

Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun also issued a statement, saying the U.S. act severely violated Chinese law, sabotaged the peace, security and good order of the waters, and undermined the region' s peace and stability. The Defense Ministry is firmly against this, he said.

Yang said China's law on the territorial sea and contiguous zone accords with the international law and practice, and that many other countries have similar laws.

The Chinese government also issued a statement on territorial sea baseline on May 15, 1996, which announced part of the baseline of the territorial sea adjacent to China's mainland and the baseline of the territorial sea adjacent to the Xisha Islands.

"The U.S. side is fully aware of this, yet it still sent its warship into China' s territorial sea without authorization. It is a deliberate provocation," Yang said in the statement.

According to Yang, Chinese troops on the islands and Navy vessels and warplanes took actions immediately. They identified and verified the U.S. warship, warned and expelled it swiftly.

For many years, the U.S. side has proposed measures to ensure navigation safety of ships and aircraft of all parties, but it repeatedly sent vessels and planes into China' s territorial sea and air space regardless of China's opposition, leading to close encounters of navy and air force troops of the two countries, Yang said.

He added that the move on the U.S. side is very unprofessional and irresponsible for the safety of the troops of both sides, and may cause extremely dangerous consequences.

The Chinese armed forces will take whatever measures necessary to safeguard China's sovereignty and security, no matter what provocations the U.S. side may take, Yang said.  More on this story here.

China lands 1st civilian plane on disputed Spratly Islands.

China lands 1st civilian plane on disputed Spratly Islands. (RT).

A test flight by a civilian plane landed on an island in the South China Sea, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. It’s the first time China has done so in the disputed Spratly Islands. Tensions are now high with neighboring Vietnam and the Philippines.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at the weekend the test flight of a non-military aircraft was intended to check if the runway meets civilian aviation standards and fell “completely within China's sovereignty,” according to Reuters.

The runway is at the Chinese-administered Fiery Cross Reef, where Beijing has built an artificial island in the middle of the South China Sea. However, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines also lay claim to the area. The runway is 3,000 meters (about 10,000 feet) long and is thought to be capable of serving long-range planes, including transport craft, bombers and fighter jets.

Both Vietnam and the Philippines have delivered formal diplomatic protests condemning China’s actions, Reuters reports.

"That's the fear, that China will be able take control of the South China Sea and it will affect freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight," the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose told reporters on Monday.Read the full story here.

China's navy chief demands U.S. stop "provocations" in South China Sea

PLA navy chief demands U.S. stop "provocations" in South China Sea. (ICC).

The commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy Wu Shengli Thursday called on the United States to stop its "provocations" in the South China Sea.

The Chinese navy had exercised maximum restraint in the face of U.S. provocations to preserve bilateral ties, Admiral Wu said in a meeting with Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Beijing, referring to recent visits to the South China Sea by U.S. military vessels and planes.

"The U.S. side must stop its provocations in South China Sea and curb its navy operations," Wu said. Enditem

China responds to U.S. Statement: "It is very clear who is breaking the international order and making trouble,"

China responds to U.S. Statement: "It is very clear who is breaking the international order and making trouble," (Icrosschina).

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday refuted a recent speech made by the U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, stressing that China is a maintainer, builder and contributor to the current international order.

China unswervingly defends peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region as well as international justice, spokesman Hong Lei said at a press briefing when commenting on the speech issued by the Pentagon chief on Saturday.

Carter reportedly said that China presents a challenge to the "international order."

The current international order is based on the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and jointly established by the international community, Hong said, stressing that the most fundamental principles are respect to each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality and non-interference in others' internal affairs.

"International order" can not be defined by any individual in the United States at his own will, the spokesman said.

As for the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Hong said China's position is consistent and clear and remains unchanged.

China has the right to carry out construction on its own territory, because the Nansha Islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times, he said.

"It won't cause any damage to any other country, nor affect the region's navigation freedom," Hong said.

China has always been committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiation and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law. The country is willing to work together with ASEAN countries to safeguard peace and stability in the S.China Sea, he said.

China's position is reasonable and lawful and the U.S. side has no right to make irresponsible comments, he said.

Last week, Carter boarded an American aircraft carrier in the South China Sea to demonstrate the U.S.'s commitment to freedom of navigation.

The move posed serious damage to China's sovereignty and security while exacerbating tensions in the region, Hong said.

"It is very clear who is breaking the international order and making trouble,"said Hong. Enditem

China’s defense minister warns US against further South China Sea patrols.

China’s defense minister warns US against further South China Sea patrols.(RT).

China’s defense minister has urged the US not to threaten its sovereignty as well as the nation’s security interests following last week’s incident involving a US naval patrol in the South China Sea.

The concerns were expressed by Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan to US Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, where the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense chiefs meeting is taking place.

Chang stressed that the US should not pursue any other dangerous actions that threaten China’s security interests.

Last Tuesday, the USS Lassen passed through a 12-mile limit around Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands archipelago. The reef is one of seven that China has artificially reinforced to support its claim on the archipelago and the sea around it.

Beijing protested the USS Lassen mission in the South China Sea, accusing the US of escalating tensions in the region.

"The actions of the US warship have threatened China's sovereignty and security interests, jeopardized the safety of personnel and facilities on the reefs, and damaged regional peace and stability,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The US replied to the criticism by stating it would sail and fly wherever it wants in international waters and airspace.

“The US has conducted naval operations in the South China Sea in recent days and will conduct similar operations in the future,” Carter said.

Beijing responded by conducting training for its naval jets in the same area a few days later.

Chinese attack sub allegedly tails US #AircraftCarrier https://t.co/xXBRd8xwvk #USSReagan pic.twitter.com/TsX8HssUQf

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) November 4, 2015

China Sea: Beijing ready to build a third runway on disputed islands.

China Sea: Beijing ready to build a third runway on disputed islands. (AN).

Beijing has made further progress in the construction of a third runway on an atoll in the South China Sea, in an area at the center of a bitter territorial dispute. This is shown by new satellite images taken just one month after the government’s announcement that it had stopped expansionist steps to the detriment of Vietnam and the Philippines. The photos date back to the beginning of September and show a building on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, all similar to those already built by China in Subi Reef and Fiery Cross Reef.

According to reports from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US intelligence center based in Washington, the new runway is of particular concern for the Philippines. In fact, it allows China to install more patrols to control the Reed Bank, where Manila had previously begun exploration for oil and natural gas.

CSIS expert Bonnie Glaser, adds that the activities promoted by Beijing appear to be aimed at the construction of "military" facilities and structures. An airstrip of about 3 thousand meters, makes it possible to accommodate the majority of military aircraft available in China. And, concludes the expert, the installation of equipment and military vehicles could potentially be "a challenge to the freedom of navigation of the air and sea”.

Evidence of China’s continued "imperialist" activities in the Asia-Pacific region could exacerbate relations between Beijing and Washington just days ahead of the official visit by President Xi Jinping to the United States. Territorial claims, in fact, will be one of the hot topics at the center of talks between the two delegations.

According to experts, China aims to "send a message" to President Barack Obama demonstrating its determination to pursue its interests in the seas even if it means "tension" with the US. Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry continues to assert its "indisputable sovereignty" over the Spratly and the right to build military installations there.

In recent years, Vietnam and the Philippines - which has taken its case to a UN court - have shown growing concern over China's "imperialism" in the South and East China Seas. The Chinese government claims most of the sea (almost 85 per cent), including sovereignty over the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands, in opposition to Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. For the United States, which backs the claims of Southeast Asia nations, Beijing's so-called 'cow tongue' line is both "illegal" and "irrational".

Anyone with a hegemonic sway over the region would have a strategic advantage, in terms of seabed (oil and gas) development, but also in trade since two thirds of the world's maritime trade transit through it.  Almost uninhabited, the area's islands are thought to hold extensive oil and natural gas reserves as well as other raw materials.

China warns U.S.: "Our determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity is as hard as a rock".

China warns U.S.: "Our determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity is as hard as a rock". (SP).

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi rebuked US State Secretary John Kerry's effort to limit what the US has called "manufacturing sovereignty" in the South China Sea.

China refused to back down to US Secretary of State John Kerry's demands that the country stops land reclamation on islands in the South China Sea.

The United States has been increasingly critical of China's activities in the South China Sea, which have included building up artificial islands in the area disputed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries. China does not consider the United States a party to the South China Sea dispute.

"I would like to reaffirm that China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity is as hard as a rock," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

China considers infrastructure improvements on islands in the South China Sea within its sovereign rights. Other countries involved in the dispute have also built up infrastructure and land reclamation efforts on islands. Read the full story here.

"Vorsprung durch technik" - China Plans To Put Floating Docks On Disputed Islands

"Vorsprung durch technik" - China Plans To Put Floating Docks On Disputed Islands.HT: PopularScience.

What’s a country to do with a chain of disputed islands? One option is just “go ahead and build a dock to claim them,” and attach it to some of the islands.

Shown off at the Shiptec China 2014 exhibition, China has a plan for floating docks it wants to put in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Roughly, the Spratly Islands refers to an area 500 nautical miles long by 400 nautical miles wide in the South China Sea. Situated between China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan, the Spratly Islands only barely count as islands.

The archipelago has as few as 12 proper islands and 150 to 400 significant chunks of land. Dubbed “nautical features,” some of them are fully submerged at high tide. Combined, the islands and little land nubs have a surface area of less than two square miles.

They do, however, have tremendous potential, thanks to the plentiful in the fish that live among the islands to the oil and natural gas beneath the sea in the area.

So while the islands themselves aren’t much, the area they represent is valuable, and there’s a long-running international dispute about who owns them. To better secure their claims to the area, some nations are even building garrisons and stationing troops on the tiny specks of islands.

China’s planned floating docks will be island-adjacent, creating useful space where there’s barely any already.

Clever engineering, all to advance a geopolitical game of “I’m not touching you.” Hmmm...Isn't Great Britain an Island? Read the full story here.

Three Chinese coast guard ships enter Japanese waters near Senkakus.

Three Chinese coast guard ships enter Japanese waters near Senkakus.(TJN).

NAHA (Jiji Press) — Three Chinese coast guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Thursday morning.

This is the first such intrusion by a Chinese government ship since Oct. 18 and the 26th this year.

The three ships — the Haijing 2101, the Haijing 2112 and the Haijing 2305 — crossed into the Japanese waters west-northwest of Uotsurijima, the largest island in the Japanese -administered Senkaku chain, around 10 a.m., according to the Japan Coast Guard’s 11th regional headquarters in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.

A Japan Coast Guard patrol ship warned the three vessels to leave the area, but they did not comply immediately. China claims the uninhabited islands, which it calls Diaoyu.

Chinese troops Said to Be amassing Near the Vietnam Border.

Chinese troops Said to Be amassing Near the Vietnam Border. HT: EpochTimes.

Troops, tanks, trucks, artillery, and armored personnel carriers of China’s military were seen heading to the Vietnamese border on May 16 and 17, according to photographs taken by by residents near the border.

Chinese netizens have been posting photographs of the large movement of the People’s Liberation Army, many of them showing Chinese troops in full combat gear heading to the local train station in Chongzuo, along with military vehicles. 

One netizen said the Chinese military was taking the train from the Chongzuo station to Pingxiang City, which shares a 60-mile border with Vietnam. The netizen said that the Huu Nghi Border Gate to Vietnam is also now closed.

One of the photos, taken from inside a passenger train, shows the Chinese military preparing artillery for transport on a train track. Others show Chinese troops and military vehicles traveling along dirt roads.

Another photograph shows troops walking under the red-colored entrance to the Longzhou International Building Materials Market, on Provincial Road in the city of Chongzuo.

A reverse image search of each of the photographs using Google indicated that the photographs had appeared on the Internet only recently. Most were indexed by Google on Saturday.

Collectively, the images and eyewitness reports from the ground show what Taiwanese media are calling an “endless stream” of Chinese troops.

One netizen, with the username Zhiyuan0703, echoed a common sentiment on the Chinese social media site, “Conflict between China and Vietnam is imminent.”Read the full story here.

Related:

Over 3000 Chinese Evacuated (By Boat & Plane) As Vietnam's Anti-China Riots Escalate; Taiwan Also On "High Alert"