DefenceTalkChina’s premier said on Wednesday major powers must oppose a new Cold War, a thinly veiled reference to Washington as top Asian and US officials gathered for talks in Indonesia. Beijing has expressed concern about US-backed blocs forming on its doorstep, while facing disputes with other powers in the region over the South China Sea […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-warns-against-new-cold-war-as-big-powers-meet-in-se-asia-80077/

DefenceTalkThe Chinese military said it warned a US warship to “leave” waters in the disputed South China Sea on Thursday, claims swiftly denied as “false” by American forces. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea — a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually — despite an international […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinese-military-says-warned-us-warship-to-leave-s-china-sea-79976/

DefenceTalkChina and Vietnam agreed on Tuesday to “properly manage” territorial disputes in the South China Sea, rounding off a leaders’ meeting in Beijing as part of a diplomatic blitz by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The socialist neighbours both maintain sweeping claims to sovereignty in much of the contested waterway, parts of which are also claimed […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-vietnam-pledge-to-manage-south-china-sea-dispute-79589/

DefenceTalkSeven US sailors were injured Monday in a Navy F-35C fighter “landing mishap” on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea, the Navy said. The accident occurred while the F-35C Lightning II, a stealth combat aircraft, was attempting to land on the USS Carl Vinson during routine flight operations, the US Pacific Fleet said […]https://www.defencetalk.com/seven-injured-in-us-f-35-incident-in-south-china-sea-77752/

DefenceTalkPentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea have “no basis in international law”, taking aim at China’s growing assertiveness in the hotly contested waters. “That assertion treads on the sovereignty of the states in the region,” he said at the start of a trip to Southeast Asia, […]

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkChina accused the US of becoming “the biggest driver of militarization” in the contested South China Sea, as tensions between Washington and Beijing look set to swamp a regional Asian summit. US-China rivalry is expected to dominate discussion at this year’s ASEAN conference, which comes just days after Beijing launched ballistic missiles in the flashpoint […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-says-us-biggest-threat-to-peace-in-south-china-sea-76310/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkA latest variation of China’s KJ-500 airborne early warning and control system (AWACS), equipped with a probe that can allow the plane to receive aerial refueling and greatly extend its range and endurance, was recently spotted at a naval aviation regiment base under the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command. Amid frequent US military […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-new-awacs-ready-for-south-china-sea-missions-76282/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkBeijing recently conducted “high-intensity” naval exercises in the South China Sea, China’s defence ministry said Thursday, as tensions grow over the Asian power’s manoeuvres in the contested waters. China’s expanding military presence in the region has worried several of its neighbours, while the US has vowed to stand up against Beijing’s territorial claims to much […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-conducts-military-drills-in-south-china-sea-76102/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the United States would treat Beijing’s pursuit of resources in the dispute-rife South China Sea as illegal, ramping up support for Southeast Asian nations and triggering a furious response from Beijing. It was the latest forceful statement by President Donald Trump’s administration to challenge China, which he has […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-brands-beijings-south-china-sea-claims-illegal-75896/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkJOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii: One B-52 Stratofortress bomber from the 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, took off from home station and participated in a maritime integration exercise with the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike groups in the South China Sea before landing at Andersen Air […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-sends-b-52-bomber-over-south-china-sea-as-china-steps-up-naval-drills-75849/