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Japan-Russia island deal recedes as positions harden

Location:

RUSSIA/JAPAN

By the time President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on January 22, it was apparent they were not even close to agreeing how to end the decades-long dispute over…

ASEAN-China sea code remains years away

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ASEAN/CHINA

China’s continued assertion of its expansive claims not only creates friction between Beijing and the South-east Asian claimants but also increases US-Chinese tensions.

ASEAN and China will make little progress in sea talks

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ASEAN/CHINA

A row between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards in mid-February underscored that tensions in the South China Sea remain elevated. Indonesia is the 2023 ASEAN chair.

New talks increase prospects of a Brexit trade deal

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EU/UK

At a meeting on June 15 with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated he wanted a deal despite previous threats to abandon the…

Philippines shows new willingness to confront China

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CHINA/PHILIPPINES

Whitsun Reef lies in waters Manila claims as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China’s move met with an unexpectedly strong response from Manila, combining strong rhetoric…

Treaty will help to protect the seas globally

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INTERNATIONAL

The high seas, or international waters, account for around 60% of the world’s oceans. They have, until now, been a largely ungoverned space, exposed to unrestricted shipping…

UNCLOS detente could hurt Vietnam's communist party

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VIETNAM

The case was adjudicated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Manila won the ruling, but Beijing has rejected it.

South China Sea dispute will worsen markedly

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CHINA

The fallout from the COVID-19 crisis has worsened relations between Washington and Beijing and increased tensions in the disputed waters. China is taking advantage of the pandemic…

Jakarta-led South-east Asia sea talks would irk China

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SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Four of the states -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- are competing claimants in the waters to China. Singapore, the other invitee, is not. Neither is Indonesia…

Mass South-east Asian shift towards China is unlikely

Location:

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Chinese officials later clarified that no formal agreement had been reached, while both countries still claim the shoal. Nonetheless, the visit, in which Duterte repeated his…