Latest news with #freedomofnavigation
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
The US shouldn't disrespect China's right to the high seas
Last month, the United States coastguard 'detected and responded to' the Chinese research vessel Xue Long 2 around 290 nautical miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska. The US said the vessel was sailing within its 'extended continental shelf' and implied the Chinese operation was engaged in 'malign state activity'. This reveals troubling inconsistencies in the US' approach towards international maritime law, raising serious doubts about Washington's commitment to the rules-based international order it so frequently claims to champion. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), waters beyond 200 nautical miles fall under the legal regime of the high seas. Article 87 of Unclos guarantees all states the freedom of navigation and marine scientific research in these areas. The Xue Long 2 , designed for polar research, was operating in accordance with this principle. Yet, the US, by invoking national security and treating the vessel as a threat, seeks to shift the burden onto China to justify lawful conduct. In 2019, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea reaffirmed that even non-physical interference with freedom of navigation or scientific research can constitute a breach of international law. The US' response to the Xue Long 2 is not just an isolated legal overreach but a symptom of a broader strategic posture that prioritises political expediency over legal consistency. Unclos permits states and competent international organisations to conduct marine scientific research on the high seas and in 'the Area' – which can be understood as the international seabed beyond national jurisdictions. Moreover, the convention makes clear that a coastal state's rights over the continental shelf shall not infringe upon other states' freedoms.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Houthis blow up another cargo ship
Houthi terrorists have bragged about blowing up a 650ft Greek-operated cargo ship as they launch their second attack this week. The terror group shared video of the moment its armed militants boarded the Magic Seas ship on Sunday and set off a series of explosions, causing it to sink in the Red Sea. All 22 crew onboard were rescued by a passing merchant vessel before it sank. The Iran -backed Houthis have also claimed responsibility for the assault on second vessel, which maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard. The US State Department has condemned both 'unprovoked Houthi terror attacks' and vowed to 'continue to take necessary action' to de-escalate the 'ongoing threat' posed by the terrorists. 'These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement obtained by The Daily Mail. 'The United States has been clear: we will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks, which must be condemned by all members of the international community.' The US Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from Eternity C and called for their immediate and unconditional safe release. 'The Yemeni Navy responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location,' the group's military spokesperson said in a televised address. The strikes on the two ships revive a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians. In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel. But Yemeni Houthi militia leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that no company could be permitted to transport goods related to Israel through designated areas at sea. He reiterated that a Houthi ban on navigation the group sees as associated with Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea would remain in place. Leading shipping industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO, denounced the deadly operation and called for robust maritime security in the region via a joint statement on Wednesday. 'These vessels have been attacked with callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian seafarers,' they said. 'This tragedy illuminates the need for nations to maintain robust support in protecting shipping and vital sea lanes.' The Eternity C and the Magic Seas both flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms. Some of the sister vessels in each of their wider fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping data analysis showed. 'We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light,' said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous. The EU's Aspides naval mission, which protects Red Sea shipping, confirmed in a statement that six people had been pulled from the sea. The Red Sea, which passes Yemen's coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities but traffic has dropped sharply since the Houthi attacks began. Oil prices rose on Wednesday, maintaining their highest levels since June 23, also due to the recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing. Two security sources told Reuters that the vessel was hit again with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said. Skiffs were in the area as rescue efforts were underway. The crew comprised 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek and one Indian, who was one of those rescued.
South China Morning Post
24-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
A South China Sea digital commons could help calm troubled waters
On June 14, the Chinese military conducted sea and air patrols in the South China Sea, even as the Philippines and Japan held a joint drill in the waters. Earlier in the month, the US and the Philippines had held joint exercises in the sea. Tian Junli, spokesperson of the People's Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, criticised the Philippines for 'courting non-regional countries and organisations' – likely alluding to the US and Japan – to conduct such drills, saying they 'raised security risks' in the region. He said the Chinese forces would remain on 'high alert' to safeguard China's sovereignty and maritime rights. Parts of the South China Sea – a vital conduit for an estimated US$3.4 trillion in annual global trade – are claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, with China's nine-dash line overlapping other nations' exclusive economic zones. China views US-Philippine patrols as external interference meant to challenge its claims. Conversely, the Philippines sees these exercises as essential for safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring freedom of navigation. Reuters reported that the Philippines' patrols with the US took place within undisputed waters off Occidental Mindoro and Zambales. Interestingly, the Philippine Navy has denied China's claims of coordinated patrols during the drills with Japan. The cycle of patrols and counter-patrols highlights the risk of miscalculation in a region critical to global trade and security. The South China Sea operates as a low-information zone, where limited shared awareness among rival forces increases the risk of misinterpretation and escalation.
South China Morning Post
19-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
US mainstay of Taiwan Strait patrols the P-8 in spotlight at Paris Air Show
The US has highlighted its freedom of navigation operations at the Paris Air Show , with a display of the Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft deployed in the Taiwan Strait and other geopolitical flashpoints. US Navy mission commander Lieutenant Joseph Pitts, who captains a P-8 patrol plane, told reporters that freedom of navigation within international waters was at the core of his aircraft's mission set. 'We ensure that the international laws are being upheld, and that's kind of our primary mission whenever we're operating within all the AORs [area of responsibility],' he said in response to the South China Morning Post's inquiry about the P-8's role in the region. Pitts said he had been posted in 'pretty much every fleet [and] a little bit all over the world', including with the seventh fleet that operates in the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently, he was based in Japan. The deployment of the P-8 by US allies was helping to boost interoperability, he said. 'And especially the fellow P-8 platforms, helping, working with them, see what's the best way to operate this aircraft in the best state there could be.' The Boeing P-8 is also used for anti-submarine and surface warfare missions. It is armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and sonobuoys – which are dropped from aircraft or ships to detect and track submarines and underwater threats.
Zawya
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Secure waterways vital to trade, stability: Oman at UN
New York, USA – Oman has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding regional and international maritime navigation, describing secure sea routes as critical to the global movement of trade and energy supplies. Addressing a high-level session on maritime security at the United Nations Security Council in New York, H E Omar bin Saeed al Kathiri, Oman's Permanent Representative to the UN, said the sultanate recognises the legal, humanitarian and security responsibilities linked to protecting international shipping lanes. 'Oman has consistently aligned its national laws with international legal frameworks, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,' he said. 'This ensures the freedom of navigation, clarifies the responsibilities of coastal and transit states, and supports the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes.' He referenced Oman's recent mediation in the region, which led to a ceasefire agreement announced on May 6 to allow safe passage through the Red Sea and Bab al Mandab Strait. 'The mediation reflects Oman's wider efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and promote maritime stability.' © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
