On Tuesday, July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled will rule on an argument by the Philippines government that China’s claim to own 90 per cent of the South China Sea is false. The court is expected to rule ruled
At what point will Beijing be challenged on its empire-building campaign? International Affairs analyst Jonathan Manthorpe examines China’s latest moves to claim territory and influence in Southeast Asia. An excerpt of his new column: China’s project to slowly gobble up sovereignty over the
JONATHAN MANTHORPE May 23, 2014 China’s project to slowly gobble up sovereignty over the South China Sea and, with money and threats to cow the 10 countries of Southeast Asia into subservience, has made dramatic advances. Beijing will be well pleased with the
JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs January 20, 2017 Even as the inaugural party hangovers still throb in Washington, leaders in other capitals are dreaming up ways to discover what kind of blow-hard Donald Trump is. He has given them plenty to work with
JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs December 31, 2016 It is now pretty clear that when Shinzo Abe rushed to meet Donald Trump, even while the votes were being counted in November, the Japanese Prime Minister didn’t have a Margaret Thatcher or George W
JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs November 19, 2016 Public displays of anxiety are frowned on in Japanese culture, and are especially unacceptable in political leaders. Even more anathema to the spirit of “Bushido” – the chivalric code of the samurai warrior – is
Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan cheer at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir Reporting Turkish coup crumbles, crowds answer call to streets, by Nick Tattersall and Ece Toksabay An attempted Turkish military coup appeared to crumble
JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs July 16, 2016 The ruling this week by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, that China’s claim to sovereignty over about 90 per cent of the South China Sea is invalid and unlawful, will have profound effects on the
Fishing with Fire: a photo essay, by Tyrone Siu Report Under the darkness of the night sky, a small group of Taiwan fishermen set sail off the northeast coast, light a fire on the end of a bamboo stick using chemicals and
JONATHAN MANTHORPE: International Affairs May 28, 2016 Since Tsai Ing-wen was elected president of Taiwan in January, the Chinese regime of Xi Jinping has done everything it can to inflame cross-strait relations by goading her into making an outraged response. Tsai, who