China’s defence minister warns of possible ‘people’s war’ over South China Sea
Stung by the ruling of an international tribunal rejecting its claims over the South China Sea, China has upped the stakes, with its defence minister warning of a possible “people’s war at sea” and exhorting the nation to be prepared for it.
China’s Defence Minister Chang Wanquan has asked the military, police and general population to be ready to defend the country’s territorial integrity in case of a direct confrontation in the South China Sea – a veiled reference to the US military build-up around the disputed islands.
The minister’s comments indicate China’s hardening position and the growing tide of nationalism over the South China Sea issue in the aftermath of the ruling by the Hague tribunal rejecting its historic claims over the disputed maritime region. The comments are seen as a message to the US, which has been sending warships and military planes close to the South China Sea islands as a possible hedge against China’s military assertion. Beijing has slammed the US’ provocative behaviour in the wake of the tribunal’s ruling.
BRICS summit build-up: Focus on development cooperation
The build-up towards the 8th BRICS summit India will be hosting in Goa in October has acquired a momentum, with a series of meetings being planned in the next ten weeks. The intra-BRICS cooperation will be in focus at a meeting of BRICS Development Partnership Administrators in New Delhi on August 6-7. The intra-BRICS development […]
The Failed Coup in Turkey – The Road Ahead
Introduction It is more than two weeks since the abortive coup on the night of 15-16 July took place in Turkey. Although additional information has become available, it is still not clear who the mastermind behind the failed attempt was. It is, however, possible to piece together the sequence of events with a fair degree […]