Vietnam has banned the movie “Barbie” from domestic distribution due to a scene featuring a map that shows China’s unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea. This ban is a reminder of the ongoing tensions between Vietnam and China over the South China Sea, as other films such as “The Great Wall” and “Kung Fu Panda 3” have been banned in the past.
Posts tagged as “the South China Sea”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Visit China in Effort to Repair Deteriorating Relationship
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Visit China in Effort to Repair Deteriorating Relationship
Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, will travel to China this weekend in an effort to repair the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. This will be the first visit to China by a Secretary of State since 2018, and the Biden administration is hoping to keep lines of communication open and repair the ties. However, expectations for major "deliverables" are low, as the relationship between the two countries is in need of repair.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to China in the coming weeks for high-level talks, despite tensions between the two countries over issues such as trade, human rights, and the coronavirus pandemic. The trip was originally planned for February, but was postponed after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. It remains to be seen if the two sides will be able to reach an agreement during Blinken's visit.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has expressed his disappointment in the refusal of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu to meet with him. Austin had requested a meeting with Li during an upcoming defense summit in Singapore, but the request was declined. The U.S. is pushing China to talk, urging Beijing to open communication channels to avoid any dangerous incidents. The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue is set to start on Friday, and it is expected that the U.S. and China will continue to discuss the importance of open communication.
A team of explorers have discovered the wreck of the Montevideo Maru, a Japanese ship that was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942, resulting in Australia’s largest maritime wartime loss of 1,080 lives. Located at a depth of over 13,120 feet, the Silentworld Foundation is now working with the Australian government to protect and respect the site, as well as create a memorial to commemorate the lives lost.
On Friday, a U.S. Navy reconnaissance jet was intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet in the South China Sea. The Chinese jet flew alongside the American plane for over an hour, and a voice from a Chinese air force ground station warned the U.S. plane. The South China Sea has been a source of tension between the two countries for years, and this incident is the latest in a series of encounters between the two countries.
The US Defense Department has released a selfie taken from the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane, showing the shadow of the aircraft on a Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by the US military earlier this month. The photo provides a rare glimpse into the operations of the U-2 spy plane, and serves as a reminder of the US military's commitment to protecting US airspace and its citizens. The incident highlights the need for increased vigilance, as the US has been engaging in surveillance operations of its own in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Coast Guard has accused a Chinese Coast Guard ship of using a “military-grade laser” to disrupt a resupply mission to its troops in the South China Sea. This incident has raised tensions between the two countries, which have long been in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, and has led to the Philippines strengthening its military presence in the area and seeking support from its allies. China has responded by accusing the Philippines of trespassing and violating its sovereignty.