Free Republic

Joe WeisenthalMay 26, 2014, 9:11 PM Protesters hold anti-China placards while marching in an anti-China protest on a street in Hanoi May 11, 2014. Hundreds rallied on Sunday in Vietnam's biggest cities to denounce China's setting up of a giant oil rig in the South China Sea, a rare protest likely to prolong a tense standoff between the two communist neighbours. Territorial tensions in Asia continue to rise. The latest: A Chinese ship has reportedly sunk a Vietnamese boat, reports the Nikkei. A Chinese vessel rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat off the coast of Vietnam on Monday afternoon,...

Rattled by China's development of the Chunxiao gas field in the East China Sea, the government is setting up a task force to ensure Japan's vast ocean interests are protected. The task force comprising officials from various ministries and agencies will be in place this month and operate with a focus on Okinotorishima island, Japan's southernmost point. Located more than 1,600 kilometers south of the capital, the island is part of the Ogasawara chain and comes under the jurisdiction of Tokyo. Actually, the island is two tiny islets: but its location gives Japan a huge advantage. The exclusive economic zone...