World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

China has warned the US to respect its territorial waters in the South China Sea.  The statement is in response to an American intention to test the freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.   China is not the only country building up reefs in the area–Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines are doing the same thing.  The possible confrontation over the issue is worrisome: there is precious little room for compromise on territorial matters.

Iran fired warning shots at a Singaporean tanker ship in the Persian Gulf.  The ship sought assistance from the United Arab Emirates and there was no escalation of the violence.  The incident follows the Iranian seizure of a cargo ship flying the falg of the Marshall Islands–a ship that was subsequently released after the settlement of a commercial dispute between the owner of the cargo ship and Iran.   The incidents raise tensions between Iran and its Arab neighbors, and the Obama Administration is attempting to reassure the Arab states through security assurances and the sale of advanced military equipment.   Such efforts will not, however, ease the tension.  They will simply raise the stakes for both sides.  In the meantime, the Congress has passed a bill that gives it the right to review the Iranian nuclear agreement, and possibly prevent the US from lifting sanctions if the Congress does not believe that the agreement is in the US national interest.  President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill.   We will see if the law in simply a Trojan horse for mischief.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the two discuss improving Indian-Chinese relations.   It was the first time President Xi had invited a foreign leader to  his father’s home province of Shaanxi, and analysts are hoping that the invitation is a sign that the two sides might be seriously considering the resolution of a border dispute along the Himalayas.   There is great suspicion between the two powers, and it would be difficult to imagine a quick resolution of the tensions.  Two great powers coexisting side-by-side are rarely tension-free.