# first island chain
Latest news and articles about first island chain
Total: 2 articles found
Silent Showdown in the South China Sea: B‑52s, H‑6Ks and Five Days of Face‑to‑Face Patrols
A U.S. B‑52 joined Philippine aircraft in a South China Sea patrol from Feb 2–6, prompting five days of Chinese sea and air counter‑patrols. The episode illustrates how diplomatic outreach between Washington and Beijing can coexist with, and even be shadowed by, intensified military competition in the region.
Tokyo’s Taiwan Rhetoric and Robot Dogs: Why Beijing Sees a Dangerous Mix of Electioneering and Militarisation
Japan’s prime minister sparked Beijing’s ire by saying Tokyo and Washington would jointly evacuate citizens in a Taiwan crisis, prompting Chinese accusations of remilitarisation. The dispute unfolds amid U.S. efforts to balance deterrence with stable ties to China and Japan’s procurement of unmanned “machine dogs”, which signal a low‑risk military transformation that may alter crisis incentives.