South China Sea

The South China Sea is well known as a hotspot of geopolitical tensions. But it is more than just that. It has been a critical node and nexus of trade, strategic rivalries, and the exchange of cultures and ideas for at least a millennium.

Over the last decade, the center of world power has been quietly shifting from Europe to Asia. With oil reserves of several billion barrels, an estimated 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and several centuries' worth of competing territorial claims, the South China Sea in particular is a simmering pot of potential conflict. The underreported military buildup in the area where the Western Pacific meets the Indian Ocean means that it will likely be a hinge point for global war and peace for the foreseeable future.

In the sphere of future global politics, no region will be as hotly contested as the Asia-Pacific. This is where authoritarian China is trying to rewrite international law and challenge the democratic values of the US and its allies. No other Asian country can take on China alone. The US too may be ill-equipped for the job at hand. If China does get away with seizing and militarizing waters here, what will it do elsewhere, and who will be able to stop it? Asian Waters breaks down the politics - and tensions - seen through this region for years.

Immerse yourself in the intricate world of geopolitical hotspots with the riveting new eBook - 'Unstable Borders'. This insightful guide studies intricate dynamics on a global scale, unearthing layers of political, cultural, and social complexities that define today's world order. Dive into the pulsating heart of global conflicts, past and present, and trace the outlines of today's geopolitical landscapes from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, Africa to Asia. You'll navigate startlingly complex narratives like the longstanding struggle in Israel-Palestine, the emerging battlefield of South...

This book places the reader in the correct frame of mind to grasp the gravity of the situation facing America and comprehend the downward spiral we have entered collectively as a nation. The United States' hegemony, competitive advantage, economic interests, national security, social construct, morality, and military capability are being threatened and contested on multiple levels, internally and externally. The global situation has escalated to a point where our past global retreats and inactions are forcing us to face significantly more risk. It is imperative that we adopt a more ...

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.

She was sold into sexual slavery at age seven. By thirty-five, she commanded 80,000 pirates and negotiated with empires as an equal. In 1801, Shi Yang was property—a flower boat prostitute in Canton with no future and no hope. By 1810, she was Zheng Yi Sao, the Pirate Queen, commander of the largest criminal fleet in history. This is the true story of how one woman transformed herself from victim to victor, building an empire on the South China Sea that neither the Chinese government nor European powers could destroy. Starting with nothing but intelligence and ruthless pragmatism, Shi ...

Modern Pirate Series A collection of stories about Alex the Pirate and his savvy crew of rogues and thieves. They are modern pirates who love fast boats and the freedom of the sea. These are the stories of their early days as smugglers and pirates working to make a living in the tough and dangerous sea going trades. From their home base in Malaysia during the treacherous 1990s, they smuggle high tech goods into Vietnam and Cambodia while carrying freedom seeking exiles from those lands to safer shores. Later, Alex and Diego, his second in command, scout the South China Sea and Caribbean for...

Out in the Pacific Ocean, there is a war taking place. It is a "warm war", a shoving match between the United States, since World War II the uncontested ruler of the seas, and China, which now possesses the world's largest navy. The Chinese regard the Pacific, and especially the South China Sea, as their ocean, and they're ready to defend it. Each day the heat between the two countries increases as the Chinese try to claim the South China Sea for their own, and the United States insists on asserting freedom of navigation.

Ordered to relieve an alcoholic skipper, Dan finds he has inherited a damaged ship, an untrustworthy crew, and an ambiguous mission. He is to take the USS Oliver C. Gaddis, soon to become the PNS Tughril, on her final voyage to be donated to Pakistan. But in Kirachi, Dan gets new orders: take Gaddis still further east, and operate against modern pirates preying on commercial shipping in the remote, dangerous South China Sea.

The impact of continuous coastal development, reclamation, destruction of corals, overfishing and increased maritime traffic places all of us on the front lines of preserving our oceans. Marine biologists, who share a common language that cuts across political, economic and social differences, recognize that the sea’s remarkable coral reefs, which provide food, jobs and protection against storms and floods, have suffered unprecedented rates of destruction in recent decades. Dispatches from the South China Sea’s blend of participatory research and field reportage paves the way for a ...

No sooner had the aerial reconnaissance photographs of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea been analyzed than the evidence of China's island-building activities was forwarded to the Pentagon and the White House. Those satellite images revealed that the Chinese military was turning reefs and atolls into solid ground supporting airfields, ports, helipads and barracks. The discovery of new Chinese military staging areas adjacent to the earth's busiest shipping lanes for oil and natural gas was followed within weeks by China's announcement that they would purchase all of Russia's surplus...

"Bill Holstein nails it. This is exactly the right book at the right time. Holstein knows because he has spent decades observing events closely around the world and interpreting them especially in terms of what they mean for real people in America. His observations are deeply insightful and U.S. leaders need to pay attention to his suggestions. The book is also a fun read." —Clyde Prestowitz, veteran trade negotiator and author, The World Turned Upside Down: America, China, and the Struggle for Global Leadership. The rapid spread of the coronavirus demonstrated how deeply interwoven our ...

Modern Pirate Series A collection of stories about Alex the Pirate and his savvy crew of rogues and thieves. They are modern pirates who love fast boats and expensive yachts, and also share a passion for treasure hunting. These are the stories of their days as smugglers and pirates working to make a living in the tough and dangerous sea going trades. Alex and Diego, his second in command, scout the Caribbean for worthy ships to liberate from their owners and turn a profit. They also hunt for lost treasure in the Caribbean where so many ships have been lost over the centuries and their ...

The Caribbean Queen Alex and company steal an expensive yacht, The Caribbean Queen, from its mooring while the crew is ashore on the island of Grenada. They sail it away as a dangerous storm sweeps the sea. The Exchange Alex receives a call from an old friend to help him recover his two kidnapped children in Hong Kong. Alex decides to deliver the unusual payment for his friend even though he must get safe passage from the Triad. He confronts the nefarious Mohammed the goat to make the payoff. The exchange goes all wrong and a gun battle ensues. Venezuela Nights Alex embarks on a secret ...

Prowling Tiger A Long Short Story Alex the Pirate and his business partner, Diego, set about pirating ships at sea using their new fast gunboat, the Tiger. Stopping a ship at sea and stealing its cargo are not as easy as it sounds. There is a steep learning curve, especially if you try not to kill anyone on board. Mr. Luong says they should stick to what they do best—smuggling contraband across the Gulf of Thailand and into Vietnam where they can make a profit on the black market. There are anxious refugees they must rescue and transport to safety in Malaysia. All in a day’s work. But ...

“THE BOOK CHINA DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ.” —CNN​ SELECTED AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by THE ECONOMIST and FINANCIAL TIMES This “powerful and disturbing” (Bill Browder, author of Red Notice) New York Times bestseller is narrated by a man who, with his wife, Whitney Duan, rose to the...

As a deputy national security advisor specializing in far east countries, Cole Ormond is on assignment in Taiwan conducting a survey for the administration on Taiwan’s ability to defend itself from an invasion by the Chinese military with or without intervention by the United States. On his last night in Taipei Cole witnesses an assassination of a senior Chinese trade delegate. Within days after ordered by the White House to assist Taiwan government investigators Cole and his Taiwan partner evade attempts on their lives. Only the skills leaned from his time as a Navy Seal prevents their ...

From the Baltic to the South China Sea, newly assertive authoritarian states sense an opportunity to resurrect old empires or build new ones at America's expense. Hoping that US decline is real, nations such as Russia, Iran, and China are testing Washington's resolve by targeting vulnerable allies at the frontiers of American power. The Unquiet Frontier explains why the United States needs a new grand strategy that uses strong frontier alliance networks to raise the costs of military aggression in the new century.

From the former New York Times Asia correspondent and author of China's Second Continent, an incisive investigation of China's ideological development as it becomes an ever more aggressive player in regional and global diplomacy. For many years after its reform and opening in 1978, China...