//The Wire//1700Z March 2, 2024//

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//BLUF: DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS IN ASIA WORSEN FOLLOWING FISHING DISPUTE.//

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-International Events-

Red Sea/HOA: Houthi forces report that the M/V RUBYMAR has finished sinking in the southern Red Sea. Though no independent verification of this can be made at this time, UKMTO has confirmed that her last reported position as of this morning is at grid: 38PKV7912777100.

Far East: Tensions between the Philippines and China escalate following increasingly hostile fishing disputes in the region. Following reports of Chinese and Vietnamese vessels dumping cyanide into the waters surrounding the Scarborough Shoal (in a likely attempt to assert dominance and/or degrade/destroy the reef itself), diplomatic relations with Manila have deteriorated as the Philippines determines what their response to this latest tit-for-tat conflict will be. 

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Analyst Comments: Fishing disputes in the South China Sea have been ongoing for many years, and are usually a barometer for gauging the diplomatic status between the nations that all claim fishing rights to the same body of water. Much larger power-projection moves have been observed in the past, so this latest spat is likely not as serious as media outlets would indicate. However, keeping a finger on the pulse of the region is important, as increasingly hostile actions from China (or any or the other nations involved), could signal a deterioration of relations that are already sour.

Analyst: S2A1

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