Maritime Raiding, International Law and the Suppression of Piracy on the South China Coast, 1842–1869

Abstract The intensity change of past (1976–2005) tropical cyclones that made landfall along the south China coast (110.5°–117.5°E) is examined in this study using the best-track data from the Hong Kong Observatory. The change in the central pressure deficit (environmental pressure minus central pressure) and maximum surface wind after landfall are found to fit fairly well with an exponential decay model. Of the various potential predictors, the landfall intensity, landward speed, and excess of 850-hPa moist static energy have significant influence on the decay rates. Prediction equations for the exponential decay constants are developed based on these predictors.

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Sea dispute endangers friendly China-Malaysia ties

Emerald Expert Briefings ◽

10.1108/oxan-db201098 ◽

2015 ◽

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

International Law ◽

South China ◽

Coast Guard ◽

The South China Sea ◽

Kuala Lumpur ◽

The South ◽

Content Type ◽

China Sea ◽

China Coast

Subject The maritime dispute between China and Malaysia in the South China Sea. Significance The inaugural 'One Belt and One Road China-Malaysia Business Dialogue' took place on July 15. 'One Belt and One Road' is the cooperative infrastructure investment initiative that the Xi Jinping administration presents as its signature foreign policy initiative. Yet for many in the region it has been overshadowed by Beijing's maritime assertiveness. Even China's normally cordial relations with Malaysia are now under threat from tensions at sea, where China Coast Guard ships at a disputed reef have prompted a low-key but serious standoff. Impacts Relations between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur will face their first serious test since the early 1990s. China is likely to claim Luconia Breakers as its southernmost territory under international law. Opposition politicians in Malaysia will put pressure on the Najib administration to resist China's actions. ASEAN will be more proactive in the South China Sea disputes under Malaysia's chairmanship.

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The Crucial Role of Synoptic Pattern in Determining the Spatial Distribution and Diurnal Cycle of Heavy Rainfall over the South China Coast

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/jcli-d-20-0274.1 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-47

Author(s):

Chenli Wang ◽

Kun Zhao ◽

Anning Huang ◽

Xingchao Chen ◽

Xiaona Rao

Keyword(s):

South China ◽

Heavy Rainfall ◽

Warm Season ◽

Early Morning ◽

The South ◽

Synoptic Patterns ◽

Low Level ◽

South China Coast ◽

China Coast

AbstractSouth China coast suffers frequent heavy rainfall every warm-season. Based on the objective classification method of principle components analysis, the key role of synoptic pattern in determining the heavy rainfall processes occurred over the South China coast in warm season during 2008-2018 is examined in this study. We found heavy rainfall occurs most frequently under three typical synoptic patterns (P1-P3 hereafter) characterized by strong low-level onshore winds. P1 and P3 are featured by a prevailing southwesterly monsoonal flow in the lower troposphere, with heavy rainfall frequently occurring over the inland windward region in the afternoon associated with the orographic lifting and solar heating. The onshore wind of P3 is stronger than P1 as the western Pacific subtropical high extends more westward to 122°E, which induces stronger low-level convergence along the coastline than P1 when the ageostrophic wind veers from offshore to onshore direction in the early morning. Hence, a secondary early morning rainfall peak can be found along the coastline. P2 is characterized by a low-level vortex located over the southwest of south China. Heavy rainfall under P2 usually initiate over the western part of the coastal region in the morning and then propagate towards inland in the afternoon. Overall, the synoptic patterns strongly determine the spatial distribution and diurnal cycle of heavy rainfall over the South China coast. It is closely related to the diurnally varying low-level onshore winds rather than the low-level jets, as well as the different interactions between the low-level onshore winds and the local orography, coastline and land-sea breeze circulations under different synoptic patterns.

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