October 2014
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South China Sea Dispute: Top Beijing Diplomat Set for Hanoi Talks to Smooth Waters
China’s leading diplomat has arranged to visit Vietnam next week, five months since tensions between the two countries erupted over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Yang Jiechi will meet with Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on 27 October, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement, where the two will discuss “Sino-Vietnam […]
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David vs. Goliath in the South China Sea: The Philippines vs. China
China, Kalayaan Group of Islands, Military Presence, Pagasa, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysIn a dramatic display of strategic naiveté, the Philippines decided (early-October) to suspend the repair and upgrade of its age-old airstrip on the Spratly island of Thitu (Pagasa to the Filipinos), among the biggest and most prized land features in the South China Sea, which can generate its own 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The […]
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Philippines pushes arbitration in China sea row
ASEAN, China, Code of Conduct, Oil Rig, Philippines, Reed Bank, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, UNCLOSMANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippine president said Wednesday that the international arbitration Manila has initiated to challenge China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and a legally binding “Code of Conduct” are the only ways to settle the long-raging disputes peacefully. The Philippines says that China has been intruding into its exclusive economic zone, […]
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US government: People of the Philippines deserve nothing less
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario had a press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry prior to their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. Different state representtives are in Indonesia for the inauguration of Joko Widodo, new President of Indonesia, yesterday, October 20. Kerry also used the opportunity to hold meetings with state leaders to strengthen […]
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Taiwan Considers Permanent Armed Ships For Disputed South China Sea Island
Arms Race, China, Inu Taba, Military Conflict, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Taiwan(Reuters) – Taiwan is considering stationing armed vessels permanently on a disputed South China Sea island, officials said, a move bound to renew friction in a region claimed almost wholly by China, with Vietnam already dismissing such a plan as “illegal”. The potentially energy-rich Spratly islands are one of the main flashpoints in the South China Sea, with claims […]
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PHL sends proposed South China Sea measure to UN head, 193 countries
Philippines sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon with the outline of Triple Action Plan to peacefully solve maritime disputes. Letter sent to Ban Ki-Moon was also circulated to 193 member states of UN, in a bid to gain wider support from international community. Triple Action Plan includes three phases which includes arbitration […]
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Indonesia & China struggling over the South China Sea?
Is Beijing targeting Indonesia? According to The Diplomat, the Natuna Islands may be the next claim of China in the South China Sea. But the difference this time is the fact that it belongs to Indonesia. Beijing recently promulgated a map with certain boundaries that claims parts of the South China Sea, including the Natuna […]
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China’s Dangerous Game
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Fishing Rights, Palawan, Philippines, South China Sea DisputeIn the tranquil harbors that dot the coastline of Palawan, a sword-shaped island in the western Philippines, the ferry boats are crowded with commuters traveling back and forth between sleepy townships, and with vendors bearing fresh produce. On Sundays, they fill with people dressed up for church. From nearby berths, fishermen set out to sea […]
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China-Philippines Territorial Dispute: Ancient Maps ‘Debunk’ Chinese Claim Over Scarborough Shoal
Cartographic Exhibit, China, Historical Truths and Lies, IMOA, Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs, Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Maps, Philippines, South China Sea DisputeThe Philippines has upped the ante in its territorial dispute with China by fighting fire with fire, or in this case, a map with a map. The Philippines has recently unveiled an exhibit in Manila of 60 ancient maps of Asia that authorities say debunk China’s claimed “historical ownership” over disputed areas of the South […]