June 2016
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Aquino: The president who brought China to court
MANILA, Philippines – It was not an easy decision for Philippine President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, leader of a developing country heavily dependent on China when it comes to trade. China, after all, is the Philippines’ second biggest trading partner, based on the latest government statistics released in September 2015. China, too, is the […]
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The Emperor’s Mysterious Map and the South China Sea
Is China censoring ancient clues to the secret history of the Spratly Islands? Within the imperial chambers of the Wanli Emperor (萬曆), sovereign of the Ming Dynasty from 1563 to 1620, could be found an encyclopedic work of cartographic craftsmanship unlike anything existing in Europe. It was a multicolored world map mounted on a six-paneled […]
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South China Sea: U.S. Strategically Squeezing, Says Beijing
The U.S. is continuing to strategically squeeze China in the South China Sea, claims a new editorial in the Beijing-based Global Times newspaper. In this photo from Wednesday, June 15, 2016, an F/A-18 Hornet takes off the deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS John C. Stennis during joint military exercise between the United […]
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Can Hague ruling help curb China advances?
Are China’s claims and actions in the South China Sea violations of international law? As early as by the end of this month, a court of arbitration in The Hague is expected to hand down the first ruling on the issue in a case initiated by the Philippines based on the U.N. Convention on the […]
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The South China Sea Moment of Truth Is Almost Here
The Philippines’ lawfare strategy in the South China Sea disputes is inching closer to a moment of truth. In coming weeks, an arbitral tribunal, formed under the aegis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is set to pass a final judgment on the ongoing maritime spats between China and […]
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China’s ‘Historic Rights’ in the South China Sea: Made in America?
The current understanding of “historic rights” in the South China Sea in China can be traced back to a U.S. diplomat. http://thediplomat.com/2016/06/chinas-historic-rights-in-the-south-china-sea-made-in-america/
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On the eve of a verdict
Legal circles are abuzz with talk of an impending verdict in the dispute between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. The arbitral tribunal that has jurisdiction under the compulsory dispute-settlement provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is said to be ready to promulgate judgment sometime in the […]
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World View: South China Sea: China’s List of Supporters Found to Be Delusional
Any day now, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a United Nations international court in the Hague, is supposed to issue a ruling on a case brought by the Philippines against China on the merits of China’s claims to the entire South China Sea. The case is brought under the United Nations Convention on the Law […]
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OPINION: Ways to make China comply
Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio discusses the Philippines’ options during his lecture before members of the Philippine Press Institute. The Philippines is not exactly helpless if the United Nations Arbitral Court decides in our favor in the case we filed against China and China ignores it. The Hague-based U.N. Artbitral Court is expected to […]
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Indonesia president visits islands on warship, makes point to China
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president held a cabinet meeting aboard a warship off the Natuna Islands on Thursday (Jun 23), asserting sovereignty over waters in the southern reaches of the South China Sea after Beijing stated its “over-lapping claim” on nearby waters. President Joko Widodo’s visit to the remote island chain along with his chief security minister, […]