September 2020
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China’s Rejection of Taiwan Buffer Zone Raises Risk of Clash
China is ratcheting up the risk of military confrontation in the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing seeks to deter Taipei from continuing to deepen ties with the U.S. and other like-minded democracies. People’s Liberation Army aircraft repeatedly breached the median line between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland last week, in the latest of a series of […]
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Navy welcomes support for South China Sea ruling
The leadership of the Philippine Navy welcomed on Sunday the recognition by France, Germany and the United Kingdom of the 2016 tribunal ruling that validates the Philippines’ claim over South China (West Philippine) Sea. VAdm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, Navy chief, was referring to the joint note verbale by the European countries, making a stand as […]
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US-China rivalry in the South China Sea has the Philippines at its core, observers say
The United States and China have stepped up their efforts to win the affections of thePhilippinesof late as the two powers remainlocked in a fight for supremacy on multiple fronts, not least theSouth China Sea. On Friday, the agriculture ministry in Manila announced that a US-funded animal disease laboratory had opened in the Central Luzon […]
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France, Germany, UK reject China’s sweeping claims in South China Sea in joint note verbale
MANILA – France, Germany and the United Kingdom filed a joint note verbale with the United Nations in New York, rejecting China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea. In a note verbale dated Sept. 16, the three nations said that “historic rights” over the South China Sea waters “do not comply” with international law […]
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Palace ‘unaware’ that banned China firm got Sangley airport project
MANILA, Philippines — Despite its P4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds this year, Malacañang was “not aware” that a Chinese company that bagged the Sangley airport project had been blacklisted by the United States for its involvement in island building in the West Philippine Sea. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea made the admission on Monday […]
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CHILLING WARNINGChina says it’s ‘militarily and morally ready for war’ after 11,000 US troops hold massive drills in Guam
CHINA has warned it’s “ready for war” after 11,000 US troops were sent to Guam for massive military drills. The soldiers – along with America’s largest warships and 100 planes – are training to defend the crucial Pacific island. But the move has sparked warnings from China, which has declared that it’s “militarily and morally […]
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Locsin calls for resumption of South China Sea code of conduct talks
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has called for the resumption of negotiations between Southeast Asian nations and China for a code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea which has been been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite travel restrictions that precluded face-to-face meetings, Locsin called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations […]
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South China Sea: Indonesia warns off Beijing patrol boat after furious radio ‘argument’
BEIJING has been blasted by Indonesia after an armed Chinese boat patrolled waters claimed by both sides. The Chinese vessel, also known as CCG 5204, was equipped with a machine gun mounted on the front. The country’s coast guard claimed the gun was only intended to be used as a defence against pirates, according to […]
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Chinese PLA’s new expansion plans on Bhutan
The Bhutanese rulers have been sensitised at the highest level and have been asked to prepare for a military contingency plan After Ladakh and the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is poised to open another front against Bhutan, with a build-up in western and central part of Kingdom in a bid to […]
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China, US tensions: Next 10 months are ‘critical’ to avoid war
With the US in turmoil, the world distracted by the pandemic mixed with China’s unbridled ambition, the next 10 months will be the most dangerous since World War II, a top Australian strategic analyst warns. “The global economy may be in hibernation, but geopolitics is thriving and sprinting towards a potential crisis,” Australian Strategic Studies […]