IMOA
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PH says war games with US, Japan ‘not related to South China Sea’ dispute
MANILA, Philippines — The week-long maritime exercises of the Philippines, United States, and Japan are not in any way connected to the country’s territorial dispute in the South China Sea. “First of all, this is not something related to the South China Sea. Let us be clear on that,” Brig. Gen. Ariel Caculitan, exercise […]
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South China Sea: Russia interested in Philippine ‘power’ in blow to China’s dominance
RUSSIA and the Philippines look set to conclude a monumental infrastructure project according to reports. President Rodrigo Duterte recently travelled to Russia where he met with senior Russian officials. Following the visit, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III announced that Moscow was very interested in agreeing on an energy partnership in a huge blow […]
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Philippines, Russia: Duterte Reportedly Invited Rosneft to Conduct Oil Exploration in South China Sea
What Happened: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly invited Russian oil giant Rosneft to conduct oil exploration operations in the South China Sea during a visit to Moscow last week, the South China Morning Post reported Oct. 8. Why It Matters: Duterte has long attempted to maintain a diplomatic balancing act between China and the […]
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Prague cuts sister-city ties with Beijing amid ‘tangible anger’ over pro-China policies
Prague’s decision to end its sister-city agreement with Beijing reflects “tangible anger” in the Czech Republic over the president’s pro-China policies, analysts say. The Prague city council voted on Monday to pull out of the partnership deal after mayor Zdenek Hrib’s unsuccessful bid to get Beijing to remove a “one China” pledge from the […]
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South China Sea crisis: Russia and China on collision course over Philippine oil bid
MOSCOW and Beijing could be on a collision course in the South China Sea after the Philippines invited Russian oil giant Rosneft to join it as an oil and gas exploration partner in the disputed waters. Russian activities in the region have been under scrutiny since July when Chinese survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 […]
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China Knows It Can’t Protect Every Island It Builds (Think South China Sea) But Beijing is building them anyway.
During World War II Japan found that control of islands offered some strategic advantages, but not enough to force the United States to reduce each island individually. Moreover, over time the islands became a strategic liability, as Japan struggled to keep them supplied with food, fuel and equipment. The islands of the SCS are conveniently […]
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Philippines’ hopes for South China Sea exploration deal with Russia depends on Moscow’s ties to China, experts say
Duterte needs one eye on Beijing while dealing with Rosneft, observers say The Philippines is following Vietnam in courting Russia as an oil and gas exploration partner in the South China Sea, where China also lays claim to the waters. Observers said that while relations with Beijing are high on President Vladimir Putin’s agenda […]
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‘Chief diplomat’
Before he ended his official visit in Russia last Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte received a doctorate’s degree in diplomacy, an honoris causa conferred upon him by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations University. This was the first honorary degree that the 74-year-old President Duterte ever accepted. The honorary degree on diplomacy is quite […]
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Pat Buchanan: Is China the country of the future?
“WHO LOST China?” With the fall of the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, the defeat of his armies and the flight to Formosa, that was the question of the hour in 1949. And no one demanded to know more insistently than the anti-Communist Congressman John F. Kennedy: “Whatever share of the responsibility was Roosevelt’s […]
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Duterte finds ally in Mahathir on non-confrontation with China
MOSCOW – President Duterte has found an ally in Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in his view against antagonizing China over concerns that would affect their dealings with Beijing. “I cannot fight China. It would be a war which I can never win,” the President said during his speech before the Filipino community here […]