News
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Candor from Chinese ambassador surely hurts
IN a cacophony of stereotypes, two complement each other to nail the issue on the South China Sea once and for all: Truth hurts, and the truth shall set you free. I won’t need the advice of a former British prime minister to state my take on the recent pronouncement by Chinese ambassador to the […]
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China puts new weapons and warships through paces in live-fire drills near Vietnam
The Chinese navy is conducting a week-long exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin to test new warships and weapons, military experts said. The Maritime Safety Administration posted “no sail” notices for three parts of the gulf, warning vessels not to enter the zones because of live-fire drills. The exercises began on August 9 and are […]
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Philippines Protests China’s Flotilla Of Militia Ships In South China Sea
The Philippines are beginning to show some resistance against the increasingly bothersome presence of Chinese militia ships in waters that everyone considers as belonging to the Philippines. The one country that is of a different opinion is, of course, China itself. The Chinese have over two million active military personnel and have the second largest […]
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Palace concerned over Chinese warship in Sibutu Strait
MANILA — Malacañang expressed concern on Thursday over a Chinese warship’s unauthorized passage through Sibutu Strait in the waters of Tawi-Tawi despite China’s assurance to maintain friendly ties with the Philippines. “We express concern with that kind of incident. Because if they keep on saying that we’re friends, I don’t think this is an act […]
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South China Sea bombshell: Philippines in crisis over presence of fleet of warships
THE Philippines has spoken of its fear following the citing of five Chinese warships in its waters. Tensions between the two countries have risen lately with Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte confirming that he will confront Beijing over its territorial dominance next month. In an added escalation to the tensions between the two states, the Philippine […]
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US Marines sailed through the Strait of Hormuz with an armored vehicle on the flattop’s flight deck, ready to fight off Iranian gunboats
An AH-1Z Viper attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit taking off during a strait transit aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dalton S. Swanbeck Photos from a recent Strait of Hormuz transit by the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Boxer […]
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Decoding Australia’s Strange Silence Over China’s Transgressions in the South China Sea
Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper strongly advocates the geostrategic concept of the Indo-Pacific and the global rules-based order. In its first comprehensive guide-book for international engagement in 14 years, Canberra makes the case for an Indo-Pacific of openness, prosperity, and inclusiveness. Of note, the term Indo-Pacific appears more than 70 times in the document. […]
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Revisiting the Hague arbitral ruling
I am reprinting portions of an article written by Filipina Johanna Son, a resident of Bangkok which had extensive quotes from Marites D. Vitug. It came out in the Bangkok Post on Aug. 20, 2018 which I also reprinted with permission. Based on recent pronouncements from the Palace, it would seem that President Duterte […]
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Chinese warships’ entry illegal, Palace says
CHINA is violating international law for the unauthorized entry of its warships into Philippine waters, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s spokesman said yesterday. “It’s a violation of the UNCLOS,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters yesterday, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “I am sure the secretary of […]
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Palace to Chinese envoy: What happened to commitment over China warships in PH waters?
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang will ask Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua to explain the presence of Chinese warships in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without informing the Philippine government, a move that broke the Chinese envoy’s earlier commitment. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said Zhao assured him on July 22 that the Chinese Navy will […]
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Panelo to Zhao: PHL won’t change position on arbitral ruling either
Malacañang on Thursday stood by the arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claim to the South China Sea after Beijing’s envoy said their position on the matter remained the same. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua indicated last week that Beijing will continue to not recognize the Philippines’ victory at The Hague-based Permanent Court […]
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Philippines firm in South China Sea arbitral victory vs China
MANILA – The Philippines remains firm in its victory against China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea and would push for talks to settle the maritime dispute, a Malacañang official said Thursday. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Manila would not be swayed from raising its arbitral victory even as Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines […]