News
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Carpio: PH should refuse China’s request for marine research in Philippine Rise
Carpio: PH should refuse China’s request for marine research in Philippine Rise Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, Januaray 15) — “If a bully has squatted on your front yard, and requests to look at your backyard, would you grant the request of the bully?” Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio posed this question in the wake of […]
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Philippine brass up in arms on the South China Sea
Filipino military chief Delfin Lorenzana is again at odds with his government’s softly-softly approach to China’s maritime ambitions Under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s chairmanship of Asean in 2017, the regional bloc maintained that the situation in the South China Sea was generally stable, meaning there was no need for confrontation or criticism of China’s activities, […]
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The ‘Indo-Pacific’: Redrawing the Map to Counter China
McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have begun using the term “Indo-Pacific” in recent months to refer to the region that extends from the west coast of the U.S. to the west coast of India. For decades previously, American leaders had called this swath of the globe the “Asia-Pacific,” or more recently as the […]
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Canberra: Tribunal ruling on South China Sea reflects international law, should be implemented
“We believe that [ruling] reflects international law and we support a rules-based international order,” Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely said at the BusinessMirror Coffee Club Forum on Wednesday. She noted that the decision of the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague “is a very important and fundamental value and principle that is at the […]
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Alejano: Why let China do research in PH waters, Benham Rise?
MANILA, Philippines – “So, why China?” Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano on Friday, January 12, blasted the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for supposedly approving the request for Chinese nationals to conduct marine scientific research in Philippine waters, including Benham Rise. At the same time, Alejano claimed, the DFA rejected a request from […]
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China objects to Vietnam’s call for Indian investment in South China Sea
BEIJING: China today objected to Vietnam’s invitation to India to invest in oil and natural gas sector in the disputed South China Sea, saying it is firmly opposed to infringement of its rights using development of bilateral ties as an “excuse”. Vietnam’s Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh on Tuesday had told an […]
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Fisherfolk group decries Duterte’s ‘criminal negligence’ as Chinese fortifies military base in Kagitingan Reef
“Our winning in the case filed before the international tribunal has been disregarded not only by China but by the Philippine government itself.” MANILA — Early in 2016, there have already been reports on the building of military facilities by China on the disputed Kagitingan Reef, internationally known as the Fiery Cross Reef. […]
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West Philippine Sea Task Force, think tank watch Chinese improvements
MANILA, Philippines — Was the Philippine government really unaware of where China has been expanding in the disputed South China Sea as claimed by Malacañang? The Philippines claims parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone and calls it the West Philippine Sea. Last week, Chinese state-run newspaper Global […]
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China softens tone in drive for Asia influence Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte meeting Chinese
LONDON — Before his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, Mr Xi Jinping’s advisers presented him with four drafts of a speech for the annual gathering of global elites. According to two people familiar with the Chinese president’s preparations, Mr Xi chose to give the softest version, presenting China as […]
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The South China Sea fell off Trump’s radar last year. He may have to pay attention in 2018.
HONG KONG — President Trump railed against a lot of things in 2017. Chinese construction in the South China Sea was not really one of them, despite his campaign tough talk. Focused on North Korea and evidently enamored of President Xi Jinping, the voluble U.S. president said relatively little as China continued to […]
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A South China Sea Code of Conduct: Is Real Progress Possible?
At the recently concluded 31st ASEAN Summit Meetings in Manila, the leaders of ASEAN and China formally announced the start of negotiations on the fine print of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. The agreement comes just three months after the foreign ministers from both sides endorsed the framework on the […]
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S.China Sea island construction strengthens defense, helps locals
China has accelerated construction and enhanced its military presence on South China Sea islands and shoals over the past year as territorial tensions with neighboring countries are subsiding. China’s construction projects in the South China Sea region covered about 290,000 square meters in 2017, including new facilities for underground storage, administrative building and […]