News
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Duterte, Xi favor bilateral deal on sea dispute
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte frowns upon a “multilateral approach” to resolve the South China Sea dispute and will push for a deal with another claimant country, his spokesman said last week. Both Mr. Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping think involving other claimant-countries or a third party such as the United Nations won’t resolve the issue, presidential spokesman Salvador…
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Running Out Of Gas: Philippine Energy Security And The South China Sea – Analysis
(FPRI) — About 80 km off the northwest coast of Palawan Island in the South China Sea is the Malampaya natural gas field, the Philippines’ main domestic source of energy. Once piped ashore, its natural gas fuels five power plants, which provide half of the electricity supply for the Philippines’ most populous island of Luzon and the national capital…
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US Navy sails ship close to islands claimed by China
WASHINGTON, United States — The US Navy said that one of its destroyers had sailed close to the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Friday, asserting international freedom of navigation rights in the contested waters. The USS Wayne E. Meyer guided-missile destroyer passed through the area of the Paracels east of Vietnam and South of China’s…
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Vietnam digs in on South China Sea oil and gas projects amid Chinese pressure
BANGKOK – Vietnam, locked in one of its most protracted test of wills with China of late, is trying to allay fears that yet another foreign joint venture energy project in the South China Sea may be canned due to pressure from Beijing. The question over American firm ExxonMobil’s involvement in the Ca Voi Xanh, or Blue Whale, gas…
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Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei navies stage drills near South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines conducted naval drills with Vietnam and Brunei in the waters adjacent to the South China Sea, while en route to the site of the first-ever maritime exercises between the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) and the United States. The Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam are three of the four members of the Asean that have claims…
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European nations ‘determined to stay relevant’ in Asia-Pacific, South China Sea
Major European nations are seeking to raise their profile in the Asia-Pacific, with freedom of navigation operations and concern about rising tensions in the South China Sea signalling their desire to remain relevant in the region, analysts say. “Until a few years ago, European countries preferred to keep a low profile on regional security issues in East Asia, but…
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Congressmen file bill establishing PH archipelagic sea lanes
Administration and opposition congressmen have filed a bill proposing to establish the archipelagic sea lanes of the country in a bid to prevent a repeat of the controversy brought about by the passage of Chinese warships in Philippine waters without prior clearance from Manila. Three bills on the archipelagic sea lanes were filed separately by Reps. Ann Hofer (PDP-Laban, Zamboanga…
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Upping the ante in the Yen analogy
Time and space precluded a somewhat exhaustive discussion of the topic tackled in this column last time out: Analogy discloses US evil hand. And although a reader lauded the article as “quite an enlightening piece,” saying “America can never be trusted,” I nonetheless feel obliged to elaborate further on matters either completely left unsaid or half-considered. The Yen analogy…
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PH to continue enforcing rights in South China Sea – DND
The Department of National Defense (DND) will continue enforcing the rights of the Philippines in the disputed waters in the South China Sea (SCS) even if President Duterte decides to “set aside” the 2016 arbitral ruling in favor of a joint exploration activity with China. “The Philippines is a rules-based state and a party to the United Nations Charter…
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Palace assures Carpio: Duterte will never abandon PH arbitral win vs China
MANILA – Malacañang assured Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio Friday that President Rodrigo Duterte would never abandon the Philippines’ legal victory in the South China Sea after the magistrate said the chief executive has “no authority” to set it aside. Duterte’s spokesperson Salvador Panelo twitted Carpio, saying the justice “appears to relish in finding fault in what the President…
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Duterte has no authority to ‘set aside’ PH arbitral win – Carpio
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has no authority to “set aside” Manila’s legal victory in the South China Sea to push through with a joint oil and gas exploration deal in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Friday. Carpio, one of the country’s staunchest advocates of Philippine ownership of disputed islands in the South China…
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U.S., Philippines Boost Military Pact With More Drills Planned
The U.S. and the Philippines have agreed to enhance defense cooperation, increasing joint security activities next year amid tension in the South China Sea. “Today, we addressed regional security challenges together as friends, allies, and partners,” Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said after their mutual defense board meeting in Manila. “Our national security, including economic…