News
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Lorenzana: PH air presence up in disputed sea
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday said Philippine air surveillance in the West Philippine (South China) Sea had a 30-percent increase in 2019. In his speech during the virtual celebration of the Defense department’s 81st anniversary, Lorenzana attributed the increase to the military’s acquisition of new equipment. Without going into details, he said the military’s air domain coverage increased from…
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Analysts say no change expected in US policy on South China Sea
MANILA (UPDATE) – Analysts do not expect a change in US policy on the South China Sea even as the world’s superpower has elected a new leader in Democrat Joe Biden for the next four years. Freedom of navigation operations are expected to continue in the waters being claimed almost entirely by China, as well as the US military’s exercises…
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Joe Biden won’t soften US stance on South China Sea, experts say
TheUnited Stateswill take a far more civil and consensus-driven approach to international relations underJoe Biden’s presidency, but while the “eccentric” and “destabilising” anti-China rhetoric will be gone, analysts say, his administration is likely to be as tough as President Donald Trump’s on issues such as theSouth China Sea. “Given Biden’s background [as a veteran lawmaker], we will see more heads…
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Biden-led US likely to uphold PH arbitral win in South China Sea – envoy
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 6) — The Philippines is expected to continue to enjoy the United States’ support in its stake in the West Philippine Sea even if a new American president emerges from this week’s elections, the country’s envoy said Friday. Manila can maintain close ties with the US should incumbent President Donald Trump or his Democratic rival…
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Philippines Shelves Plan for South China Sea Fishing Militia
The Philippine government has reportedly backed down on a plan to deploy fishermen as militia forces in disputed parts of the South China Sea, citing concerns about the potential for conflict with China. In a briefing on November 5, President Rodrigo Duterte’s National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said that the plan, designed to beef up its defenses after years of…
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Xi, citing Korean War, issues a call to arms
Chinese President Xi Jinping used the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, which erupted three years before his birth, to declare the conflict a milestone in China’s march toward national rejuvenation, which he has termed the Chinese Dream. In a major speech, Xi — who is also head of the Communist Party and commander in chief of the armed forces…
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Vietnam majority roots for Trump’s hard line on China
HANOI — Among Asians closely following the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election, Vietnamese stand out not only in their enthusiasm but also in their preference for President Donald Trump over former Vice President Joe Biden. “I support Trump because he does not hesitate to take strong action against China,” a chief executive at a textile company based in Ho…
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China WARNED: Germany teams up with Australia refusing to turn ‘blind eye’ to challenges
GERMANY has announced it will deploy officers on Australian Navy ships in order to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific. The European nation said yesterday it boost military spending for next year despite the economic hit suffered by the coronavirus pandemic. It also said it would with NATO to strengthen relationships with allies such as Australia to “stand united against…
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China to seize Philippines if war with US erupts, ex-AFP chief says
China is expected to seize control of some of the Philippines’ waterways if a war emerges between Beijing and Washington, former Philippine Armed Forces chief Emmanuel Bautista said. According to a report on South China Morning Post on Friday, Bautista said the Philippines’ location with routes linking the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean made it a “key terrain.” Among…
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Pompeo in Vietnam warns Beijing over South China Sea
HANOI — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is wrapping up a tour of Southeast and South Asia in Vietnam, where he again sought to counter the growing influence of China, only days before President Donald Trump faces challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden in the U.S. presidential election. https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Pompeo-in-Vietnam-warns-Beijing-over-South-China-Sea
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China now waging ‘gray zone’ war to enforce claim of South China Sea through PH, says ex-AFP chief
MANILA, Philippines—China is now waging a war in what a former Philippine military chief said was a “gray zone” where the fighting goes on without guns but with information, investments, and other tactics to pursue its strategic objectives in the Philippines. Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, warned…
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Philippines, US Agree to Strengthen Mutual Defense Alliance
Senior Filipino and U.S. military officials agreed at an annual meeting Thursday to strengthen a long-standing mutual defense alliance, officials said, months after President Rodrigo Duterte put on hold his threat to end a key bilateral pact amid Chinese militarism in the South China Sea. Both countries sought a “stronger mutual defense alliance,” the Philippine side said at the end…