News
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South China Sea: Indonesia warns off Beijing patrol boat after furious radio ‘argument’
BEIJING has been blasted by Indonesia after an armed Chinese boat patrolled waters claimed by both sides. The Chinese vessel, also known as CCG 5204, was equipped with a machine gun mounted on the front. The country’s coast guard claimed the gun was only intended to be used as a defence against pirates, according to Phil Star News journalist Patrivia…
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Chinese PLA’s new expansion plans on Bhutan
The Bhutanese rulers have been sensitised at the highest level and have been asked to prepare for a military contingency plan After Ladakh and the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is poised to open another front against Bhutan, with a build-up in western and central part of Kingdom in a bid to settle the border on terms…
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China, US tensions: Next 10 months are ‘critical’ to avoid war
With the US in turmoil, the world distracted by the pandemic mixed with China’s unbridled ambition, the next 10 months will be the most dangerous since World War II, a top Australian strategic analyst warns. “The global economy may be in hibernation, but geopolitics is thriving and sprinting towards a potential crisis,” Australian Strategic Studies Institute executive director Peter Jennings…
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‘Mirror’ of how world sees China?
In a world of words, the saber rattling in any theatre of conflict can get all sides to the very edge of war. Thus, the fiery exchanges between the United States and China lately, perhaps also between half of the European states and Beijing, should be handled with extreme caution. On the South China Sea, where trade worth trillions of…
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China, Philippine defense chiefs discuss territorial dispute
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine defense chief told his Chinese counterpart on Friday that Manila will adhere “without any possibility of compromise” to a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated most of Beijing’s rival claims in the South China Sea, according to a Philippine statement about the meeting. But the statement was later withdrawn and the contentious comment removed.…
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Chinese Jets Intrude Taiwan Air Defense Zone for Second Day
For at least two days this week China has conducted air drills off Taiwan’s southwestern coast, prompting angry condemnation and warning from the island that China claims as a breakaway territory. According to Taiwan spokespersons, advanced People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Su-30 and J-10 fighters have conducted drills over the waters between Taiwan and Pratas Island, a small Taiwan-controlled feature in…
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Philippines urges amicable approach to Beijing over South China Sea
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday urged a peaceful way out of conflicts with China over the South China Sea and said international law must be followed, amid increased regional friction over military activities by Beijing and Washington. Duterte made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Chinese defence minister, Wei Fenghe, whose tour of four Southeast…
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South China Sea warning: China prepared to ‘use secret weapon’ in Beijing ‘tantrum’
SOUTH CHINA SEA TENSIONS HAVE LED CHINA TO DEPLOY A “SECRET WEAPON” AS HOSTILITY WITH THE US IN THE REGION CONTINUES. China has built up a significant military presence in the South China Sea as the country controversially tries to gain control in the region. Described by many as “island fortresses”, China has engulfed the South China Sea with man…
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China raps US anew for ‘interfering’ in South China Sea disputes
HANOI – China on Wednesday criticized the United States for directly intervening in territorial and maritime disputes in Asia during a gathering that brought together foreign ministers from the Southeast Asian nations and other regional powers. The United States is becoming the biggest driver of militarization in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the online…
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Vietnam stresses South China Sea security issues at ASEAN meeting
SINGAPORE — Security challenges in the South China Sea are “always present,” Vietnam’s foreign minister said Wednesday as the country hosts a four-day series of virtual ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its key partners including China and the U.S. Speaking at an opening ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said…
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ASEAN summit: South China Sea, coronavirus pandemic cast a shadow
Southeast Asia’s top diplomats are holding their annual summit with the coronavirus pandemic and rising tensions in the South China Sea amid escalating rivalry between the United States and China topping the agenda. The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit began via video link on Wednesday after being delayed by a month due to the pandemic. The foreign…
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Dueling ‘Notes Verbales’
On Dec. 12, 2019, Malaysia filed a Note Verbale with the United Nations Secretary General asserting its extended continental shelf (ECS) claim from its coastline in North Borneo facing the South China Sea. The ECS refers to the area beyond the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of a coastal state. It is the second ECS claim filed by Malaysia in the…