News
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Duterte remains committed to continue dialogue with China on WPS
President Duterte is committed to continue the country’s dialogue with China as part of his unwavering effort to defend national interests in the West Philippine Sea. According to Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, the President would keep the lines of communication with China open as he remained steadfast in protecting the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. “The President’s stance on defending…
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A war zone in disguise?
A non-government organization in the US described the Philippines as “a war zone in disguise.” Whether a valid description or not, the NGO claim somehow has a ring of truth in it, some local observers say. The short news runner below the main CNN Philippines coverage did not give enough details on the claim of the NGO—nor its identity. Watching…
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China, Cambodia to enhance exchanges
Cooperation with China will benefit Cambodia’s economy and reduce Western pressure, Chinese experts said on Sunday as Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen kicked off his four-day visit to China on Sunday. Cambodia has been a vital force, trusting and supporting China in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and in the construction of the China-proposed Belt and Road…
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Pentagon report outlines China’s new muscular military
A new report on China’s military from the Defense Intelligence Agency comes to a troubling conclusion: The People’s Liberation Army is gaining the characteristic technology and deployment ability to put them on par with Western nations. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has worked to model his military after Western powers, eschewing the Maoist strategies that left China with a force best…
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What lies ahead for the Philippines on China’s Belt and Road Initiative?
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte sought warmer ties with China at the outset of his presidency, at a time when China was on its way with its ambitious global infrastructure program called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Agenda 2020 logo The Philippine government’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program thus coincides with China’s BRI, which is seen by the Philippine government…
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Fortress Singapore? Why a British Base Won’t Deter China A giant waste of time?
It’s not surprising that China isn’t happy that Britain may build new bases in the Pacific. What’s surprising is that Britain thinks that building a base in Singapore will accomplish anything. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson raised eyebrows when he told the Sunday Telegraph that Britain might establish bases in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The Pacific bases reportedly would be…
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DLSU, Sussex Academic Press to launch new book on South China Sea
MANILA — A new book on the South China Sea will be launched at the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila this week. The book, entitled “The South China Sea Arbitration: Understanding the Awards and Debating with China,” is written by Dr. Alfredo C. Robles Jr. and jointly published by DLSU Publishing House and Sussex Academic Press in United…
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Vietnam Gains Bargaining Power Over China in Conduct at Sea Talks
Vietnam’s tough stance against China over sovereignty of the South China Sea will put Beijing on the defensive during regional talks on easing the regional maritime dispute, people who follow the process say. Officials in Hanoi have suggested establishing a code of conduct that, among other things, would bar construction on artificial islands in the South China Sea and ban…
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US-CHINA BATTLE FOR DOMINANCE EXTENDS ACROSS PACIFIC, ABOVE AND BELOW THE SEA
A 1,005 sq KM chain of US-controlled islands in the Pacific Ocean is shaping up to be a focal point in Washington and Beijing’s ongoing jockeying for global influence. The Mariana Islands in the north-western Pacific, comprising the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam, were once seen as “the tip of the spear” of American power projection…
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Obey rules of the sea, U.S. urges China`
TOKYO — The U.S. Navy’s top officer said he urged China to follow international rules at sea to avoid confrontations and insisted Friday that ships should be able to pass safely through disputed areas of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told reporters in Tokyo that U.S. Navy ships will continue…
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WW3 fears: China sets alarm bells ringing – expert issues ‘OLD SCHOOL IMPERIALISM’ warning
CHINA’s “imperial” ambitions represent a major threat to world security, with the South China Sea a potential flashpoint, an expert in US-China relations has said, just days after analysts suggested Beijing was drawing up plans for wars with United States and India. And Professor Michael Cullinane, Professor of US History at the University of Roehampton, said NATO was in danger…
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Singapore Moves Closer To Joining What China Calls The ‘U.S. F-35 Friends Circle’
The short and vertical takeoff and landing F-35B could be especially valuable for the tiny Southeast Asian country during a crisis. Singapore’s Ministry of Defense has announced that it is formally considering replacing its fleet of F-16C/D Viper fighter jets with F-35 stealth fighters. The vertical takeoff and landing-capable F-35B, in particular, could be especially valuable for the small Southeast…