News
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IBP, Diokno ask SC for time to confer with West PH Sea writ of kalikasan petitioners
MANILA – Lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and collaborating counsel Chel Diokno have asked the Supreme Court (SC) for more time to confer with their clients concerning a writ of kalikasan plea for the protection of the West Philippine Sea. “[The IBP and Diokno request] 10 days from July 12, 2019 […]
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High tide or low tide? The question that won us the West Philippine Sea case
MANILA, Philippines – In 1994, a resplendent Miss Philippines made it to the semifinals of the Miss Universe pageant in Manila. In the Q&A, the host asked that candidate, Charlene Gonzales, exactly how many islands there are in the Philippines. Gonzales replied with another question: “High tide or low tide?” That quip drew amused […]
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Duterte response to China alarms pro-US critics
MANILA – When a Chinese trawler rammed a Filipino fishing boat in the South China Sea last month – forcing 22 fishermen to abandon their stricken vessel – officials in Manila were quick with condemnations. “Cowardly,” the Philippine defense secretary said. Military commanders followed suit, telling reporters it was time for President Rodrigo Duterte to […]
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Duterte not subservient to China – Palace
MANILA – Malacañang denied allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte became subservient to the interests of China instead of protecting the Philippines’ right over the contested South China Sea. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte is enforcing the Philippines’ landmark victory at The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims to the […]
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South China Sea: Beijing Shouldn’t Treat Vietnam Like The Philippines
Beijing shouldn’t treat Vietnam the same way it treats the Philippines. When it comes to the South China Sea disputes, that is. It won’t work, and it won’t help the economic integration of the region either. Vietnam doesn’t see a “friend” in China, the same way President Rodrigo Duterte does. That’s the message Hanoi sent […]
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Sen. Leila De Lima wants July 12 marked as ‘West Philippine Sea Victory Day’
Detained Senator Leila de Lima has renewed her efforts at declaring July 12 of every year as “West Philippine Sea Victory Day” in recognition of the country’s arbitration victory against China over the contested islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). De Lima refiled the measure, which she considers one of her priority legislations in […]
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The Limits of the Alliance Between China and Russia
Though the Sino-Russian partnership is growing by the day and will continue to develop, it ultimately benefits China at the expense of Russia. But creating a strategic alliance between the two countries could challenge the current world order. China’s President Xi Jinping recently visited Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a […]
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China Poses Top Threat for Decades Ahead, Top U.S. General Says
China may remain the “primary threat” to the U.S. military for as long as a century after learning how to fight more effectively by watching American wars in the Middle East, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “China went to school on us,” General Mark Milley said in response […]
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As China Invests Billions In The Philippines, Tensions Flare Over South China Sea
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has moved his country closer to China. But this week, he called on the United States to act to keep China out of contested waters in the South China Sea. As part of our series on China’s growing influence in Asia, Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks with Richard Heydarian (@Richeydarian), […]
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ASEAN defense ministers discuss South China Sea in annual meeting
BANGKOK (Kyodo) — Defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday exchanged views on the situation in the South China Sea in which some members of the grouping and China are at odds. A joint declaration signed by the ministers after the meeting said they commended the first maritime exercise between […]
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The Philippines sided with China after a boat was rammed. Critics say it’s all about money.
MANILA — When a Chinese trawler rammed a Filipino fishing boat in the South China Sea last month — forcing 22 fishermen to abandon their stricken vessel — officials in Manila were quick with condemnations. “Cowardly,” the Philippines’ defense secretary said. Military commanders followed suit, telling reporters it was time for President Rodrigo Duterte […]
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[ANALYSIS] Duterte’s weak grasp of the maritime case on South China Sea
Three years after the stunning victory that washed away China’s expansive 9-dash line claim on the South China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte still needs to grasp the essence of the case decided by an international arbitral tribunal in 2016: how the Philippines framed it and what the country won. This was the one striking thing […]