News
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The Philippines changes tack on China—again A fresh spat in the South China Sea prompts a change of heart
The expressive president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, once gushed about his Chinese counterpart, “I just simply love Xi Jinping”. But the infatuation has faded. Upset that Chinese vessels have been mobbing the main Philippine-occupied island in the South China Sea, Mr Duterte rasped at China to “lay off”, and threatened an aggressive response. […]
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Water Wars: Fear and Loathing in Manila
Tensions around the contested island of Thitu (Tagalog: Pag-asa; Chinese: Zhongye) are escalating as China and the Philippines continue to press their claims. In March, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) and other observers counted up to 275 Chinese vessels near Thitu, up from December’s high of 95. On April 1, the Philippines registered […]
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‘China out; defend our sovereign rights’: Filipinos rally against Beijing’s presence in disputed South China Sea
Protesters descended on the Chinese embassy in Manila on Tuesday to oppose the Asian superpower’s growing sway in the Philippines and as tensions rise over Beijing’s presence in the disputed South China Sea. Filipino flag-waving marchers chanted “China out” and brandished a banner saying “Defend our sovereign rights,” referring to Beijing’s expansive claims to the […]
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China warns US, others in South China Sea: ‘Stop stirring trouble’
MANILA, Philippines — China warned the United States and other nations against stirring up trouble in the “calm” South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Wednesday said the presence of the US and other “non-regional forces” could stir up the South China Sea, which he said is already calm. Lu made […]
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Opinion: China a threat to underwater data cables
As the West considers the threat posed by China’s naval ambitions, there is a natural tendency to place overarching attention on the South China Sea. This is understandable: Consolidating it would provide Beijing with a huge windfall of oil and natural gas, and a potential chokehold over up to 40 percent of the world’s […]
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China’s swarming: ‘Cabbage strategy’
A CHINESE general gave a preview way back in 2013 of how their People’s Liberation Army deploys a swarm of vessels around disputed islands in the South China Sea in what he called a “cabbage strategy” to take full control. We were then surprised that the Chinese swarming of Pagasa island off Palawan was […]
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How China’s Military Is Becoming More Dangerous By the Day
To improve the military’s ability to protect the Party from losing power, the CCP has been generous in providing the PLA with an increased budget of 10 percent per year from 2000 to 2016. Overall the DIA report is an unclassified regurgitation of open source material, but as a Taiwan military official said after […]
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Are the seas around Pag-asa international waters?
MANILA, Philippines —Commenting on the presence of Chinese ships near a Philippine-occupied feature in the West Philippine Sea, pro-Duterte blogger Sass Rogando Sasot argued in a series of social media posts on Tuesday that waters around Pag-asa island in the Spratlys “remain international waters.” “As long as the sovereignty issue over the Spratlys hasn’t […]
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Protesters march against China’s ‘invasion’ of Philippines amid South China Sea tensions
Protesters in Manila descended on the Chinese embassy in Manila to oppose what they describe as Beijing’s growing influence in the country. The protest followed the sighting of hundreds of Chinese vessels sailing close to Thitu Island, an area in the South China Sea claimed by Manila. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told China to […]
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Vietnam builds reef bases to rival China
Vietnam has been stealthily militarising disputed islets, reefs and sandbanks, adding to tensions in the strategically important South China Sea. Satellite photographs show that it is not only China that has been at work. While the focus of international criticism has been directed against China, its regional rival, Vietnam, is also taking part in […]
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In signal to Beijing, US sends jet-carrying warship to South China Sea
The US sent a fighter-jet-carrying warship to join drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal for the first time, sending a pointed message to China as tensions simmer over territorial claims in the region. The USS Wasp — an amphibious assault ship outfitted last year with F-35B jets — joined the annual Exercise Balikatan with the […]
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Our‘China syndrome’
BY ANTONIO CONTRERAS “THE China Syndrome” is a 1979 movie which starred Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas. The title refers to a fictional nuclear plant meltdown, where radioactive materials melted through their compartments deep into the earth hitting the groundwater and seriously contaminating the surrounding area, with intensity that was exaggerated to have […]