News
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Possibility of war in SCS ‘totally remote’ — Teddy Locsin
UNITED NATIONS – President Duterte may have repeatedly warned that raising the arbitral ruling favoring the Philippine claim in the South China Sea may lead to a war with China. But for Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., the possibility of an armed confrontation between countries in the region, as well as those involving outsiders, is “totally remote.” Speaking…
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US asserts right to fly, sail amid SCS tensions
FORCEFUL PRESENCE. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), with its deck full of fighter planes, sails across the West Philippine Sea in this file photo provided by the nuclear-powered ship’s Public Affairs Office. Rear Admiral Karl O. Thomas, the Commander of Battle Force 7th Fleet that includes the Reagan, said the US Navy was ‘a stabilizing and securing presence in…
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Vietnam foreign minister warns of escalation in South China Sea
Unilateral actions risk escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said at the United Nations General Assembly, comments aimed at China that avoided mentioning China directly. “Vietnam has on many occasions voiced its concerns over the recent complicated developments in the South China Sea, including serious incidents that infringed upon Vietnam’s sovereignty,” Pham…
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Japan-based U.S. aircraft carrier in South China Sea ahead of key Chinese anniversary
In a move likely to stoke anger in Beijing just days before it marks a key anniversary, the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier is conducting operations in the disputed South China Sea, near China’s man-made islands, new images have shown. Satellite images posted to social media showed what appeared to be the Reagan and several unidentified warships, possibly U.S.…
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AFP chief says sea row issue best left to DFA
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s maritime issue with China is best handled by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rather than by the military, the newly-installed commander of the country’s 148,000-strong military said. Lt. Gen. Noel Clement, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, said that any monitored intrusions of foreign ships inside the country’s maritime domain will be…
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‘Ours Will No Longer Be a Nation Subject to Insult and Humiliation’
From climate change to Taiwan, China’s foreign policy is about impressing the masses at home, not fighting enemies abroad. The past few months have been challenging for China: A trade war with the United States has taken a toll on the economy, while months of protests in Hong Kong have raised questions about the sustainability of Chinese political control…
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Malaysia PM says can’t provoke Beijing on South China Sea, Uighur issue
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia does not want to take a confrontational stance toward China over the disputed South China Sea and Beijing’s alleged mistreatment of its minority Uighur Muslims, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in an interview published on Saturday. Malaysia is too small to face up to the Asian powerhouse, even though Chinese ships surveying its waters…
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Vietnam’s foreign minister warns of escalation in the South China Sea in thinly veiled warning to China
Unilateral actions risk escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said at the United Nations General Assembly, comments aimed at China that avoided mentioning China directly. “Vietnam has on many occasions voiced its concerns over the recent complicated developments in the South China Sea, including serious incidents that infringed upon Vietnam’s sovereignty,” Pham…
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No need to reclaim Scarborough – China
China does not need to reclaim the Scarborough Shoal, the top Chinese diplomat in the Philippines said Thursday night. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua was reacting to the statement earlier issued by Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio that China may reclaim the disputed shoal, also known as Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc, during the last three years…
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Is a firmer gov’t stance forming vis-à-vis China?
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr., in New York this week to address the United Nations General Assembly in behalf of the Duterte government, made two significant remarks about China. On a Code of Conduct (CoC) to cover disputed waters of the South China Sea, targeted for signing in 2022 by Asean member states and China, Locsin was…
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Chinese affirms stronger tourism, investment ties with PHL
AMBASSADOR Zhao Jianhua has expressed optimism that China would be able to bring 2 million tourists to the country yearly by the middle of 2020, even as he stressed that Beijing has emerged as a top investor with $66.62 million in foreign direct investment to the Philippines, or nearly a 12.5-percent increase from 2017. The envoy said China has…
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South China Sea issue not sum total of PH-China ties – Chinese envoy
Chinese Ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua emphasized this in his welcome remarks at the 70th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China Thursday night in Makati City. “It is our belief that South China Sea issue is not the sum total of China-Philippine relations, nor disputes the sum total of South China Sea issue,” the Chinese envoy said.…