News
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World View: Tensions Grow in Philippines as Duterte Turns Against China in South China Sea
Philippines President Rodrigo R. Duterte was taking office in 2016 at just about the time that the Philippines won a historic case in the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague thoroughly humiliating China by ruling that all of China’s activities in the South China Sea are illegal and in violation of international law. Duterte’s first acts in…
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‘Pragmatic’ Manila barters South China Sea territory for oil deal
The Philippines has relinquished its legal win over the right to territory in the South China Sea, handing a significant victory to China in its claim to sovereignty over the strategically important shipping lane. Manila and Beijing are negotiating a deal that would enable them jointly to exploit an underwater oil and gas field. In 2016 an international tribunal ruled…
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Second Thoughts?: Duterte and the South China Sea
In August 2018, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte did something unusual: he publicly criticized China. He asserted that China did not have the right to drive away aircraft and ships passing by its man-made islands in the South China Sea. He explained that no country can create an island and then claim sovereignty over the airspace above it. Hence, he hoped…
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China has developed the world’s largest flying boat, and it could be used to ferry troops into the South China Sea
China claims to have successfully tested a new sea plane, purportedly the largest in the world, and while its primary purposes are firefighting and water rescue, this new aircraft could be used to advance the country’s ambitions in the disputed South China Sea. The AG600 Kunlong, a domestically-built Chinese aircraft roughly the size of a Boeing 737, recently completed several…
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DFA: WPS joint exploration deal will be legal
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday gave assurances of the constitutionality of a planned joint exploration agreement between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). In a news conference following the DFA’s 2019 national budget hearing, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said, “Rest assured that we are working on a legal framework…
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Armada of US warships inches through South China Sea with Japan risking China’s fury
THE UNITED States risks infuriating China after American warships performed a military exercise in the hotly contested South China Sea with Japan. The Ronald Reagan Strike Group operated a gathering of its magnificent aircraft carriers on waters the Chinese are notoriously territorial about. Up to five ships were spotted in the waters and surrounding areas including the USS Ronald Reagan,…
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Indo-Pacific countries ‘should take collective action’ to tackle China’s rise in region
A former Nato supreme allied commander has called on Indo-Pacific countries to take “collective action” to tackle China’s rising sea power and military expansion in the region. But instead of taking a hostile approach, the action should be carried out in smart and diplomatic ways, James Stavridis, a retired US Navy admiral, said on Thursday. Speaking at a Taipei forum…
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WILL THE U.S. START A WAR IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA?
Trump is escalating conflicts in many parts of the world, but the left can’t lose sight of the one — with China — that could overshadow them all, writes Khury Petersen-Smith. ON AUGUST 18, between a tirade against CNN and MSNBC and a defense of trade tariffs, Donald Trump tweeted: All of the fools that are so focused on looking…
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China accuses US of ‘ignoring’ positive efforts in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — Insisting that its island-building activities in the South China Sea are for civilian purposes, Beijing accused Washington of “ignoring” its positive efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region. Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Senior Col. Wu Qian maintained that China’s deployment of facilities are “reasonable and legitimate.” “For a period of time, the US side…
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China’s Floating Nuclear Power Plants Pose Risks in South China Sea
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Floating Chinese nuclear power plants stationed in the South China Sea would help Beijing fortify its claims in a decades-old maritime sovereignty dispute, but come with environmental risks, scholars say. China plans to power some of its claimed islets with nuclear energy, the U.S. Department of Defense recently told Congress in an annual report on Chinese military…
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Philippines informs China of grounded frigate amid South China Sea feud
MANILA – The Philippines notified China about a Philippine Navy frigate that ran aground in the South China Sea to avoid any misunderstanding because the incident happened near a hotly disputed region, three Philippine officials said Friday. The BRP Gregorio del Pilar ran aground during a routine patrol Wednesday night in the vicinity of Half Moon Shoal, which is called…
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Philippine warship runs aground in disputed South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine navy frigate has run aground on a shoal in the disputed South China Sea and efforts are underway to retrieve it and its crew, who were unhurt. Military spokesman Col. Noel Detoyato said the BRP Gregorio del Pilar ran aground Wednesday night in the vicinity of the shoal, which the Philippines calls Hasa Hasa. US,…