News
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Ruling on sea row to bring peace – Roque
The looming ruling of the International Tribunal in The Hague on the complaint filed by the Philippines against China concerning islands in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) will bring peace between countries, incoming Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque said. Roque made the prediction in his speech at the Asian Society of International Law (AsianSIL) Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam.…
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Dear Digong: Let’s leverage our West Philippine Sea arbitration case
During the latest edition of Shangri-La Dialogue, which gathers defense ministers and leading experts from around the world in Singapore annually, I couldn’t but not notice that the Philippines’ arbitration case against China was a major theme in formal and informal exchanges among participants. Though we got among the weakest armed forces in Southeast Asia, and feature among the poorer…
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South China Sea Talks End in Disarray as China Lobbies Laos
A meeting in China of foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea ended in confusion after Malaysia released and then retracted a joint statement expressing “serious concerns” over developments in the disputed waterway. The disarray raises fresh questions about unity within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ahead of an international court ruling on a…
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China thanks countries for supporting it over South China Sea
BEIJING – China expressed thanks on Tuesday for the dozens of countries it says have offered support for its position on a case brought by the Philippines over Chinese claims in the South China Sea, saying they are speaking out to uphold justice. China has stepped up its rhetoric ahead of an expected ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration…
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South China Sea Dispute: Will Indonesia Side With The Philippines?
Ahead of the ruling of the international tribunal that hears the territorial dispute case lodged by the Philippines against China over issues in South China Sea, Indonesia is framing its official stance on this heated dispute? Will Indonesia support China or the Philippines? With this, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered its official to frame a uniform and official stance…
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Sea of troubles: China and ASEAN
Foreign ministers from China and the ten-member Association of South-East Asian Nations gather today in Kunming, in south-west China. Their minds, as ever, will be on the nerve-jangling South China Sea, where China continues to turn disputed features into man-made islands. The meeting follows a rare public row: China claimed a “consensus” with three of ASEAN’s smaller members—Brunei, Cambodia and…
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The Danger of China’s Victim Mentality
Expect Beijing to lash out if a ruling on South China Sea claims goes against it SHANGHAI—In the countdown to a legal verdict on China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea, an increasingly frantic Beijing is mobilizing a diplomatic offensive around three core arguments: that the U.N.-backed tribunal has no legal right to hear the case, that America has…
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Asia Minute: Coral Reefs and Fish Among Casualties of South China Sea Territorial Disputes
The South China Sea is a center of territorial disputes involving half a dozen governments. China’s construction activities and military patrols in the region have drawn criticism, but there’s also a growing chorus of protests from another group: environmentalists. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute. Listen Listening…1:25 There’s no doubt the South China Sea is one of…
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Games powers play in South China Sea
The ongoing conflict and tensions in the South China Sea (SCS) are showing no signs of ending. Rather, a series of incidents on May 25 led the G7 to express concern over China’s assertiveness in the East and South China Sea where Beijing has disputes with Japan, Taiwan and several South-East Asian nations. The announcement was preceded by the interception…
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Europeans Push Back Against Beijing in the South China Sea
France has thrown its hat into the acrimonious South China Sea debate, calling for more European naval patrols in a contested waterway that is at the center of a growing dispute between China and the United States and its Asian allies. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking Sunday at a three-day security conference in Singapore, called on European navies…
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International experts talk maritime security at high-level conference in Vietnam
An international conference on European and Asian maritime security and development kicked off on Thursday in the northern Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh, focusing on disputes and China’s actions in the East Vietnam Sea. The two-day high-level workshop is organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the European Union Delegation to Vietnam in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh, and…
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China should accept Hague ruling on South China Sea – Gerry Brownlee
An international tribunal convening in the Hague is expected to make a ruling in coming weeks on a case brought by the Philippines in 2013 over China’s island-building in large parts of the sea – one of the world’s trade routes. The construction of 3000 acres of artificial islands in the sea by China has been a source or major…