News
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U.S. defence secretary urges ‘very public posture’ on Chinese sea claims
MANILA, Philippines – The U.S. defence chief has urged governments affected by China’s sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea “to take a very public posture” and assert their sovereign rights, adding that acting collectively is the best way to send a message “to get China on the right path.” Defence Secretary Mark Esper raised concerns over China’s…
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US vows more support to govt amid South China Sea tensions
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper yesterday vowed more support for the Philippines in efforts to modernise the country’s military and improve maritime security as tensions build over the disputed South China Sea. Esper, who was in Manila for a one-day visit, said he and Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana discussed various ways to strengthen co-operation and further boost the…
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Assert rights in South China Sea
United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has urged all nations, especially claimants to the hotly contested South China (West Philippine) Sea, to take a stand publicly by asserting their sovereign rights and to adopt public postures. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Esper cited the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Defense…
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US Navy sends littoral combat ships to ‘bolster attack strength in South China Sea’
The US Navy is strengthening its presence in the South China Sea by deploying two Independence-class ships specialising in nearshore operations. This deployment of the littoral combat ships suggested that the US strategy had switched from reconnaissance and deterrence to increasing its attack capability, a Beijing-based think tank said. The USS Gabrielle Giffords left Singapore’s Changi naval base on a…
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China caused most destruction in West PH Sea: US scientist
MANILA – China is responsible for most of the destruction in the West Philippine Sea, an American scientist told House lawmakers Tuesday. Marine biologist Dr. Kent Carpenter of US-based Old Dominion University told House members that China alone accounts for most of the destruction in the disputed waters. “If you look at the total damage that’s done so far, China…
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PH, US pledge to uphold ‘lawful’ use of disputed S. China Sea
MANILA- The Philippines and the United States reaffirmed on Tuesday their commitment to uphold the lawful use of the disputed South China Sea as Washington reiterated its support for Manila. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his US counterpart Mark Esper emphasized during a meeting in Manila on Tuesday the need to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in…
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New Philippine sea czar leans towards China
New Filipino coast guard chief prefers cooperation over confrontation in South China Sea Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has named a new coast guard commandant who is widely viewed as his new “czar” for the South China Sea, an appointment that could put the wider military establishment on a back foot regarding their sea tensions with China. Vice Admiral Joel Sarsiban…
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ASEAN members optimistic about 2021 target for South China Sea code of conduct | Video
ASEAN members remain optimistic that they can come up with a substantive and effective code of conduct on the South China Sea by 2021. Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said developing the code of conduct is vital as there is potential for mishaps and incidents to occur in the disputed waters. May Wong reports. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/asean-members-optimistic-about-2021-target-for-south-china-sea-12104758
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China says aircraft carrier on way to South China Sea after Taiwan passage
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s first domestically-built aircraft carrier is on its way to the South China Sea for tests and to take part in exercises, the Chinese navy said on Monday, after sailing through the Taiwan Strait in a mission denounced by Taipei as intimidation. Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Sunday a Chinese carrier group led by the ship…
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Beijing tells US to stop ‘flexing muscles’ in South China Sea as it sends new carrier
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un speaks as he stands with US President Donald Trump south of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019. (CNN)China’s Defense Minister told his US counterpart that Washington must stop “flexing its muscles” in…
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World needs China and the US to cooperate
The tensions created by the United States’ trade war with China and Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, and American pushback, pose challenges for closer ties between their militaries. Evidence of that is the US exclusion of China from last year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise, the world’s largest multinational naval war games, in retaliation for claimed…
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South China Sea crisis: How Trump-China arms race could spark North Korea fury
SOUTH CHINA SEA tensions have provoked a chilling arms race between the US and China as President Donald Trump looks to thwart Beijing in the region, but Washington’s move could spark fury from North Korea too as disarmament talks falter. The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) signed between Washington and the Soviet Union barred the use of the…