News
-
EJKs, corruption, China: How the Senate backs Duterte and allies
Silence on China As early as September 2016, there has been a pending resolution calling for an inquiry into Duterte’s “conflicting” foreign policy. There are also at least 3 resolutions calling for an investigation into China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Yet until now, nearly two years after and with China being more hostile, there has been no Senate…
-
Xi Jinping Refuses To Budge On South China Sea In Talks With James Mattis
BEIJING, CHINA: Chinese President Xi Jinping stiffly defended his country’s claim to disputed islands in the South China Sea after US Defense Secretary James Mattis questioned the militarisation of the region in a day of meetings in Beijing Wednesday with top officials. The two sides held firm to their stances on a hot-button issue which has added to broader tensions…
-
Is China undermining its neighbours’ trust by buying political influence with foreign aid?
China secured valuable allies and partnerships by pouring US$45.8 billion into infrastructure investment in the East Asia and Pacific region from 2000 to 2016 While China secured valuable allies and partnerships by pouring US$45.8 billion into infrastructure investment in the East Asia and Pacific region through the first 16 years of this century, the influence it has gained over regional…
-
Beijing spends big to win friends and influence across East Asia
China spent more than $48 billion across East Asia and the Pacific between 2000 and 2016 to reward countries that consume its products and support its foreign policy positions, a new report has found. Infrastructure investment dwarfed other arms of Chinese public diplomacy over the period, according to a study by US research lab AidData released on Wednesday, totaling $48.5…
-
China appears to have rushed its J-20 stealth fighter into service with an ’embarrassing’ flaw
China on Friday announced its J-20 stealth fighter had entered into combat service — but military sources told the South China Morning Post that it had an “embarrassing” flaw. Makeshift engines in the J-20 mean that it cannot fly or fight as a true fifth-generation jet and that its stealth has been compromised. It looks as if China rushed the…
-
China says it will not ‘concede an inch’ of disputed territories
President Xi Jinping tells US Secretary of Defense James Mattis that Beijing will guard its sovereignty. Chinese President Xi Jinping has told US Defense Secretary James Mattis during a meeting that Beijing would “not concede an inch” regarding disputed areas such as the South China Sea and Taiwan. “Our stance is steadfast and clear-cut when it comes to China’s sovereignty…
-
A better way to repel China in the South China Sea
The time has come for the US and its allies to abandon ineffective freedom of navigation operations for much firmer measures China’s incremental approach toward its goal of complete control over the South China Sea has so far avoided any serious repercussions. That should change unless the United States and its allies are willing to accept Chinese domination over the…
-
Diplomacy in metaphors: PH, China in Duterte Year 2
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano views the Philippines and China as husband and wife – and what a relationship this is, as President Rodrigo Duterte marks his second year in office MANILA, Philippines – Prepare your imagination… and hold your horses. So, more than a century ago, the Philippines was born. Our parents were the Americans. When we came of…
-
China should take ‘self-defense measures’ in trade war: Global Times
SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – China should take “self-defense measures” against U.S. tariffs by offering subsidies to companies and industries that may suffer losses from trade frictions, the Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times said on Wednesday. Chinese technology firms, in particular, could be treated unfairly and “become the victims of (U.S. President Donald) Trump’s trade war,” it said. Washington is due to…
-
China to be ‘1st mover’ in military hi-tech, US ‘perilously close’ to lag behind – ex-Deputy DefSec
. The US risks being outpaced by China in groundbreaking military hi-tech, including artificial intelligence, robotics and big data, former US Deputy Defense Secretary warned, adding “this is what it feels like to be offset.” . The United States “should be prepared to be surprised” in any conflict with China, not only because Beijing has done a lot to modernize…
-
How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough Up a Port
HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — Every time Sri Lanka’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, turned to his Chinese allies for loans and assistance with an ambitious port project, the answer was yes. Yes, though feasibility studies said the port wouldn’t work. Yes, though other frequent lenders like India had refused. Yes, though Sri Lanka’s debt was ballooning rapidly under Mr. Rajapaksa. Over years…
-
China pledges over $100 million military aid to Cambodia
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – China has granted more than $100 million in military aid to Cambodia, Cambodia said on Tuesday, highlighting the strong ties between Beijing and a government that critics accuse of destroying democracy ahead of an election next month. Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling party is expected to easily win the general election on July 29 as the…