West Philippine Sea
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America’s Anti-China Mood Is Here to Stay
Even if China and the US agree on new trade terms, the view in Washington has fundamentally changed. The U.S.-China trade war that began last year continues to drag on as a long-term war of attrition. Negotiators ended their latest round of talks at the end of July with few results, and each side rang […]
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How The U.S. Army Can Play A Much Bigger Pacific Role Deterring China
The main focus of U.S. defense strategy has shifted from defeating violent extremists—terrorists—to opposing aggression by other great powers. Those other powers are understood to be China and Russia. Pentagon planners now spend much of their time figuring out how to deter Russian adventurism in Europe, and Chinese expansionism in Asia. The general thinking is […]
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OPINION: China, not Russia, the greater threat
Ten weeks of protests, some huge, a few violent, culminated Monday with a shutdown of the Hong Kong airport. Ominously, Beijing described the violent weekend demonstrations as “deranged” acts that are “the first signs of terrorism,” and vowed a merciless crackdown on the perpetrators. China is being pushed toward a decision it does not […]
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Waning of American Power? Trump Struggles With an Asia in Crisis
WASHINGTON — For two and a half years, President Trump has said he is finally doing in Asia what he asserts his predecessor, Barack Obama, failed to achieve with a strategic pivot: strengthen American influence and rally partners to push back against China. But as violence escalates and old animosities are rekindled across Asia, […]
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Rappler Talk: Bill Hayton on China’s false claims and ‘imagined territories’
MANILA, Philippines – Recent developments in the West Philippine Sea showed that China’s expansive claim to the area has remained unchanged despite friendlier ties with the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duerte. On Thursday, August 15, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug talks to Bill Hayton of Chatham House – or the Royal Institute of International Affairs […]
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More fisherfolk withdraw writ of kalikasan petition to protect West Philippine Sea
MANILA – Eighteen more fishermen have opted to withdraw a writ of kalikasan petition before the Supreme Court, based on a filing by their counsel the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Wednesday. In its submission to the high court, the IBP said its lawyers were able to talk to 2 more fisherfolk […]
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Why China will not wage war against us
President Duterte’s oft-repeated assertion that we risk war if we push back China’s aggressive encroachments on our waters is a phantom fear. Given China’s deep-seated sense of self-identity as Zhong Guo — the center of the world — and its current thrusting on the world’s stage as a superpower, it is not likely that it […]
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Our rights in territorial sea vs our rights in EEZ
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) established the concept of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area in the sea measuring 200 miles (370 kilometers) from a country’s coast. It established special rights on the exploration and use of marine resources, such as energy from any petroleum deposits in the land under the […]
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Two U.S. Warships, Marines Denied Port Visits to Hong Kong Amidst Protests
THE PENTAGON – Chinese officials are denying two U.S. warships port visits to Hong Kong amidst ongoing protests against the government in Beijing. USS Green Bay (LPD-20) and USS Lake Erie (CG-70) were denied requests to visit Hong Kong, U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Nate Christensen told USNI News on Tuesday. “The U.S. Navy has […]
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US and Australia at war with Beijing over South China Sea
INTERNATIONAL – Cambodia and China have struck an agreement for the increase of purchases within the arms trade. China has agreed to invest $290 million to expand its military presence in Cambodia. The MOU signed, will give China access to the Cambodian naval base, and the rights to the infrastructure investment of a base […]