West Philippine Sea
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Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea
BEIJING – A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: ___ EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]