West Philippine Sea
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Asean to discuss code of conduct for S. China Sea
Asean ministers will discuss a Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea next week amid concerns over China’s increasing militarisation in the area, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said yesterday. He said the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) that was signed in 2002 by China and Asean does not appear to […]
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Malaysia to be firmer in row over South China Sea
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Wednesday that Malaysia’s new government will adopt a firmer stand in tackling a decades-old territorial row in the South China Sea amid China’s aggressive expansion in the disputed area. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who won a stunning electoral victory in May, has said warships should […]
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South China Sea claimants should scrap entitlements in possible joint ventures — think tank
MANILA, Philippines — Pursuing a joint venture on oil and gas development in South China Sea would be possible for claimants as long as it would be consistent with international law. Washington-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) suggested that such agreement between South China Sea claimants would have to be consistent with both […]
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China Says U.S. Defense Bill Risks ‘Serious Damage’ to Ties
China hit out at a looming U.S defense spending bill that includes a plan to forge closer ties with Taiwan, saying the legislation would damage U.S.-China relations and undermine cross-strait ties. The U.S. Congress is preparing to pass the sweeping 2019 defense authorization bill, which includes provisions aimed at curtailing China’s influence in Asia, reflecting […]
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US, Australia reaffirm right to pass through South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — Top American and Australian officials reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed South China Sea in response to China’s expanded militarization in the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne stressed […]
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DND parroting China ‘unusual’
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana erred when he played down as “empty victory” the Philippines’ historic legal win against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said on Tuesday. “China has called the arbitral ruling as an ‘empty victory.’ So it’s unusual that our own defense secretary is […]
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Good neighborliness serves fundamental interests of China, the Philippines: FM
China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday highlighted the value of cooperation between China and the Philippines. “Cooperation between the two countries over the recent two years has shown that good neighborliness is the only choice serving the interests of the two countries and the two peoples,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular press […]
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The Philippines’ Internal War Over the South China Sea: Idealists vs Realists
A recent poll purports to show that there is a huge domestic opposition to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “soft” approach to China supposedly gathering steam. If this is an accurate assessment of the “will of the majority” — and some say it is not — it could force a policy change. But what are the […]
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China Hasn’t Delivered on Its $24 Billion Philippines Promise
Almost two years after China pledged $24 billion in investment to the Philippines, barely any projects have materialized, prompting deepening concerns that President Rodrigo Duterte has undermined the country’s sovereignty with little to show in return. Of the 27 deals signed between China and the Philippines during Duterte’s visit to Beijing in October 2016, China […]
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China must speed up development of nukes to deter US aggression – state media
China should reconsider the “sufficient” size of their nuclear weapons stockpile to scare off potential attackers, China’s Global Times said, pointing at the US’ “aggressive attitude” in the South China Sea and the Taiwan issue. One of the lessons China has to learn from the Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin summit is that Washington respects military power […]