West Philippine Sea
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China plays the North Korea nuclear card
Beijing trades promises to help for U.S. acceptance of its Western Pacific hegemony The provocative actions by North Korea over the past three months since President Trump took office should not come as a surprise. In his campaign for the presidency, candidate Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for failing to take stronger action […]
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Pressure Cooker: How the South China Sea Can Help America Prod Beijing
President Trump wants China’s help to rein in North Korea and has been open to negotiating with Beijing to deal with Pyongyang. Negotiations began with obtaining a more beneficial trade deal with the United States. There are now reports that the Pentagon turned down a freedom-of-navigation operation request in the South China Sea to avoid […]
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Duterte follows Xi’s lead with military build-up in South China Sea
Hong Kong (CNN)The Philippines has begun sending troops and supplies to an island it controls in the disputed South China Sea, setting the stage for a potential dispute with Beijing. Plans are underway to reinforce and upgrade facilities on Pagasa Island, in the Spratly Islands chain, senior Philippine military officials told the official Philippine News […]
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Trump’s Mixed Signals on South China Sea Worry Asian Allies
BEIJING — South Korea wants to discuss unease about an American antimissile system on its soil. Taiwan is eager to buy weapons. The Philippines hopes to find out whether the United States plans to challenge China in the South China Sea. Leaders across Asia are looking to Washington for guidance on a variety of pressing […]
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The Real Reason Trump Shouldn’t Meet With Duterte
President Donald Trump has no business inviting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House, but not necessarily because Duterte has been running a counternarcotics operation that has resulted in thousands of vigilante deaths, or because he himself has boasted about killing purported drug dealers in cold blood. As a leader, Duterte is apparently criminal, […]
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U.S. to Test Beijing’s South China Sea Claims, Navy Says
The U.S. Navy will still challenge claims by nations like China to exclusive access in the South China Sea, Pacific Fleet Commander Scott Swift said, insisting a hiatus in “freedom of navigation” patrols doesn’t mean the disputed waterway is a lower priority for the Trump presidency. “We just went through a change in administration,” Admiral […]
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China Coast Guard’s New ‘Monster’ Ship Completes Maiden Patrol in South China Sea
The world’s largest coast guard vessel, the 12,000-ton China Coast Guard (CCG) cutter 3901, has successfully completed its first patrol in the South China Sea this month, according to Chinese government reports. The South China Sea division of China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) reports that the ship, with a crew of 17 law enforcement personnel […]
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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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Duterte’s soft-pedalling on Beijing: Good for Manila, bad for Asean
Since his ascent to the presidency, Mr Rodrigo Duterte has overseen a remarkable reorientation in Philippine foreign policy. Promising an independent course that would “not be dependent on the United States”, the tough-talking Filipino leader has downgraded military cooperation with Washington and taken a radically divergent approach to Beijing. Just hours after his inauguration on […]
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OPINION: Justice Carpio’s E-book on South China Sea dispute
The political winds have indeed shifted. On the same day that the China-friendly statement of this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, President Rodrigo Duterte, was released to media, Philippine and Chinese flags were seen raised on a Chinese warship, Chang Chun (DDG 150) that docked in Davao city pier. This would […]