West Philippine Sea
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China sends message of supremacy in South China Sea — expert
MANILA, Philippines — An internal journal of China’s armed naval wing is sending a message of dominance in South China Sea and two warnings on its possible future actions, an international security expert said. An article authored by South Sea Fleet officers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy boasted military supremacy in South China Sea despite repeated denials by…
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China sends message of supremacy in South China Sea — expert
MANILA, Philippines — An internal journal of China’s armed naval wing is sending a message of dominance in South China Sea and two warnings on its possible future actions, an international security expert said. An article authored by South Sea Fleet officers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy boasted military supremacy in South China Sea despite repeated denials by…
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China: Even if we’re putting missiles on South China Sea islands, we’re not militarizing them
China is not militarizing the South China Sea, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, although he acknowledged that defense equipment on islands in the disputed waterway had been placed there to maintain “freedom of navigation”. China has drawn international criticism for large-scale building in the South China Sea, although Li told reporters in Australia the development was for civilian purposes…
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Philippines’ Duterte seeks alliance with China but defence officials warn of strategic threat
Since his ascent to power, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has overseen a remarkable shift in his country’s foreign policy, particularly towards China. The tough-talking Filipino leader, who is as notorious abroad as he is popular at home, has described China as a friendly and generous nation, a partner for national development and a potential military ally for the Philippines. During…
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Beijing’s scariest tack yet in the South China Sea: projecting an aura of calm
This week Japan said it plans to send its most formidable warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea. Observers waiting for an angry reaction from China—which claims nearly all of that sea and was mighty testy about it last year—were likely disappointed. Here’s what Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying had to offer: “If it’s only a…
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Malaysia speaks softly in the South China Sea
While the Philippines and Vietnam have been vocal in their maritime disputes with China, Malaysia has taken a more reticent tack to its claims Malaysian foreign minister Anifah Aman said in a spirited speech this week to parliament that Kuala Lumpur does not acknowledge Beijing’s “nine-dash line” expansive claim over territories in the South China Sea, including features claimed by…
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Carpio: Saying PH can’t stop China from building in Panatag pushes China more
MANILA – Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio took a dig Monday at President Rodrigo Duterte for saying he could not stop China from building on the disputed Scarborough Shoal also known as Panatag Shoal because it was too powerful. “The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, which are expressly tasked by the Constitution to defend the…
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Wenceslao: Wasted triumphs Sunda
CANDID THOUGHTS TRIUMPS at the international level are rare for a small country like the Philippines. But in 2012 and 2016, we did get two of those triumphs, historic ones if I may add. In 2012, The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) supported our contention that the 13-million-hectare underwater plateau called Benham Rise, which is…
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China to build on disputed shoal in South China Sea
A team of navy personnel and three Philippine congressmen standing on a tiny rock in the Scarborough Shoal with a Filipino flag in protest at Chinese land grabbing AFP/Getty Images China is to begin construction work on tiny islands in the South China Sea which are claimed by several other countries in the region. Beijing seized the strategically important islands…
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China’s Most Important South China Sea Military Base
Near the picturesque city of Sanya, at the southernmost tip of Hainan Island, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy is methodically preparing itself for the next phase of power projection in the South China Sea. The site in question is the Yulin Naval Base, and it is shaping up to be the most strategically important military base in the South…