West Philippine Sea
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Rodrigo Duterte may hand China the strategic piece it needs to take control of the South China Sea
Next week Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who took power in late June, will make his first state visit to China. Of course he’s hoping for a bonanza of loans and trade deals. What he’s not expecting or demanding: the return of Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012, sparking demonstrations by Filipinos […]
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Vietnam Influences China’s Quiet Legal Compliance in South China Sea Dispute
A fishing boat in Vietnam. Vietnam is one of the major players in the South China Sea dispute. It’s been nearly three months since the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague issued its landmark ruling in the Philippines vs. China case, resulting in a nearly unanimous victory for Manila and a humiliating legal defeat […]
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Could China build the world’s smallest nuclear power plant and send it to the South China Sea?
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. A top mainland research institute is developing the world’s smallest nuclear […]
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China’s narrative vs the real world
TOKYO—The issue involving the South China Sea is of vital significance for East Asia. It is a priority not only in relations among Japan, the United States and China, but also in relations between China and Asean. It was thought that the US freedom of navigation operations and the ruling handed down by the Permanent […]
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S’pore businesses quizzed by Chinese counterparts over stand on South China Sea
SINGAPORE — Following the back-and-forth between Singapore and Chinese state-owned newspaper Global Times over the South China Sea issue, some Singapore businessmen with interests in China are being questioned by their Chinese counterparts, on where they stand on the matter. Singapore companies TODAY spoke to are concerned that this, along with the increasingly shrill comments […]
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The Philippines’ Duterte Is Trying to Become Asia’s Erdogan
“I am ready to not really break ties [with America] but we will open alliances with China and . . . Medvedev [Russia],” the Philippines’ firebrand leader Rodrigo Duterte recently exclaimed. “I will open up the Philippines for them to do business, alliances of trade and commerce.” In a matter of months, the Philippines has […]
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The South China Seas ruling has hidden benefits for Beijing
Three months after the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea, the defiant words and actions of Beijing continue to perpetuate the widespread belief that the decision was a complete defeat for China. It may be true that the tribunal severely undercut China’s claim to sovereignty over nearly all of […]
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The South China Sea Showdown: What Should America (and the Region) Do About It?
The organizers of this gathering requested a “provocative” presentation. They knew not what they were asking! I will do my best to oblige. Regional politics underwent a phase change last July, when jurists in The Hague struck down China’s claim to “indisputable sovereignty” over some 80-90 percent of a major waterway. The Permanent Court of […]
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Duterte latest: Philippines risks China aggression if US forces leave
Outspoken Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to eject American troops from his country, but that could leave the Philippines powerless against potential Chinese encroachment. The U.S. and Philippines were enemies during the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902, with Washington only granting Manila full independence in 1946. But since a 1951 treaty that enables each country […]
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Duterte policy to erode US influence in South China Sea – study
MANILA — The Duterte administration’s “independent” foreign policy should not be belittled or underestimated, as it could “substantially” undermine the influence of the United States, a long-time ally and global superpower, in the region, the research arm of debt watcher Fitch Ratings said. “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s apparent foreign policy shift away from the US […]