West Philippine Sea
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U.S. says backs resumption of China-Philippines talks on South China Sea
VIENTIANE (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday he supported the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, following an international court ruling against Beijing over the dispute earlier this month. China did not participate in and has refused to accept the July 12 ruling […]
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China reclamation using PH soil–gov
A FOREIGN ship is seen docked near a port area in Sta. Cruz, Zambales province. This ship was reportedly among those that transferred thick deposits of earth from three mountains in the province to China’s reclamation site near the disputed Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. ALLAN MACATUNO/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON A FOREIGN ship is seen docked near a […]
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Show ‘utmost respect’ for law of seas: India on SCS row
“India believes that States should resolve disputes through peaceful means without threat or use of force and exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate disputes affecting peace and stability,” he said. Identifying maritime cooperation as a key priority, India on Tuesday called for all stakeholders in the South China Sea […]
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Vietnam warns South China Sea is a ‘test’ of Asean
VIENTIANE, Laos—Vietnam has warned that the inability of Southeast Asian nations to forge a unified front against Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea is a “test” of the regional bloc in the face of its greatest security challenge. The unusually strong comments from a key claimant to the contested waters, comes as diplomats meet […]
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This tiny islet in the South China Sea is now officially a “rock”—and the implications are global
On July 14, Taiwan’s ex-president Ma Ying-jeou held up a bottle of water during a press conference to prove a key point—that 400-meter-wide Itu Aba, the largest feature in the contested Spratly archipelago, is clearly not a rock. The water, sourced from the feature Taiwan calls Taiping Dao, is proof that it is actually an […]
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Duterte hails Hague ruling in SONA 2016
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 25, hailed an arbitral tribunal’s historic ruling on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). “With regard to the West Philippine Sea, otherwise known as the China Sea (sic), we strongly affirm and respect the outcome of […]
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Duterte says to ‘affirm’ PH arbitration win vs China
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would “strongly affirm and respect” the outcome of an international court’s ruling that invalidated China’s vast claims in resource-rich waters in favor of the Philippines. In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte said the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) would help […]
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Canada decries South China Sea tensions, says ongoing tension bad for security
OTTAWA – Canada weighed in Thursday in the ongoing South China Sea dispute, with a thinly-veiled call to China to abide by an international ruling that has angered Beijing. While the statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion doesn’t specifically name China, it appears aimed at the country, which is angry after an international panel […]
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A country’s size, culture matter in its approach to international law
Just as China may distrust Eurocentric rules, smaller states may want the added safety of laws In September 2003, I found myself in the German city of Hamburg for a significant event in Singapore’s legal history – the city state’s first appearance before an international court. Unhappy with Singapore’s reclamation works off Tuas and at […]