ASEAN
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The Chinese view on the Philippine arbitration on the West Philippine Sea
Participants to the recently concluded 4th biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law in New Delhi, India last November 15, 2017 heard for the first time the Chinese position on the Philippine arbitral claim on the West Philippines Sea dispute. In the said conference, I delivered a paper entitled “What next after the […]
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How China can cement its territorial claims in the South China Sea
China has painted itself into a diplomatic and legal corner regarding its claims in the South China Sea. Its infamous and ambiguous “historic” nine-dash line has been variously interpreted by rival claimants as a national boundary; a sovereignty claim to all water and land within it; and, more optimistically, as an indicator of a sovereignty […]
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Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea
The Philippines’ SCS strategy, meanwhile, is motivated by a perceived Chinese westward push at its expense. Despite long administering the largest features in the Spratlys, Manila’s military capabilities are limited. The occupation of Mischief Reef came about two years after the removal of the U.S. bases, and marked the point at which the much talked-about […]
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China has territorial rows in South China Sea, too
TOKYO: Cam Ranh Bay, in southern Vietnam on the South China Sea, is a good natural harbor. Its mouth is about one kilometer wide so the harbor is somewhat protected from waves. The bay was one of the key Soviet strongholds during the Cold War. The Vietnamese military has a base on the bay to […]
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American Paralysis and Troubles in the South China Sea: A Primer on the Philippines-China Arbitration
In response to the government shutdown at home, President Obama decided last week to cancel his planned participation in a series of Asian and Pacific summits. Unsurprisingly, the decision has provoked considerable consternation abroad as the United States’ allies fret about American dependability, particularly in the shadow of a rising and increasingly assertive China. Perhaps the […]
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China’s territorial claims in West Philippine Sea mere claims, not rights—DFA exec
ASEAN, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, South China Sea Dispute, Thailand, UNCLOS, VietnamMANILA, Philippines – China’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) does not give it the right to the hotly contested territory because they are “just mere claims” and do not adhere to international laws. “There is a fundamental difference between entitlements and claims under international law,” Assistant Secretary Henry Bensurto Jr. […]
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The South China Sea and the Lessons of History
In 1980, Indonesia and Malaysia were prepared to sell off both Thailand’s interest as a front line state and the related concerns of Singapore and the Philippines. Indonesia and Malaysia’s interests were more abstract. Their priority was to assure the long-term preservation and expansion of ASEAN and to keep outside powers from interfering. Addressing their […]
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Speech: US, China and ASEAN: The Evolving Realities in the West Philippine Sea
ASEAN, China, itlos, Militarization, Philippines, Rafael M. Alunan III, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSRafael M. Alunan III Asian Institute of Management October, 4, 2013 Former President FVR; former Prime Minister Cesar Virata; distinguished speakers (who will be properly introduced later); members of the Cabinet and sub-Cabinet, past and present; the national security sector; diplomatic corps; members of academe and the business community: Good morning! This is the […]
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Philippines South China Sea legal case against China gathers pace
ASEAN, Brunei, China, Code of Conduct, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nine Dash Line, Philippines, Russia, South China Sea Dispute, South Korea, UNCLOS, USA, Vietnam(Reuters) – The Philippines’ legal challenge against China’s claims in the South China Sea is gathering pace, emerging as a “proxy battle” over Beijing’s territorial reach. Manila has assembled a crack international legal team to fight its unprecedented arbitration case under the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea – ignoring growing pressure […]
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A Code of Conduct for the South China Sea?
A series of high-level ASEAN meetings culminated in Suzhou, China on September 15, when senior officials from the forum for the first time met to formally discuss the possibility of a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting ended positively, with an agreement […]