Philippines
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Beijing, With an Eye on the South China Sea, Adds Patrol Ships
SINGAPORE — China is rapidly building coast guard ships, the vessels that China most commonly uses for patrols in the South China Sea, and in the last three years has increased the number of ships in that category 25 percent, a new report by the United States Navy says. China has the world’s largest coast […]
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Mischief Reef land reclamation to restrict PH access to Ayungin, Recto Bank
Artificial Islands, Ayungin Shoal, China, Mischief Reef, Panganiban Reef, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysMANILA – China’s land reclamation activities at Panganiban Reef, internationally known as Mischief Reef, could be its first step in gradually restricting the Philippines’ access to Ayungin Shoal and the Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. But for one analyst, the bigger objective of China is to put in place a “strategic triangle” in […]
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China cementing reach in South China Sea with civilian infrastructure
Artificial Islands, China, Diplomatic Relations, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USA, Vietnam(Reuters) – China’s plans for islands it is creating in the South China Sea show for the first time the scale of civilian architecture it will extend across the disputed waterway, entrenching its reach in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, experts say. China’s Foreign Ministry gave rare detail on Thursday, saying reclamation and building […]
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New Images Show China Literally Gaining Ground in South China Sea
Washington: The clusters of Chinese vessels busily dredge white sand and pump it onto partly submerged coral, aptly named Mischief Reef, transforming it into an island. Over a matter of weeks, satellite photographs show the island growing bigger, its few shacks on stilts replaced by buildings. What appears to be an amphibious warship, capable of […]
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DND: China must end Mischief Reef work
Artificial Islands, China, Mischeif Reef, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysMANILA – The Department of National Defense (DND) on Thursday expressed deep concern over China’s reclamation project on Mischief Reef, one of the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea. “It’s a major or critical concern. They have to dismantle it. It’s a concern not only for our country and region but for the whole […]
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National Post View: China gets greedy
Artificial Islands, China, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USA, USA TodayIn the waters of the Pacific lies the area known as the South China Sea. The area, which can generally be described as the waters south of Hong Kong between Vietnam and the Philippines, is a mishmash of tiny islands — some little more than rocks — and competing territorial claims. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, […]
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China, Vietnam must manage sea dispute well to keep peace: Xi
(Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping told the visiting head of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party on Tuesday that the two countries must manage their dispute over the South China Sea well to maintain peace and stability, state media reported. Communist parties rule both countries and trade has swelled to $50 billion annually, but Vietnam has […]
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Piling Sand in a Disputed Sea, China Literally Gains Ground
Artificial Islands, China, Great Wall of Sand, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysWASHINGTON — The clusters of Chinese vessels busily dredge white sand and pump it onto partly submerged coral, aptly named Mischief Reef, transforming it into an island. Over a matter of weeks, satellite photographs show the island growing bigger, its few shacks on stilts replaced by buildings. What appears to be an amphibious warship, capable […]
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U.S. defense chief warns against militarization of territorial rows in Asia
Artificial Islands, China, Diaoyu, Great Wall of Sand, Japan, Mlitarization, Philippines, Reclamation, Senkaku, Shinzo Abe, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USA(Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter kicked off his first Asian tour on Wednesday with a stern warning against the militarization of territorial rows in a region where China is at odds with several nations in the East and South China Seas. Carter’s visit to Japan coincides with growing U.S. concern over China’s […]
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China defends land reclamation on disputed islands
CHINA – Beijing reaffirmed its right to build on disputed islands in the South China Sea on Thursday after satellite imagery emerged of construction operations turning tropical reefs into concrete artificial islands. A series of satellite images posted on the website of the Center for Strategic and International Studies show a flotilla of Chinese vessels […]