Philippines
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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 […]
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China mounts detailed defence of South China Sea reclamation
Artificial Islands, China, Mischief Reef, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysBEIJING (Reuters) – China on Thursday sketched out plans for the islands it is creating in the disputed South China Sea, saying they would be used for military defence as well as to provide civilian services that would benefit other countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news briefing that the reclamation and […]
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Science and Geopolitics Converging in the Troubled Waters of the South China Sea
Artificial Islands, China, Ecology, Fisihing Rights, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea DisputeThe South China Sea remains at the epicenter of one of the most volatile maritime areas in the world, with little or no agreement on sovereignty claims to the ownership of atolls, submerged banks, islands, reefs and rocks. Yet South China Sea fishermen, marine biologists, and policy shapers agree that without an end to unsustainable […]
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South China Sea territorial clashes threaten environmental catastrophe
Artificial Islands, China, Ecology, Environment, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, VietnamChina’s mounting clashes with its neighbors over control of the South China Sea also could be fueling a major environmental catastrophe, endangering fishing stocks, threatening marine biodiversity and posing long-term threats to some of the globe’s most spectacular coral reefs. Environmental scientists say the dangers are increasing as the conflicting sovereignty claims heat up between […]
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US to Stop China on Sea Reclamation at Spratly
WASHINGTON – Leading senators expressed alarm on Thursday at the scale and speed of South China Sea and said a formal U.S. strategy was needed to slow or stop the work. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Republican Senators John McCain and Bob Corker and Democrats Jack Reed and Bob Menendez said that without a comprehensive strategy […]
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Meet the Chinese Maritime Militia Waging a ‘People’s War at Sea’
Artificial Islands, China, Fishing Rights, Japan, Militias, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea DisputeWhen the Philippines announced last week that it was restarting construction in disputed areas of the South China Sea in response to China’s own construction binge, it entered a contest it has virtually no hope of winning. Satellite images released in February reveal that China has undertaken an unprecedented series of construction and land reclamation […]
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Philippines making waves over China’s moves in disputed waters
Arbitration, China, Diplomatic Relations, Economics, EDCA, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Oil, Philippines, Poaching, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysChina’s moves to explore for oil and undertake land reclamation projects on contested islets in the South China Sea have upset a number of its neighbors, including Vietnam. But none has taken a tougher stance against Beijing’s moves than the Philippines. The archipelago has shaped up as the loudest voice in Southeast Asia against China’s […]
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China wants to control South China Sea: Philippines
China, Fishing Rights, Intentional Rammings, Philippines, Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysMANILA – The Philippines accused China on Thursday of seeking to take control of nearly the entire South China Sea with an expansionist agenda dominated by “massive reclamation” works. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said China’s efforts were aimed at undermining a United Nations tribunal that is due to rule early next year on […]