Philippines
-
Binay: ‘China has money, we need capital’
MANILA, Philippines – In a preview of his approach toward China if elected president, Vice President Jejomar Binay stressed China’s economic might as he pushed for bilateral talks between Manila and Beijing over the disputed South China Sea. “May pera po ang China, kailangan po natin ng kapital (China has money, we need capital),” Binay said in an interview on…
-
Not helpless against China
Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysAs we continue to preoccupy ourselves with debates on the Bangsamoro Basic Law and who really is responsible for the death of the SAF 44, China has been busy reclaiming the Spratly Islands and building structures on reefs considered by the Philippines as part of its exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Filipino…
-
PLA’s DF-21D anti-ship missile can reach Philippines: US report
China’s DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile has extended the attack range of the People’s Liberation Army Navy all the way to the Philippines, according to the US Navy’s first unclassified assessment report of the Chinese navy in six years. In The PLA Navy: New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century, released April 10, America’s Office of Naval Intelligence said the…
-
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 guard fleet, with more such…
-
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 the South China Sea which…
-
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 work in the Spratly archipelago…
-
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 holding 500 to 800 troops,…
-
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 international community,” said DND spokesman…
-
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, Malaysia and Brunei all claim…
-
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 long been suspicious of its…