Philippines
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Aquino and Xi shake hands
APEC, China, Diplomacy, Economics, Philippines, Pivot, President Benigno Aquino III, Rebalance, Silk Road, South China Sea Dispute, USAPhilippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time and shook hands last November 21 in Beijing. It was a historic occasion because the two countries had been locked in territorial disputes over islands and reefs in the West Philippine Sea ( South China Sea) for the past few […]
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US asks China to stop building Spratlys island which could host airfield
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Airstrip, Artificial Islands, China, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratyls, USAThe United States has urged Beijing to stop its reclamation projects in the South China Sea, as a report provided more details on a massive island being built in the disputed waters. According to a report by IHS Jane’s Defence, China had over the past three months used dredgers to build an island about 3,000 […]
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China building South China Sea island big enough for airstrip – report
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Airstrip, Artificial Islands, China, Fiery Cross Reef, Military Base, Military Conflict, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysWASHINGTON – Satellite images show China is building an island on a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands large enough to accommodate what could be its first offshore airstrip in the South China Sea, a leading defense publication said on Friday. The construction has stoked concern that China may be converting disputed territory in the […]
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What’s next in South China Sea? 4 scenarios simulated
MANILA, Philippines — More than 70 analysts from various countries held debates in a bid to simulate the future of the disputed South China Sea. In a statement earlier this week, consultancy firm Wikistrat examined “key factors” driving instability in the waters claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan to come up with […]
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SC justices split on US defense aid in sea row
China, EDCA, Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Military Bases, Mutual Defense Treaty, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Supreme Court, USAMalacaÑang has found an ally in Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in defending the legality and benefits of its controversial Philippine-United States Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) when she said that the country needs the help of the US to improve the country’s military capability amid its dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. […]
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Hard diplomacy ahead despite China showing its softer side
BEIJING – From a military rules-of-the-road agreement with Washington to $20 billion in loans for Southeast Asia, Beijing has set aside the tensions of recent years to present a softer side to the world in the last week. But proof of whether President Xi Jinping is serious about narrowing differences that have marked his first two […]
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Aquino hopeful of resolving islands row with China
SINGAPORE — Philippine President Benigno Aquino yesterday said he was hopeful of a peaceful resolution to his country’s territorial dispute with China after holding informal talks with his counterpart Xi Jinping last week, where the two sides pledged to find a constructive solution to the issue. Mr Aquino met Mr Xi last week on the […]
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Faulty translations misled Beijing’s sea claims (1)
For decades Beijing’s communist rulers have been feeding the Chinese hoodoo history. They preach in schools that China has owned the islands, rocks, reefs, and waters of the South China Sea since time immemorial. “Abundant historical facts” supposedly back this up. Yet genuine accounts from 6,000 years ago to the present disprove Beijing’s propaganda. Records […]
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PH not excluded from Beijing’s ‘Silk Road’: DFA
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs dismissed Wednesday views that China’s Maritime Silk Road plan excludes the Philippines. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road aims to build infrastructure across the region to bolster trade among the nations. DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said the Chinese embassy has already clarified the matter. […]
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EDCA critic: China execs think Philippines a US lackey
China, EDCA, Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Mutual Defense, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Supreme Court, USAMANILA, Philippines — Chinese officials pushing for Beijing’s claims on the West Philippine Sea believe the Philippines is still a “factotum” of the United States. This is what lawyer Harry Roque, among the petitioners questioning the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), noted before the Supreme Court during the oral arguments on Tuesday. Senior Associate Justice […]