Philippines
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Nanda: Standoff in the South China Sea
Anti China Protesters, China, Illegal Fishing, Intentional Rammings, Mob Violence, Oil, Oil Rig, Philippines, Poaching, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Vietnam, Water CannonChina claims sovereignty over almost 80 percent of the South China Sea, which is rich in oil and gas and fisheries and is a busy waterway for world trade. Territorial disputes there as well as in the East China Sea have pitted China against several neighboring countries. Although China has avowed a desire to have peaceful relations with its neighbors,…
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Pinoys, Vietnamese join anti-China protest as PH lawmaker says Hanoi eyeing case in UN tribunal
Anti China Protesters, China, Illegal Fishing, Intentional Rammings, Mob Violence, Oil, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Poaching, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Vietnam, Water CannonMANILA – (11:31PM) Several hundred Filipino and Vietnamese protesters united in a march on Friday, demanding that China stop oil drilling in disputed South China Sea waters, as a Filipino lawmaker revealed Hanoi officials were mulling over filing a separate case against China – similar to what Manila filed in 2013 – over their maritime row. Filipino riot police blocked…
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Closer look at the reclamation, outpost on Mabini Reef
MANILA, Philippines — What used to be a mere rock formation in the Philippine-claimed waters in South China is now expanding to become an island alongside existing buildings and facilities nearby. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently sighted new conversion activities conducted by China on Mabini (Johnson South) Reef, located 118 nautical miles off Palawan, and released photos Wednesday…
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Why Did China Set Up an Oil Rig Within Vietnamese Waters?
The who, what, where, when and how of China’s HD-981 oil rig foray into Vietnamese waters have been addressed comprehensively, both by commentators here at The Diplomat and elsewhere. The enduring question, as with many of China’s provocative actions in the Asia-Pacific, remains why? The opacity of China’s internal decision-making processes makes it rather difficult to conclusively answer that question, but a good amount of evidence suggests that the…
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In High Seas, China Moves Unilaterally
BEIJING — It is the pride of China’s state-run oil industry and the nation’s first deepwater drilling rig, a vessel as big as a football field and as tall as a 40-story building, with a $1 billion price tag. Last week, it crawled through the South China Sea, pulled by heavy-duty tugs, and parked in one of the most sensitive…
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Beijing adopts contrasting approaches in South China Sea spats
China, Domestic Policy, Illegal Fishing, Intentional Rammings, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Poaching, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, VietnamChina is adopting very different approaches to disputes with Vietnam and the Philippines in the contested South China Sea, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese. On May 4, Chinese and Vietnamese naval ships engaged in a tense standoff near a Chinese oil rig in disputed waters off the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Both countries…
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South China Sea Clash: Asia’s Dangerous Game
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Diaoyu, Intentional Rammings, Japan, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Poaching, Sout China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Vietnam, Water CannonCollisions between ships of Vietnam and China following the latter’s installation of a deep water oil rig in the disputed South China Sea mark a dangerous escalation of simmering tensions. Simultaneous to this fracas near the contested Paracel Islands, maritime authorities of the Philippines have arrested Chinese fishermen close to another coveted portion of the South China Sea, the Spratly…
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South China Sea becoming ‘boiling pot’ amid rising tensions, analysts say
China, Intentional Rammings, Joint Military Exercises, Mutual Defense, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Poaching, Spratlys, USA, Vietnam, Water CannonThe escalating stand-offs between China and Vietnam, and between Beijing and Manila, will push Southeast Asian nations to build up their maritime capabilities, resulting in heightened tensions in the South China Sea, observers say. The nations were also likely to embrace a stronger United States presence in the region to Beijing’s dismay, they said, pointing to a drill held this…
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Intl community should never accept China’s behavior in South China Sea
China, Illegal Fishing, Intentional Rammings, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Poaching, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, VietnamChinese and Vietnamese patrol ships are squaring off in the South China Sea—a situation which could develop into a military clash if one false step is taken. It is, therefore, important for both nations to exercise restraint. Over the last several days, many Chinese and Vietnamese ships rammed into each other near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea,…
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Implications of the Philippines-US military deal
Ayungin Shoal, Bajo de Masinloc, China, EDCA, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Philippines, Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSPresident Barack Obama’s visit to the Philippines, the last leg of his recent 4-nation Asian tour, produced a new bilateral defense agreement that was touted by some observers as the single most significant outcome of his regional foray. The agreement was said to contribute to his goals of reassuring allies and signaling that the United States is serious about its…