Philippines
-
New China ambassador tries to mend fences with Philippines
Arbitration, China, Memorial, Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSMANILA: China’s new ambassador to the Philippines on Tuesday met President Benigno Aquino to try to mend relations strained by a festering territorial dispute. Zhao Jianhua, who arrived in the Philippines over a month ago, briefly met Aquino after presenting his credentials, said presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte. “It went well,” she told reporters. Valte said the delay in Aquino receiving…
-
PNoy: Philippines will fight to defend its interests
MANILA – President Benigno Aquino said Wednesday that Filipinos will fight for what is right and just for the country’s national interests. Speaking at the commemoration rites of the Day of Valor in Bataan Province to honor the World War II fighters, Aquino said, “Even back then, it was clear to all Filipinos: small though we may be, if we…
-
Threat to Philippines is threat to US – Goldberg
PILAR, Bataan: United States (US) Ambassador to Manila Philip Goldberg on Wednesday declared that any threat facing the Philippines is also a threat to America, stressing the need for the two countries to strengthen their military to respond better to man-made threats and natural disasters. “As treaty allies, when the Philippines faces threats or natural disasters, so do we,” said…
-
WWII veteran supports Philippines’ case vs China
MANILA, Philippines — A 91-year-old Filipino veteran who fought against Japanese forces during World War II believes that armed conflict is no longer the way to solve matters today. Ricardo Madayag, among the veterans honored on Wednesday in commemoration of the Fall of Bataan, approved the Philippine government’s bid to settle the maritime row through the United Nations Tribunal on…
-
Hagel, Chang air differences over disputed islands
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Chuck Hagel, East China Sea, Japan, Philippines, South China Sea DisputeBEIJING (AP) — In a face-off between the defense chiefs of China and the U.S., Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday that his country does not have the right to unilaterally establish an air defense zone over disputed islands with no consultation. And he said America will protect Japan, the Philippines and other allies locked in…
-
Jakarta seeks clarification from Beijing on claims in South China Sea
Arbitration, China, Gas, Indonesia, Memorial, Militarization, Natuna, Oil, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSJAKARTA — Indonesia is seeking clarity on China’s intent behind its maritime claims in the South China Sea to avoid the risk of miscalculations in a zone rich in natural gas, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said. Indonesia wants an explanation for a map outlining China’s assertions in the South China Sea that appears on the nation’s passports and has…
-
When is a rock not a rock?
Arbitration, China, Diplomatic Relations, Foreign Policy, Memorial, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOS, USAWASHINGTON: A diplomatic standoff between China and the Philippines that flared up two years ago in a dispute over fishing rights at a tiny shoal in the South China Sea is coming to a head after Manila decided to ignore Chinese threats and sue Beijing in an international tribunal. The legal case marks the first time that an arbitration panel…
-
South China Sea: Regional States Push Back Against China
On March 18, officials from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Singapore to resume consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that began last September. This meeting should have created an atmosphere for the lowering of tensions in the South China Sea. At the least, China and the ASEAN claimant states…
-
Creative countermeasures needed to deal with Manila’s S.China Sea schemes
After over a year’s preparation, the Philippine government has submitted 4,000 pages of evidence to an international tribunal, challenging China’s legitimate claim to the South China Sea within the nine-dash line and declaring its “sovereignty” over some isles including the Ren’ai Reef. The Chinese government and scholars have rebuked Manila’s attempt to seek international arbitration on this issue, and most…