Philippines
-
Philippines rejects China deal in South China Sea; China denies making any such offer
The Philippines has rejected a Chinese offer to withdraw its ships from the Scarborough Shoal, if Manila did the same and delayed international arbitration on the territorial dispute. China‘s offer was made “informally through back channels”, Roilo Golez, a former congressman and presidential national security adviser told the South China Morning Post yesterday. Citing a “very reliable source”, Golez said:…
-
China apprehending boats weekly in disputed South China Sea
(Reuters) – Chinese patrols enforcing disputed new fishing rules in the South China Sea are apprehending foreign boats on a weekly basis, Communist Party officials said on Thursday. In comments that provide the first window on how China is enforcing new rules criticized by Washington, the party secretary for Hainan Island said Chinese patrols attempted to peacefully negotiate with vessels…
-
Ex-Navy chief prods US to act on sea row
A retired Philippine Navy admiral has asked the United States to be more resolute in preventing China’s continued aggressive action in the West Philippine Sea and called on the international community to fight off illegal actions in the already tense-environment in the Asean region. Speaking at the Center for American Security Forum at the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C., retired…
-
Malaysia seeks hotline with Philippines on Sabah
MANILA, Philippines – Malaysia wants to establish a “hotline” between its security forces and that of the Philippines to prevent a repeat of the standoff in Lahad Datu, Sabah last year between over 200 Filipino militants and Malaysian troops. The Filipino militants, who called themselves the royal security forces of the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, went to Lahad…
-
Malaysia joins forces with Philippines and Vietnam against China in sea dispute
China, Diplomatic Relations, Foreign Policy, Malaysia, Militarization, Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III, South China Sea Dispute, USA, VietnamThe submerged reef would be easy to miss, under turquoise seas about 80 km (50 miles) off Malaysia’s Borneo island state of Sarawak. But two Chinese naval exercises in less than a year around the James Shoal have shocked Malaysia and led to a significant shift in its approach to China‘s claims to the disputed South China Sea, senior diplomats…
-
UNCLOS explained: Why China’s claims in South China Sea are invalid
MANILA, Philippines — With a little over a month before the Philippines submits its written arguments to the international Permanent Court of Arbitration, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza publicly spoke for the first time about the basis of the Philippines’ case against China’s claim to nearly the entire South China/West Philippine Sea. “You need to have land before you can have…
-
‘China action in sea row unacceptable’
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, European Union, Germany, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOSMANILA, Philippines – A former president and the longest serving member of the European Parliament called China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea “unacceptable,” and said no power should be allowed to dominate in the region. Hans-Gert Pöttering, chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and member of the European Parliament representing the Christian Democratic Union (CDU Germany),…
-
Indonesia-Philippines border deal presages more united ASEAN South China Sea stance
At least one long-running maritime border dispute in Southeast Asia is heading towards peaceful settlement. On Monday, the Indonesian and Philippine foreign ministers announced that the two countries had settled their maritime border dispute, with a boundary treaty likely to be signed when President Yudhoyono visits the Philippines in May. This maritime border agreement follows a 5 February agreement between…
-
9 other acts of harassment by China vs PH fishermen: DFA
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has summoned the charge d’affaires of China to protest the firing of water cannons at Filipino fishermen in a disputed shoal last January 27. In a press conference on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Spokesman Raul Hernandez said the incident involving a China Coast Guard vessel is only one of several incidents of harassments…
-
PNoy: Phl to ask China to explain water cannon incident
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government will ask the People’s Republic of China to explain why the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at the Filipino fishermen who were at the disputed Scarborough Shoal on January 27. President Benigno Aquino III said both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of National Defense are now preparing diplomatic communications to Beijing…