USA
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US strongly committed to protecting Japan
YOKOTA AIR FORCE BASE, Japan — Against the backdrop of Russia’s takeover of Ukraine’s Crimean region, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday that a key message he will deliver to leaders in Tokyo this weekend is that the U.S. is strongly committed to protecting Japan’s security. Hagel said it is understandable for nations to be […]
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US: We stand by our allies
Ayungin Shoal, BRP Sierra Madre, China, East China Sea Dispute, Memorial, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, USAWASHINGTON—“There should be no doubt about resolve of the United States. We stand by our allies and we stand by our commitments,” Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told a Senate panel that oversees policy in the region. The United States on Thursday cautioned China that it will […]
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China, US, Japan React to Philippines’ UNCLOS Case
A few China links for the end of the week: The Permanent Court of Arbitration has established an official webpage for the case of “The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China”—the arbitration case the Philippines has brought to challenge China’s nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea. The page confirms […]
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US threatens China over territorial disputes, cites sanctions on Russia as example
The US gave a strong warning to China not to escalate territorial tensions in the Asia-Pacific region if it doesn’t want to face American retaliation. In his statement, a US official used sanctions on Russia over Crimea’s accession as an example. Although it’s difficult to gauge China’s response at this point, more pressure needs to […]
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New defense deal pressed Accord With US Must Be Based On Mutual Interest
Manila, Philippines — Lawmakers yesterday asked the Aquino government to expedite the signing of a new Agreement on Enhanced Defense Cooperation (AEDC) with the United States based on “mutual interest” in the wake of Washington’s vow to defend its Southeast Asian allies against China’s aggressive action in pursuing claims over disputed islands in the West […]
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China challenges Philippines in the South China Sea
While much of the world was busy watching Russia swallow Crimea, few realised that an also dangerous territorial tit-for-tat had begun to unfold earlier this month more in the South China Sea. At Second Thomas Shoal, a handful of Philippine marines have long been stationed and re-provisioned on the rusting deck of the BRP Sierra Madre, […]
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US calls for end to Chinese provocation in Ayungin
WASHINGTON – The United States has called on China to allow the Philippines to continue to maintain its presence on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea and said Chinese efforts to prevent Filipinos from resupplying the outpost were “provocative and destabilizing.” State Department spokesperson Marie Harf, in a press briefing on Monday, […]
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US urges China to respect PH’s arbitration move
MANILA – The United States on Sunday expressed support for the Philippines’ filing of a Memorial before an international arbitral court to support its claims on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). In a statement, US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf lauded the Philippines’ peaceful ways of seeking a resolution of its dispute […]
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A Budding Alliance: Vietnam and the Philippines Confront China
WASHINGTON, Mar 22 2014 (IPS) – Last year, the Philippines brought a complaint against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal. It was a master stroke by the Philippine government. The Chinese “were really unprepared for that and were really embarrassed by it,” one of Vietnam’s top experts […]
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What the Philippines can learn from the South China Sea and Ukraine crises
China, Crimea, Militarization, Philippines, Power Dynamics, South China Sea, South China Sea Dispute, Ukraine, USAHONOLULU, March 21, 2014 — The modern world that emerged from the end of the Cold War and the disastrous terrorist attacks of 9/11 has deceived the United States and her traditional allies into assuming that war between states was a thing of the past. As the world sees Russian advances in Eastern Europe and […]