China is developing a satellite system that will allow it to closely watch the South China Sea, the China News Service reported, helping it to consolidate control over the disputed waters. The first of 10 satellites is expected to be launched in the second half of 2019, China News said, citing the Sanya Institute of […]

MANILA, Philippines — As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China continue negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, Australia urged all parties to ensure that the output would be consistent with international law. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely pointed out that developments in the disputed South China […]

Planes like this are on the front lines. With things heating up in the South China Sea (SCS), much attention has been paid to the ships and submarines that could potentially square off against each other in the region. This ignores a key asset of most navies that is already on the “front lines” and […]

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said China should “temper” its behavior after another Philippine military aircraft flying over the disputed South China Sea was shooed away by the Chinese. Duterte said no one can create artificial islands in international waters like the South China Sea and claim its airspace. “You cannot create an […]

Idemitsu Kosan and Teikoku Oil signed the agreement with the Vietnamese state-owned oil and gas giant, PetroVietnam, on July 31. They will help develop and sell the gas located in the Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet project. In a move likely to draw the ire of China, two Japanese firms have signed an agreement to help Vietnam […]

MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said in a rare rebuke of Beijing he wants China to rethink its conduct in the South China Sea and that it has no right to repel foreign aircraft and boats passing by its artificial islands in the disputed waterway. Duterte said he hoped China would “temper” its […]

AFTER meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore last week, the regional bloc and China announced a breakthrough in the drafting for the framework for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, which would form the basis for future negotiations regarding an eventual COC. On behalf of ASEAN, […]

China threatens foreign ships and planes in the South China Sea on a “daily basis,” according to members of the Philippine military. Warnings directed at the Philippines are much more menacing than those directed at the US military, leading some experts to question whether or not China is purposefully calibrating its responses to intimidate smaller, […]

Manila: The Philippine President said on Tuesday that China’s claim to air space above newly built islands and surrounding waters in the disputed South China Sea “is wrong” and Beijing should not tell others to leave those areas to avoid possible clashes. Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks in a speech to an audience that included the American […]

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged China to “temper” its frequent warnings to planes and ships passing over or through the South China Sea. In a rare statement critical of China, Duterte said on Tuesday, August 14, that Beijing must respect the right of innocent passage for vessels passing in areas beyond […]