SINGAPORE – President Duterte is set to reaffirm the Philippines’ stand on the disputed South China Sea at the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) here. In a statement, Malacañang said that Duterte, together with the nine other ASEAN leaders, will engage dialogue partner countries to further enrich partnership in key areas of cooperation. […]

In a policy shift, Thai PM Prayut Chan-ocha says state agencies will study the construction of a long-envisioned ocean-linking canal China craves for economic and security reasons After demurring for years, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha last week ordered national planning and security agencies to look into building a possible canal across the narrow […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — China bluntly told the United States to stop sending ships and military aircraft close to islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, during talks that set the stage for a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping later this month. The U.S. pushed back Friday, insisting it will […]

China has been warned by the United States to dismantle its missile systems shield deployed in the disputed Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea. The move, believed to be the first time Washington has directly addressed the issue, came in a statement following high-level talks at last week’s second annual US-China Diplomatic and […]

Uncontrolled deployment of advanced military technologies in the disputed South China Sea will exacerbate tensions, warn experts. They said the fact that some parties to the South China Sea dispute are increasingly militarizing the area is the biggest threat to regional stability. This process is not only taking place on the sea, but under it […]

ASEAN resists call for ban seen as attempt to curb America’s reach A drilling rig in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. The body of water’s unclear maritime boundaries have made it a focus of territorial disputes. © Reuters SINGAPORE/BEIJING — China wants to prohibit oil exploration in the South China Sea […]

At the second U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, the U.S. called on China to withdraw its missiles from the South China Sea. In a statement released at the conclusion of the recently held second annual U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, the United States called on China to remove deployed missiles from its artificial islands in […]

BEIJING — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments […]

“The expectation is to see one, if not two ships, on a year-round basis doing a variety of things with a variety of partners in the region,” Commander Blair Saltel, the captain of Calgary, said in Yokosuka, Japan. US, China set for high-level talks to avert South China Sea clashes His ship, docked at the […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on U.S.-China talks involving top diplomats and defense chiefs (all times local): China is telling the U.S. to stop sending American ships and military aircraft close to islands that Beijing claims in the South China Sea. Top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi (YAHNG jee-uh-CHERR) is making his government’s position clear after […]