MANILA, Philippines — China’s naval and coastguard vessels have been consistently present in the South China Sea, especially that its artificial naval air bases in the Spratly Islands are already operational. But what does not often get attention is the presence of its maritime militia. While they appear as fishing fleets, this unit should not […]
MANILA, Philippines — The recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippines and China on joint oil and gas development could serve as the foundation for finally settling the disputes in the South China Sea, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Friday. Carpio made the remark during the Pilipinas Conference organized by […]
Trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies go well beyond the parameters of imports and exports. Washington has been attempting to negotiate with Beijing about issues like forced tech transfers and intellectual property theft, but there’s a growing sense among international analysts that talks may also be touching on other deep-rooted issues in their […]
MANILA, Philippines — Former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said yesterday the Duterte administration should request the United Nations General Assembly to pass a resolution compelling China to abide by The Hague ruling recognizing the country’s rights over the West Philippine Sea. He also said the Duterte government should protest the many unlawful acts […]
hina owes the Philippines and other countries more than $177 billion in rent and damages for the South China Sea fiasco. The Permanent Court of Arbitration found on Tuesday that Mischief Reef is a low-water elevation and within Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This gives the Philippines’ indisputable legal rights to the reef. But since 1995 […]
MANILA – Chances of signing a code of conduct in the South China Sea any time soon may be slim, an analyst from a US think-tank said on Friday. Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, said China seems to avoid touching the hardest issues on the released code of conduct (COC) draft. […]
The situation in the South China Sea may become more intense next year, Chinese military experts said at the Global Times Annual Conference held on Saturday in Beijing. Dai Xu, President of the Institute of Marine Safety and Cooperation, said he didn’t understand why some people were afraid when Chinese warships intercepted US warships. “If […]
The risk of confrontation between mainland China and the United States over Taiwan is likely to grow next year as the self-ruled island leans ever closer to Washington in a bid to counter Beijing’s rise, observers said. By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Speaking at a forum in Beijing, Chinese experts […]
We have to encourage dialogue and trust-building among the major powers to shield our region from their rivalry. This can be done by providing venues to reinforce our areas of common interest in stability, security and interchange. It is in this context that the Philippines needs also to maintain our external security links with the […]
SCHLOSS ELMAU, GERMANY – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently shared some history with a friend, explaining why he reached out to China’s then-Premier Wen Jiabao in 2011, seeking urgent financial support and providing Beijing one of several European inroads in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Orban’s reason was a simple one: survival. […]