In 2018, the US conducted at least five so-called freedom of navigation operations in the sea and more than 1,000 military flights over it, Chen Yong, an assistant research fellow with the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said in a recently published academic paper. On any given day, […]

  China will seek to expand its economic and diplomatic influence in the South Pacific at a forum this weekend, amid growing concern from the US and its allies over Beijing’s push in the strategically important region. Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua will lead the Chinese delegation at the third China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development Cooperation Forum […]

  The US troop withdrawal from Syria, the betrayal of the west’s Kurdish allies, and subsequent advances by Russian, Iranian and Syrian regime forces have been widely interpreted as a dramatic “watershed moment” both for the Middle East and for American global influence. Excited analysts claimed that last week’s Syrian upheaval foreshadowed an end to […]

  MANILA, Philippines — Retiring Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will continue his crusade to defend the country’s legitimate claims in the South China Sea, former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Friday. “On the eve of his retirement in the Supreme Court, Justice Carpio has assured us that he will remain […]

  MANILA, Philippines – With numerous acts showing outright “bullying” of South China Sea claimant states, the United States has said it remains skeptical of China’s commitment to negotiate an effective code of conduct in the disputed waters. David Stilwell, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, expressed doubts over China’s […]

  Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – A scene in the film “Abominable” featuring a map with Beijing’s disputed South China Sea claims sparked a growing regional backlash Friday, with Malaysia cutting the segment just days after Vietnam pulled the movie entirely. The animated film about a Chinese teenager helping a yeti return to his home shows […]

  MANILA, Philippines — Beijing’s provocative actions in the disputed South China Sea prevent Southeast Asian nations from accessing resources in the area, a US Department of State official said. David Stilwell, assistant secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that China’s nine-dash line claim over […]

In the middle of the night on June 9, Chinese fishing vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212 collided with Philippine fishing boat F/B Gem-Ver, which was riding at anchor near Reed Bank in the South China Sea. The Chinese ship fled the scene, leaving 22 Filipino fishers aboard a sinking Gem-Ver in peril until they were rescued by […]

  MANILA, Philippines – Contrary to what Chinese authorities previously claimed, the Chinese ship involved in the sinking of Philippine fishing boat Gem-Ver in the West Philippine Sea had been “explicitly connected” to state-backed activities, an international think tank said. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) […]

  The government of the Solomon Islands has reached a secretive deal with a Chinese company with close ties to the Communist party that grants it exclusive rights to develop Tulagi, once the seat of British colonial rule in the Pacific archipelago. The confidential arrangement has alarmed residents and raised fears that Beijing could be […]