Monthly Archives: September 2020

South China Sea: Beijing warns Asean members against backing ‘troublemaker’ US in region

Beijing has dialled up the pressure on its Southeast Asian neighbours ahead of key talks in the South China Sea dispute, with a senior diplomat warning them against backing US efforts in the region.Beijing has dialled up the pressure on its Southeast Asian neighbours ahead of key talks inthe South China Sea dispute Luo Zhaohui, […]

China Fires Missiles Into South China Sea, Sending U.S. a Message

China has fired a barrage of medium-range missiles across considerable distances into the South China Sea, Beijing’s latest move to demonstrate its strategic dominance and sovereignty over the disputed waters. The missile launches on Wednesday punctuated a series of military exercises that China has conducted this month at a time of rising tensions with the […]

AFP chief asserts PH not ‘abandoning’ claims in South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s “soft approach” in dealing with issues concerning the South China Sea does not mean the Philippines is “abandoning” its territorial claims in the area, the country’s top military official said. Facing a panel of the Commission on Appointment (CA) on Wednesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff […]

South China Sea: Duterte rejects call to drop contracts with Chinese firms

As Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte rejected his foreign secretary’s strong recommendation to end business deals with Chinese firms that built artificial islands in the South China Sea, an analyst said banning these companies would make them accountable for their “crime against humanity”. Chinese envoy to Manila Huang Xilian praised Duterte’s pursuit of an independent foreign […]

Why the UNGA matters

The locus of world opinion is the United Nations General Assembly or UNGA, where all members of the United Nations are represented. A resolution approved by the UNGA, even when not legally binding, is the expression of world opinion. A state that is rebuffed in the Security Council because of the veto of one of […]