Since coming into office, the Biden administration has made one of its top priorities strengthening relations with Asia – in part, to counter top rival China. That priority will be tested in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes have long simmered between Brunei, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Beijing claims almost […]

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines urged Southeast Asian countries and dialogue partners to heighten cooperation and “not lose sight” of common areas of concern such as transnational crime, terrorism, and maritime security even with the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro issued the call during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) […]

The strained relations between the US and China have stoked fears of a possible all-out conflict or world war. With the two countries at odds over several issues, especially regarding the South China Sea, both were reportedly moments away from sparking a military conflict in the waters. A report from the Chinese Central Television outlet […]

Chinese President Xi Jinping says China needs to improve the way it tells the world stories about itself and convince people that the ruling Communist Party is striving for the happiness of all Chinese people. Xi’s comments to a Communist Party meeting earlier this month comes against the backdrop off Beijing’s growing isolation in the […]

Because our forefathers fought off powerful invaders, we who are beneficiaries of their sacrifices and victories ought to do no less. We must exhaust all possible means, without resorting to war, to conserve and develop our patrimony. This is the gist of an open letter of the Citizens Alliance for Life and the Law of […]

Seas have acquired unparalleled importance in modern times owing to their trade routes and rich resource base. The territorial claims of sovereignty over the various unclaimed and disputed regions are thus on the rise, fueling further conflict, friction and chances of the potential outbreak of violence. The South China Sea and its island chains are […]

When 28 Chinese warplanes streaked through the skies around Taiwan on Tuesday – the largest such incursion this year – they followed a pattern that has generated alarm among U.S. and Taiwanese military planners. Some of the People’s Liberation Army planes, including bombers, fighter jets and surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, flew east from the Chinese […]

TAIPEI – China is showing new interest in working with Southeast Asian countries in the disputed resource-rich South China Sea as its superpower rival, the United States, gains diplomatic momentum under President Joe Biden, analysts in Asia say. China, with Asia’s biggest military and economy, hosted a rare, in-person meeting June 7-8, bringing the foreign […]

When 28 Chinese warplanes streaked through the skies around Taiwan on Tuesday – the largest such fly-by this year – they followed a pattern that has generated alarm among US and Taiwanese military planners. Some of the People’s Liberation Army planes, including bombers, fighter jets and surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, flew east from the Chinese […]

The South China Sea is a major point of dispute between China and the US. Washington has rejected Beijing’s territorial claims over the resource-rich waters. China, in recent years, has increased its military presence in the South China Sea. Developments in the South China Sea have attracted international attention and India supports freedom of navigation […]