When the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) hands down its verdict on Tuesday, 5 p.m. Manila time (11 a.m. in The Hague), it will rule on the Philippines’ 15 submissions, one of which may have an important practical implication on Filipino fishermen. That is Submission No. 10, where the Philippines protested that “China has unlawfully […]

The South China Sea’s upcoming judgement day is going to be a tipping point for tensions and a watershed for regional dynamics, writes Jacqueline Espenilla. China has long claimed that the South China Sea dispute can only be resolved by negotiation. This belief is purported to be the rationale for its refusal to participate in […]

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international tribunal will hand down a ruling on Tuesday in an increasingly bitter dispute over the South China Sea, in a closely-watched case that risks ratcheting up tensions in Southeast Asia. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) — the world’s oldest international arbitration tribunal — will issue a written decision […]

A satellite image released by the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies shows construction of possible radar tower facilities in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea in this image released on February 23, 2016CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobe/Handout via Reuters/File Photo The US has asked China […]

Jakarta looks to shore up its control of waters around Natuna Islands ahead of ruling on Beijing’s maritime claims SINGAPORE—As weak oil prices prompt countries and companies to scale back big energy projects, Indonesia is looking to ramp up production in the hope of countering a different kind of threat: Beijing’s military buildup in the […]

HONG KONG – On July 12, a panel of five judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague will announce their ruling in a case brought by the Philippines against China over its actions in the South China Sea. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? – The Philippines’ case against China marks the first time […]

WASHINGTON – A senior Pentagon official said Thursday that China has deployed anti-ship cruise missiles on land it claims in disputed areas of the South China Sea, marking the first public confirmation of such activities by the U.S. government. China “has deployed radar systems, anti-ship cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and has rotated fighter jets through […]

Beijing: Beijing will not take a “single step back” in the contested South China Sea, state-run media said Friday, despite reports of US naval patrols close to its artificial islands ahead of a tribunal ruling in the dispute. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims […]

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague – the world’s oldest international tribunal for international resolutions of disputes between nations – has said it will issue a verdict on July 12 on the South China Sea case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines. “The Tribunal will issue its Award on Tuesday, 12 July 2016, […]

The Chinese government has made a reaction on President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement on how the Philippines will handle the West Philippine Sea issue and the tribunal’s decision on the said issue. President Duterte said if the tribunal’s ruling is favorable to the Philippines, let’s talk with China. “We are not prepared to go to war. […]