When a U.S. guided missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese-claimed island in the disputed South China Sea last month, it set off a volley of protests from Beijing. “The U.S. is challenging and provoking the new maritime order by wielding its military power,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. China’s defense […]
The world should respond with care to the upcoming tribunal ruling. Sun Tzu may not actually have advised building golden bridges behind one’s enemies, but there is wisdom in the idea nonetheless. If the betting money is right that the Philippines will win on many if not most points when the tribunal ruling on its […]
The United States recently removed a decades-long arms ban on Vietnam during President Barack Obama’s visit to Asia. China is extremely dissatisfied with a statement by Group of Seven (G7) leaders on the contentious South China Sea, where Beijing is locked in territorial disputes with several southeast Asian countries, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. […]
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 May) – Incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte said he will continue the efforts of the outgoing President Benigno S. Aquino III’s administration in pushing for the country’s ownership over the West Philippine Sea. Duterte told reporters early Thursday that he had a long discussion with Chinese ambassador to the Philippines […]
IF the South China/West Philippine Sea row between China and the Philippines were to be adjudicated according to the quality of support that each side has marshaled in the dispute, the Philippines would surely win its case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, whose decision will be handed down within weeks. While […]
In times of lowered tensions or when it so wishes, Beijing could announce it is easing restrictions in its ADIZ, all in an effort to show it is pursuing a so-called “restrained” approach. Or it could offer to ease restrictions as part of a bilateral negotiation with Japan — say limiting its ADIZ to just […]
The South China Sea is not at the top of Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen’s agenda, but for the sake of domestic stability, U.S.-Taiwan relations, and cross-strait relations, her newly-installed Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government must exercise caution in its handling of the Philippines’ arbitration against China. How Tsai handles the ruling will prove critical for […]
China has been behaving aggressively in the South China Sea for some time now, in what can only be seen as the country’s efforts to assert sovereignty over disputed territories also claimed by some members of Asean. Needless to say, such behaviour is not healthy for the overall atmosphere of peace and stability in the […]
Without mentioning China’s increasing activities in the Indian Ocean and the East and South China seas, Japan and Sri Lanka “reconfirmed the importance of maintaining the freedom of the high seas and maritime order based on the rule of law”, according to a statement issued after their meeting in Nagoya, central Japan. In a separate […]
Malacañang on Sunday said that the declaration of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders on the South China Sea supported the country’s claim in the disputed waters. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that the G7 Declaration stressed adherence to the rule of law in solving the territorial dispute—a key element of the country’s policy […]