Manila poised to form new paramilitary marine units to counter China’s ‘gray zone’ tactics in South China Sea MANILA – A “gray zone” arms race is emerging in the South China Sea, where China’s rising use of para-military forces to assert its contested claims could soon be met by rival maritime militias from Southeast Asia. […]
CHINA is facing a growing pushback from the Philippines in the South China Sea as the two countries assert their claims over a disputed ‘grey zone’ in the waters. The Philippines is building up a greater sea-based military force, known as the Cafgu Active Auxiliary Service, to defend waters it believes are within its control, […]
JAKARTA – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday (Oct 29) rejected China’s “unlawful claims” in the South China Sea and pledged to cooperate with Indonesia “in new ways” to ensure maritime security in the area. He praised Indonesia’s “decisive action” in safeguarding its maritime sovereignty in the waters surrounding Natuna Islands. “I am […]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded Indonesia’s “decisive action” to protect its maritime sovereignty around the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded Indonesia’s “decisive action” to protect its maritime sovereignty around the Natuna Islands, which China claims as its territory. The top US diplomat is on […]
CHINESE military chiefs have held crisis talks with their US counterparts against a backdrop of soaring tensions in the South China Sea after reports the US was planning drone strike in the troubled region. The emergency meeting came as US Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Asian countries to co-operate […]
Last Oct. 15, 2020, President Duterte announced the lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The Aquino administration imposed the moratorium in 2014 due to the harassment by Chinese coast guard vessels of Philippine commissioned ships undertaking seismic surveys in the Reed Bank. Forum Energy, which was […]
STATE DEPARTMENT – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo embarks on a week-long trip to South Asia on Sunday, as the United States looks to confront Chinese geopolitical and economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. The top U.S. diplomat is traveling to New Delhi, India; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Male, Maldives; and Jakarta, Indonesia from October […]
A few days ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the Chinese Armed Forces to prepare for war with all their minds and energy. This happened during a visit to the military base in the southern province of Guangdong. During an inspection tour of the People’s Liberation Army Marine Corps in Chaozhu City, state news […]
After six years since 2014, the President Rodrigo R. Duterte finally lifted the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a unilateral action that Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi described as an exercise of sovereign rights of the Philippine government in accordance with existing international laws, particularly the United Nations Convention […]
Indonesia has rejected the US proposal to allow its P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance planes to land and refuel in the country, according to a Reuters report. This exclusive report is based on information from four senior Indonesian officials familiar with the matter. “We don’t want to be duped into an anti-China campaign,” former Indonesian ambassador […]