HO CHI MINH: Vietnam has accused Beijing of direct encroachment on the disputed Nansha Islands at the South China Sea due to its frequent guarding in the guise of conducting marine reserves research. But China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that China has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Nansha Islands and adjacent waters nearing Vanguard […]
Sansha No.2 is civilian and relatively small compared to military logistics vessels. News that China launched a new supply and transport vessel this summer for service in the South China Sea has prompted analysis that the ship will be used to fortify and strengthen China’s militarized island bases. But, while the ship will likely […]
SHATTERED CORALS Fragile corals, living organisms that also provide shelter to fish and other marine creatures, take decades to grow but can be destroyed in mere seconds through harmful fishing methods by poachers and illegal fishermen. Scientists say declining fish catch is a sign of continuing reef destruction resulting in lostmarine resources valued at about […]
MANILA, Philippines – Chinese fishing vessels do more than just fish in the West Philippine Sea, but are part of China’s strategy to control the resource-rich waters and deny Filipinos access to their exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Department of National Defense (DND) said in a report. “Apparently, China has been utilizing fishing vessels […]
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s office on Wednesday defended a controversial deal to allow a China-backed telecoms company to set up communications facilities on military bases, rejecting opponents’ warnings that it could compromise national security. The Armed Forces of the Philippines last week signed a memorandum of agreement with Dito Telecommunity Corp, the country’s new […]
MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese Coast Guard ship had blocked the path of three Philippine civilian vessels on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. This was revealed in a document submitted September 13 by the Department of National Defense (DND) to Bayan Muna […]
MANILA- Malacañang dismissed Wednesday the call of the Philippines former top diplomat Albert del Rosario to raise Manila’s legal victory against Beijing over the South China Sea as world leaders gather at the 74th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. It would be “futile” to bring up the 2016 ruling that invalidated […]
Fifth of a series THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) under President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s watch, then headed by Albert del Rosario, practically offered to drop our decades-old claim over Sabah against Malaysia in exchange for Kuala Lumpur’s support in the Philippines’ arbitration suit filed against China in 2013. This was disclosed by high-ranking […]
Maritime operations, missile tests, landing exercises: the Pentagon has been sharply stepping up its efforts to counter China’s growing military power, seen increasingly as a threat. On Friday an American warship approached the Paracel Islands, an island chain claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, to affirm international “freedom of navigation” in the […]
MANILA, Philippines — Addressing the United Nations General Assembly next week will be an excellent opportunity for the country to seek the help of the international community in compelling China to comply with the 2016 ruling of an arbitral court on the South China Sea issue, former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said. […]