Category Archives: West Philippine Sea

Prague cuts sister-city ties with Beijing amid ‘tangible anger’ over pro-China policies

  Prague’s decision to end its sister-city agreement with Beijing reflects “tangible anger” in the Czech Republic over the president’s pro-China policies, analysts say. The Prague city council voted on Monday to pull out of the partnership deal after mayor Zdenek Hrib’s unsuccessful bid to get Beijing to remove a “one China” pledge from the […]

China Knows It Can’t Protect Every Island It Builds (Think South China Sea) But Beijing is building them anyway.

During World War II Japan found that control of islands offered some strategic advantages, but not enough to force the United States to reduce each island individually. Moreover, over time the islands became a strategic liability, as Japan struggled to keep them supplied with food, fuel and equipment. The islands of the SCS are conveniently […]

Philippines’ hopes for South China Sea exploration deal with Russia depends on Moscow’s ties to China, experts say

  Duterte needs one eye on Beijing while dealing with Rosneft, observers say The Philippines is following Vietnam in courting Russia as an oil and gas exploration partner in the South China Sea, where China also lays claim to the waters. Observers said that while relations with Beijing are high on President Vladimir Putin’s agenda […]

‘Chief diplomat’

  Before he ended his official visit in Russia last Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte received a doctorate’s degree in diplomacy, an honoris causa conferred upon him by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations University. This was the first honorary degree that the 74-year-old President Duterte ever accepted. The honorary degree on diplomacy is quite […]

Pat Buchanan: Is China the country of the future?

  “WHO LOST China?” With the fall of the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, the defeat of his armies and the flight to Formosa, that was the question of the hour in 1949. And no one demanded to know more insistently than the anti-Communist Congressman John F. Kennedy: “Whatever share of the responsibility was Roosevelt’s […]

A fight for love and glory

  In a recent article (A tweet is just a tweet, Sept. 16), we used parts of the song “As time goes by” to describe the US-China trade war. On the surface, the US-China conflict appears to be a tariff battle. However, upon closer observation, one can see that it goes beyond the trade war. […]

South China Sea shock: The secret plan the Philippines has employed to gain upper hand

  AS SOUTH CHINA SEA tensions continue to escalate between Beijing and Vietnam, an expert has revealed how the Philippines has employed to try and assert its own dominance on the disputed territory. Dr Namrata Goswami, Senior Analyst and Author, argues that Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte could be playing Russia against China, and both nations […]