Aerial surveillance shows Chinese Coast Guard ships are still guarding the disputed Scarborough Shoal, but Filipinos are seen fishing there “unmolested” for the first time in years, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Lorenzana on Sunday said the return of Filipino fishermen to the shoal was “a most welcome development.” Malacañang last night described as […]

In this Sept. 23, 2015, file photo, Chinese Coast Guard members approach Filipino fishermen as they confront each other off Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, also called the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine defense chief says aerial surveillance shows Chinese coast guard ships are still guarding a disputed shoal but Filipinos were seen […]

An F-35C Lightning II on USS George Washington during F-35C Development Test III. Lockheed Martin WASHINGTON, DC — As tensions mount in the troubled waters of the South China Sea, US might is considered crucial, and a weapon considered well suited for the region is almost ready for deployment: the F-35 Lightning II. “It will […]

Two great challenges loom in the disputed waters and features in the South China Sea: the need for resilient maritime security enforcement mechanisms and protection against further environmental degradation. The maritime space is essential to human development, providing sea lanes and valuable resources to fuel our societies. South-east Asian waters host some of the most […]

Last Friday, on the heels of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declaring his “separation from the United States” during a visit to China, the USS Decatur conducted a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Julian Ku has written about this operation here. The Paracels are […]

President Rodrigo Duterte misstated in Beijing that China never has invaded any part of Philippine territory. This was pointed out last week by Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Carpio. For, China did grab Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Expert in international law, Carpio called on the government immediately to correct Duterte’s history lapse, lest it be […]

China and the Philippines could begin exploiting long-untapped energy reserves in the South China Sea, according to reports coming out of this week’s meeting between Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte and high-ranking Chinese officials — including a Thursday sit-down with Chinese President Xi Jinping — in Beijing. How soon that may happen remains unclear, however, as […]

Next week Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who took power in late June, will make his first state visit to China. Of course he’s hoping for a bonanza of loans and trade deals. What he’s not expecting or demanding: the return of Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012, sparking demonstrations by Filipinos […]

‘We cannot win that,’ President Rodrigo Duterte said of Scarborough Shoal this week. ‘We can’t beat” China. Next week Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who took power in late June, will make his first state visit to China. Of course he’s hoping for a bonanza of loans and trade deals. What he’s not expecting or demanding: […]

MANILA—President Rodrigo Duterte aims to upend the delicate geopolitics of the South China Sea during a state visit to Beijing this week, gambling that pulling away from the U.S.—the Philippines’ longtime military ally—will reset the strategic calculus in Southeast Asia in his poor country’s favor. http://www.wsj.com/articles/philippine-leader-rodrigo-duterte-rolls-dice-with-embrace-of-china-1476639455