(Updated 6:03 p.m.) BEIJING – China on Monday accused the Philippines of spreading misinformation and “creating the illusion of the victim” in their dispute over the South China Sea after Manila aired a three-part documentary defending its position. The first part of the documentary series titled “Karapatan sa Dagat,” or maritime rights, was released as […]
China is reportedly proceeding with the construction of artificial islands on at least two reefs, which are claimed by the Philippines, despite Beijing promising to end some work soon. Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon of Kalayaan Islands, which falls under Philippine’s control, said that he saw Chinese land reclamation activity going on in ‘full swing,’ with many […]
The phrase ‘game changer’ is often overused in international affairs. However, China’s terraforming in the Spratlys—transforming submerged or semi-submerged features and rocks into artificial islands—may well prove to be a genuine game changer in the long-running and increasingly contentious dispute. Since mid-2013, China has been undertaking large-scale reclamation work on seven features under its control […]
HONG KONG – Concern is mounting among some scientists that China’s reclamation work in the disputed Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea has done severe harm to one of the most important coral reef systems in Southeast Asia. China’s use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands on seven reefs had also […]
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Concern is mounting among some scientists that China’s reclamation work in the disputed Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea has done severe harm to one of the most important coral reef systems in Southeast Asia. China’s use of dredged sand and coral to build artificial islands on seven reefs had […]
MANILA — Maritime security experts attending a symposium hosted by the Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS) agreed Monday that freedom of navigation and overflight in the East and South China seas should be assured. The symposium, titled “Towards Common Actions on Maritime Commons — Safeguarding Maritime Security in Asia through Regional Cooperation,” was cohosted […]
MANILA – (UPDATED 6:31 P.M) Because of China’s unbridled reclamation, the South China Sea “is already in an environmental crisis,” the Philippines’ envoy to the United Nations has warned in a forum, where experts estimated that US$280 million in ecosystem products and services have been lost thus far. In another forum in Palawan, National Scientist […]
MANILA, Philippines – The documentary promoting awareness instilling patriotism among Filipinos worldwide in the country’s struggle to maintain its hold over some of the islands in the South China Sea is gaining ground on various social media platforms. Dubbed as “Karapatan sa Karagatan” the maritime and sovereignty awareness video launched by the Department of Foreign […]
MANILA – The Philippine diplomatic delegation on June 12 stressed before the United Nations that China’s expansionist policy claiming almost all of the South China Sea should concern the international community as a whole. Speaking at the annual meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which counts […]
Beijing may find Manila’s video production on the West Philippine Sea offensive, but the Philippine Defense Department sees the documentary as a tool to instill nationalism among Filipinos and to raise their awareness of the issues surrounding disputed marine areas now under the shadow of China’s ambitious ownership claim. Commenting on the video aired last […]