They have names like Pigeon Reef, West Sand, Taisho-To, and Scarborough Shoal. Most are no more than outcrops of rock poking out of the sea. Most have never been inhabited. Few have any direct economic value. If not for the perceived fish and oil wealth in the waters around them, the spat over these specks […]
In the tranquil harbors that dot the coastline of Palawan, a sword-shaped island in the western Philippines, the ferry boats are crowded with commuters traveling back and forth between sleepy townships, and with vendors bearing fresh produce. On Sundays, they fill with people dressed up for church. From nearby berths, fishermen set out to sea […]
Chinese authorities have arrested six Vietnamese fishermen, officials say, in a move that could increase tensions in the South China Sea. Vietnam said the men were detained in disputed waters where the two countries have been confronting each other over a Chinese oil rig. China says the fishermen were in Chinese waters off Hainan island. […]
With the world watching Ukraine with wary eyes, the U.S. Navy’s lead admiral in the Pacific suggested Asia could face a similar crisis if the continent’s other major power continues on its current path. Since 2009, China has stepped up what Philippine officials have called a “creeping invasion” in the South China Sea. Although less […]
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is pledging to create more favorable working conditions for more than 1 million fishermen who he said play a part in protecting the country’s sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea. In a speech this week, Dung asked relevant ministries to put forward concrete credit policies such as easier […]
MANILA (UPDATED) – The Philippines’ military chief on Monday accused China’s coast guard of firing water cannon at Filipino fishermen for the first time to drive them away from a disputed sea shoal. General Emmanuel Bautista said Chinese vessels fired cannon on January 27 near Scarborough Shoal — the subject of a bitter territorial row […]
MANILA — The Philippines will defy new Chinese fishing rules in disputed areas of the South China Sea and the navy will escort fishing boats to protect them if necessary, the defense secretary said on Thursday. China imposed fishing restrictions from the beginning of year, requiring foreign fishing vessels to obtain approval before entering the […]
The new fishing regulations in the South China Sea being implemented by Hainan, China’s southernmost province, was one of the topics that was discussed on Thursday during the Association of Southeast Nations Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Bagan, Myanmar. Filipino Fishermen prepare their nets before sailing to the seas within the West Philippine Sea, portions […]
On November 29, 2013, six days after China’s Ministry of National Defense announced the establishment of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, Hainan province quietly issued new regulations on fishing in the South China Sea. These regulations were announced on December 3 and came into force on January 1, 2014. […]
MANILA, Philippines – China has maintained a continued naval presence on Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, which is widely seen as a preparation for the establishment of a permanent structure well within Philippine territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). A confidential Philippine government report acknowledged that Beijing will use its […]