Since 2013, a Chinese coast guard vessel has been defiantly anchored in Malaysian waters at the Luconia Shoals – which Malaysia calls Beting Patinggi Ali – in a vivid demonstration of Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea (See: “Malaysia Responds to China’s South China Sea Intrusion”). The vessel is just 84 nautical miles […]
TWO recent positive developments augur well for the Philippine strategy of seeking international arbitration in our long-simmering dispute with China over certain parts of the West Philippine (South China) Sea. But no matter how elating they are, our government should stop short of feeling any sense of triumphalism, lest it distort national perspectives and lead […]
The United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration handed out a decision on Thursday that the Republic of the Philippines’ case against the People’s Republic of China regarding Law of the Seas violations can be heard. This long-awaited decision marks a turning point in the complex landscape of international legality as more maritime nations seek to […]
It is said that every crisis presents an opportunity, and the turn of events in the South China Sea represents both — a crisis and an opportunity. The crisis is China’s development of islands and shoals within the Spratlys group, followed by last week’s US navy trip through the area. The opportunity is one that […]
BEIJING — Responding to an international tribunal’s decision to take up a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, The Chinese government reiterated Friday its hard-line stance of boycotting arbitration efforts. The ruling by the Arbitral Tribunal is “null and void, and has no binding effect on China,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs […]
In a setback for China, the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague ruled last Thursday that it has jurisdiction to hear the case brought by the Philippines over disputed islands in the South China Sea. This unfavourable, albeit expected, ruling for China coincidentally took place a few days after Washington sent a guided-missile […]
The American response to China’s bullying must be firm and long-lasting Defense Secretary Ashton Carter speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ** FILE ** Defense Secretary Ashton Carter speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ** […]
SEOUL—South Korea’s defense minister called for freedom of the seas and the skies in the South China Sea, in the strongest public remarks by a South Korean official over a recent spat between the U.S. and China over the contested waters. Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-calls-for-south-china-sea-rights-1446461006
Photo from the Permanent Court of Arbitration shows Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario addressing the tribunal in The Hague last July. Behind him is the counsel team for the Philippines and the empty seats for China’s representatives. MANILA, Philippines – In a legal setback for Beijing, an arbitration court in the Netherlands ruled on […]
BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) — The Foreign Ministry on Friday said in a statement that a ruling by the Arbitral Tribunal on Thursday on the jurisdiction and admissibility of the South China Sea is null and void, and has no binding effect on China. The tribunal, established at the request of the Philippines, ruled that […]