China’s frantic construction activity on a series of disputed reefs in the South China Sea has set off alarm bells across the Pacific and in Washington, raising fears that Beijing is putting steel in the ground to back up its contentious claims to a big swath of one of the world’s key waterways. Since last […]
MANILA— The Philippines is expressing “serious concern” over newly released satellite images that show major progress in China’s reclamation work at contested outcroppings in the South China Sea. The latest images published by IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly show “a large facility” in the works at Johnson South Reef. In May 2014, the Philippine military reported […]
Common sense, as we all know, is far from common. Then there are the things we hold to be true without question. When we take the trouble to give these a second look, sometimes we are surprised to find the opposite to be true. People who have followed this column for many years know how […]
Lopez Museum and Library and Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs welcomes Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio as he presents a historical perspective and legal basis on the Philippine claim of Scarborough Shoal, one of the features of the contested West Philippine Sea, on February 21, 2015, Saturday, from 2 – 4PM. […]
The South China Sea dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands has again escalated, with IHS Jane’s reporting that China is building a large scale military heliport 300 KM from the islands. Within this range, Chinese helicopter forces would be able to aid forces active in any potential conflict over the islands. The distance won’t allow the […]
MANILA, Philippines–A British journalist and author of two books on Southeast Asia, one of which was named Book of the Year by The Economist, will visit the Philippines next week and conduct lectures on the South China Sea dispute. Bill Hayton, a reporter of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and an analyst on Southeast Asian […]
Last year, Itu Aba (also known as Taiping or Ligaw), the biggest feature in the Spratly group of islands being disputed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, figured in a controversy involving the appointment of the Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno opposed the appointment […]
The Ateneo de Manila University, in partnership with the Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs, launched a cartographic exhibit on “Historical Truths and Lies: Scarborough Shoal in Ancient Maps “featuring copies of ancient maps of China and the Philippines on February 5, 2015. The exhibit is based on the lecture on Supreme Court Justice Antonio […]
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines—China has deployed a dredging ship at the disputed Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef) and is doing “substantial” reclamation in the partially submerged area, signaling Beijing may be preparing to expand its facilities there, according to the military command that is directly in charge of securing the country’s maritime interests in the West […]