“Our position is crystal clear: we will neither accept nor participate in the arbitration,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spoeksperson Hong Lei said in a press conference on Tuesday. FMPRC MANILA, Philippines – Beijing on Tuesday insisted that the Philippines breached the bilateral consensus between the two countries as it filed an arbitration case before the Permanent […]
International law can be viewed as either a tool or a weapon, depending on how it is wielded. On the one hand, the rules of international law outlining the range of legitimate territorial and maritime claims can provide an invaluable toolbox of objective standards for sorting out a way forward in what can often be […]
The U.S. Navy may be gearing up for its second freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese artificial island. Bill Gertz, at the Washington Free Beacon, citing U.S. officials with knowledge of matter, reports that two U.S. Navy warships will sail within 12 nautical miles of […]
KUALA LUMPUR — Ongoing tensions over the South China Sea heightened over the weekend, with China reacting angrily to the latest indications of growing U.S.- Japanese co-operation over the disputed sea. Neither the U.S. nor Japan has a claim over the waters, unlike China, which claims around 80% of the sea. The Philippines, […]
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — China on Sunday told other countries not to “deliberately stir up trouble” in the disputed South China Sea, while insisting it has no intention of militarizing the strategically vital area even though it has increased construction activities there. Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin reiterated China’s position that its construction of artificial […]
The Philippines is not giving up its claims on the South China Sea as President Aquino once again pressed China to respect the rule of law and honor the ruling of the United National arbitral tribunal that it has jurisdiction over the maritime dispute case. “As the arbitration process we have entered into continues to […]
Leaders from 18 countries including the United States, China, India, Russia, Japan and Southeast Asia who gathered for the summit issued strong calls for action after a recent spate of attacks by Islamic State in Paris, Mali and Lebanon. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russia and the United States on Sunday to cooperate in rooting […]
November 22, 2015 China refuted claims it is militarizing the disputed South China Sea, saying it needs to build facilities on artificial islands and reefs to protect them. “As the islands and reefs are far from China’s mainland it is necessary to maintain and build necessary military facilities,” Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said at […]
JAKARTA – Indonesia will openly express its opposition to China’s vast claims in the South China Sea when Southeast Asian senior officials, ministers and leaders gather over the coming days in Kuala Lumpur for a series of annual meetings, stressing that China’s “nine-dash lines” map has no legal basis, a government source said Friday. The […]
Disputes on territorial claims over the South China Sea should be resolved through peaceful means and in accordance with international laws, said Najib Abdul Razak. Opening the 27th Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the Malaysian prime minister urged all parties to the disputes to exercise restraint. “We stress the importance of resolving […]