THE Philippines has reiterated its call to China to stop its reclamation activities in contested waters of the West Philippine Sea. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Thursday that China’s statement that it had stopped such activity is “not factual.” “I think the construction continues. They said they have stopped their reclamation but at […]
The Navy is preparing to send a surface ship inside the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit China claims for its man-made island chain, an action that could take place within days but awaits final approval from the Obama administration, according to military officials who spoke to Navy Times. Plans to send a warship through the contested space […]
Indonesia is considering using drones and submarines to strengthen its grip over the gas-rich waters around the Natuna Islands in response to China’s growing military presence in the South China Sea. These comments by Indonesia’s security chief Luhut Panjaitan in an opinion piece Wednesday in the Kompas newspaper represent some of the most direct yet […]
On October 5, most Chinese were still enjoying their “Golden Week” national holiday. However, at the same time, a huge development occurred halfway across the world that might have a fundamental effect on their lives. This was the announcement that the long-delayed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal was finally reached, thanks to heavy pressure fronted by […]
The Philippines told China to stop “coercion and intimidation” in the South China Sea during an exchange of responses at the 70th UN General Assembly (UNGA). “Join the deliberations of the artibral tribunal and to let the merits be decided upon on the basis of international law and with transparency rather than by recourse to […]
BENEATH the islands invaded by China in the West Philippine Sea are 13 trillion dollars of proven huge reserve of gas as well as vast amount of oil that are the primary reasons of the dispute that continues to rage with no end in sight since China has been constructing its militay bases in the […]
SYDNEY – Some countries appear to view freedom of the seas as ”up for grabs” in the South China Sea, imposing superfluous warnings and restrictions that threaten stability, a U.S. Navy commander said on Tuesday in comments apparently aimed at China. Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a strongly worded […]
Until 1951, the U.S. Navy was governed by the Articles for the Government of the United States Navy, also known as “Rocks and Shoals” in part because Article 4, Section 10 stated that the punishment of death could be inflicted on any person in the naval service who intentionally or willfully caused a vessel to […]
Thee foreign minister of the Philippines, Albert del Rosario, has been the key strategist in his country’s fight to uphold its claims in the South China Sea against Beijing, which asserts ownership of most of that crucial waterway. Last week, Del Rosario spoke with Lally Weymouth. Excerpts follow: Foreign Policy: What did you think of […]
China maintains that it has “undisputable sovereignty” over the region, and that this had been the case “since ancient times.” Allies in the region – including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia – would beg to differ. The United States’ chief concern is that Chinese expansion in the region will be militaristic. But […]