Tag Archives: Spratlys

ASEAN leaders voice ‘serious’ concern over China’s reclamation activities

LANGKAWI, Malaysia — Southeast Asian leaders on Tuesday expressed “serious concerns” over China’s land reclamation activities in disputed areas of the South China Sea, which they said could undermine peace, security and stability in the region. The stand was taken in the form of a “chairman’s statement” released by Malaysia one day after it hosted […]

China ‘extremely concerned’ by ASEAN statement on disputed sea

BEIJING – China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it was “extremely concerned” after leaders of Southeast Asian countries expressed worry about land reclamation and navigational freedom in the disputed South China Sea. China’s reclamation work in the South China Sea has become the latest source of tension with some of its smaller neighbours, several […]

PNoy reports ‘substantial’ progress in pushing united ASEAN stand on South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday he sees “very, very substantial progress” in discussions within ASEAN of the South China Sea issues. Arriving in Manila from Malaysia, where he attended the 26th ASEAN Summit and pushed for asserting ASEAN centrality in facing China’s increasingly aggressive moves to control the strategic waters, Aquino […]

Lengthening Chinese Airstrips May Pave Way for South China Sea ADIZ

Never underestimate Chinese engineering. First the Great Wall, then the Grand Canal, and now the Great Wall of Sand. China is rapidly augmenting features in the South China Sea (SCS) on industrial scale—hundreds of acres (more than 4 square km)—that even its neighbors combined cannot match. “Features,” is the key word here, because many were previously […]

Malaysia Urges Peaceful Solution to ASEAN Disputes with China

BANGKOK— Southeast Asian leaders said China’s island-building efforts in the South China Sea threaten to undermine the “peace, security and stability” of the region. A statement issued at the end of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in Malaysia, noted “serious concerns” on Chinese land reclamation in the sea, calling for “self-restraint […]

Justice Carpio: China’s reclamation poses ‘national crisis’ for PHL

China’s aggressive reclamation over the West Philippine Sea may result in a national crisis for the Philippines, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said. In a lecture on Thursday, Carpio explained that China’s efforts, intended to give teeth to its “nine-dashed line” claim over nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, have “grave implications […]

Philippines calls on ASEAN to urge China to halt land reclamation

The Philippines called on its Southeast Asian neighbours to unite in urging China to halt reclamation of land in the South China Sea, but the call failed to raise widespread support ahead of a regional summit. China claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and […]

Southeast Asia Divided on Response to Chinese Reclamation in South China Sea

KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippines pushed Southeast Asian neighbors to take a stand against China’s expanding footprint in the South China Sea at a summit of the region’s trade and security bloc.   Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/asean-chief-says-cant-accept-beijings-south-china-sea-claims-1430022922

China’s reclamation can create a national crisis

The elegant Ayuntamiento’s Salon de Baile (Marble Hall) was the setting of last Thursday lecture on the “South China Sea Dispute” by Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Tirol Carpio. As some may recall, the Ayuntamiento, the Old City Hall of Manila, was the Ancestral Home of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial departments of our […]

South China Sea: China’s Unprecedented Spratlys Building Program

High-resolution satellite images from April 17, 2015 reveal that in the space of ten weeks China has built an island on top of Subi Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands group. The dimensions and shape of the land fill, which is still underway, are compatible with a potential airstrip 3,300 meters long, similar to the […]