HONG KONG — The head of the U.S. Defense Department says Washington plans to send two more missile defense warships to Japan to counter the threat posed by North Korea’s actions. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told a news conference in Tokyo Sunday after meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, that two AEGIS […]
YOKOTA AIR FORCE BASE, Japan — Against the backdrop of Russia’s takeover of Ukraine’s Crimean region, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday that a key message he will deliver to leaders in Tokyo this weekend is that the U.S. is strongly committed to protecting Japan’s security. Hagel said it is understandable for nations to be […]
WASHINGTON—“There should be no doubt about resolve of the United States. We stand by our allies and we stand by our commitments,” Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told a Senate panel that oversees policy in the region. The United States on Thursday cautioned China that it will […]
A few China links for the end of the week: The Permanent Court of Arbitration has established an official webpage for the case of “The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China”—the arbitration case the Philippines has brought to challenge China’s nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea. The page confirms […]
The US gave a strong warning to China not to escalate territorial tensions in the Asia-Pacific region if it doesn’t want to face American retaliation. In his statement, a US official used sanctions on Russia over Crimea’s accession as an example. Although it’s difficult to gauge China’s response at this point, more pressure needs to […]
Manila, Philippines — Lawmakers yesterday asked the Aquino government to expedite the signing of a new Agreement on Enhanced Defense Cooperation (AEDC) with the United States based on “mutual interest” in the wake of Washington’s vow to defend its Southeast Asian allies against China’s aggressive action in pursuing claims over disputed islands in the West […]
While much of the world was busy watching Russia swallow Crimea, few realised that an also dangerous territorial tit-for-tat had begun to unfold earlier this month more in the South China Sea. At Second Thomas Shoal, a handful of Philippine marines have long been stationed and re-provisioned on the rusting deck of the BRP Sierra Madre, […]
WASHINGTON – The United States has called on China to allow the Philippines to continue to maintain its presence on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea and said Chinese efforts to prevent Filipinos from resupplying the outpost were “provocative and destabilizing.” State Department spokesperson Marie Harf, in a press briefing on Monday, […]
MANILA – The United States on Sunday expressed support for the Philippines’ filing of a Memorial before an international arbitral court to support its claims on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). In a statement, US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf lauded the Philippines’ peaceful ways of seeking a resolution of its dispute […]
WASHINGTON, Mar 22 2014 (IPS) – Last year, the Philippines brought a complaint against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal. It was a master stroke by the Philippine government. The Chinese “were really unprepared for that and were really embarrassed by it,” one of Vietnam’s top experts […]