IN a cacophony of stereotypes, two complement each other to nail the issue on the South China Sea once and for all: Truth hurts, and the truth shall set you free. I won’t need the advice of a former British prime minister to state my take on the recent pronouncement by Chinese ambassador to the […]
The Chinese navy is conducting a week-long exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin to test new warships and weapons, military experts said. The Maritime Safety Administration posted “no sail” notices for three parts of the gulf, warning vessels not to enter the zones because of live-fire drills. The exercises began on August 9 and are […]
The Philippines are beginning to show some resistance against the increasingly bothersome presence of Chinese militia ships in waters that everyone considers as belonging to the Philippines. The one country that is of a different opinion is, of course, China itself. The Chinese have over two million active military personnel and have the second largest […]
MANILA — Malacañang expressed concern on Thursday over a Chinese warship’s unauthorized passage through Sibutu Strait in the waters of Tawi-Tawi despite China’s assurance to maintain friendly ties with the Philippines. “We express concern with that kind of incident. Because if they keep on saying that we’re friends, I don’t think this is an act […]
THE Philippines has spoken of its fear following the citing of five Chinese warships in its waters. Tensions between the two countries have risen lately with Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte confirming that he will confront Beijing over its territorial dominance next month. In an added escalation to the tensions between the two states, the Philippine […]
An AH-1Z Viper attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit taking off during a strait transit aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dalton S. Swanbeck Photos from a recent Strait of Hormuz transit by the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Boxer […]
Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper strongly advocates the geostrategic concept of the Indo-Pacific and the global rules-based order. In its first comprehensive guide-book for international engagement in 14 years, Canberra makes the case for an Indo-Pacific of openness, prosperity, and inclusiveness. Of note, the term Indo-Pacific appears more than 70 times in the document. […]
I am reprinting portions of an article written by Filipina Johanna Son, a resident of Bangkok which had extensive quotes from Marites D. Vitug. It came out in the Bangkok Post on Aug. 20, 2018 which I also reprinted with permission. Based on recent pronouncements from the Palace, it would seem that President Duterte […]
CHINA is violating international law for the unauthorized entry of its warships into Philippine waters, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s spokesman said yesterday. “It’s a violation of the UNCLOS,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters yesterday, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “I am sure the secretary of […]
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang will ask Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua to explain the presence of Chinese warships in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without informing the Philippine government, a move that broke the Chinese envoy’s earlier commitment. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said Zhao assured him on July 22 that the Chinese Navy will […]