MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will reassert the country’s commitment of upholding freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in Japan next week. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Meynardo Montealegre said Duterte and Abe would hold a bilateral meeting on May 31, their […]

  As the United States and China volley round after round in an escalating trade war, a second front of conflict is brewing in the contested South China Sea, one that could soon force smaller regional states to take geopolitical sides. This week, a US Navy guided-missile destroyer was deployed near the Scarborough Shoal, a […]

  MANILA, Philippines — With Chinese ships watching from a distance, Philippine and US Coast Guard vessels conducted drills near a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Tuesday, in the first civilian maritime exercises between the two Pacific allies in the heavily contested waterway. The Philippine Coast Guard’s vessels BRP Batangas and BRP […]

  TOKYO: Hawaiian “super corals” that have recovered despite living in warm and acidic water offer a glimmer of hope that dying reefs across the world could be saved, a new study says. The research suggests that the gloomiest climate change picture of a world without the kaleidoscope underwater habitats could still be avoided, according […]

  MANILA — A senior United States Naval officer is encouraging Southeast Asian nations to determine its own response to China’s military expansion in the South China Sea. Speaking during the Asia-Pacific Media Hub telephonic conference on Thursday, US Naval Operations chief Adm. John Richardson specifically called on Australian and Indonesian maritime forces to step […]

  MANILA, Philippines — The recent joint exercises between Philippines and United States coast guards in the West Philippine Sea showed a “joint pushback” against China’s expansive claims in the vital sea lane, a maritime expert said. Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, […]

A US warship on Sunday sailed within 12 nautical miles of the disputed Scarborough Shoal — territory claimed by the Chinese military — in an attempt to “challenge” Beijing’s “excessive maritime claims” in the South China Sea, officials said. The move, carried out by the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble, comes amid heightened tensions between China […]

MANILA, Philippines — China-imposed fishing moratorium in the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea, is against the sovereignty of the Philippines. This was underscored by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo when asked about the government’s stance on China’s annual suspension of fishing activities in the disputed sea. “The policy of the government will […]

U.S.-China trade talks ended Friday without a deal. The United States increased tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, and Beijing retaliated Monday by announcing it would enact new tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods. Although China’s response was proportionate, state media also unleashed a barrage of nationalist rhetoric. A video clip from Xinwen […]

  Singapore — At the opening of this year’s 12th International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX) Asia on Tuesday, May 14, Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen warned of “dark storm clouds” over the region that could threaten its well being. He urged for common rules to be adopted for the seas and their […]