MANILA – Contrary to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s claim, 14th century Chinese navigator, diplomat and admiral Zheng He “never visited the Philippines.” Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said this Wednesday, refuting an opinion article that the Chinese Embassy in Manila released ahead of the Chinese President’s 2-day state visit to Manila. Xi had said Zheng, […]
BEIJING – China has installed a new platform on a remote part of the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea which could be used for military purposes, according to recent satellite images reviewed by a US think tank. The strategic waterway is claimed almost in its entirety by China, whose continued building of […]
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has reiterated its stand that the South China Sea should remain accesible to all ships despite the claims that have been made by China on disputed territories. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it was more important for ships to pass through the South China Sea freely than for China to […]
At the recently concluded 33rd ASEAN Summit, ASEAN member states expressed their desire to complete the Single Draft Negotiating Text for the Code of Conduct (COC) by next year to resolve the maritime dispute in the South China Sea. “ASEAN and China have seen steady progress in the initial phase of the COC negotiations since […]
Going into last week’s ASEAN summitry in Singapore there were hopes that some progress would be made on the U.S.-China-ASEAN complex of disputes in the South China Sea. But the summits have come and gone and, if anything, the situation in the South China Sea is more complicated than before. Although the contentiousness of the […]
HONG KONG — A U.S. aircraft carrier docked in Hong Kong Wednesday, days after a pair of American B-52 bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea. The arrival of the carrier Ronald Reagan and its strike group in the Asian financial hub is being seen as a friendly gesture ahead of a planned meeting […]
BEIJING: China has installed a new platform on a remote part of the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea which could be used for military purposes, according to recent satellite images reviewed by a U.S. think tank. The strategic waterway is claimed almost in its entirety by China, whose continued building of military […]
(CNN)Leaders of China and the Philippines have preliminarily agreed to cooperate on oil and gas exploration, a move that has angered many Filipinos wary of Chinese territorial expansionism in the region. Experts said the agreement is likely to be more symbolic than a concrete commitment to exploration in the disputed waters. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte […]
Manila defended its newly signed joint energy exploration deal with Beijing in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, after critics said the move undermined an international tribunal ruling in favour of the Philippines. After a red-carpet welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Malacañang Palace in Manila on Tuesday, the two sides […]
While it is “a reality” that China is “in possession” of the South China Sea, Malacañang clarifies that it does not mean ownership. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement on Tuesday as he defended the remarks of President Rodrigo Duterte that China is “already in possession of the South China Sea.” Duterte made the […]