MANILA, Philippines — Pursuing a joint venture on oil and gas development in South China Sea would be possible for claimants as long as it would be consistent with international law. Washington-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) suggested that such agreement between South China Sea claimants would have to be consistent with both […]

China hit out at a looming U.S defense spending bill that includes a plan to forge closer ties with Taiwan, saying the legislation would damage U.S.-China relations and undermine cross-strait ties. The U.S. Congress is preparing to pass the sweeping 2019 defense authorization bill, which includes provisions aimed at curtailing China’s influence in Asia, reflecting […]

MANILA, Philippines — Top American and Australian officials reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed South China Sea in response to China’s expanded militarization in the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne stressed […]

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana erred when he played down as “empty victory” the Philippines’ historic legal win against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said on Tuesday. “China has called the arbitral ruling as an ‘empty victory.’ So it’s unusual that our own defense secretary is […]

China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday highlighted the value of cooperation between China and the Philippines. “Cooperation between the two countries over the recent two years has shown that good neighborliness is the only choice serving the interests of the two countries and the two peoples,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular press […]

A recent poll purports to show that there is a huge domestic opposition to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “soft” approach to China supposedly gathering steam. If this is an accurate assessment of the “will of the majority” — and some say it is not — it could force a policy change. But what are the […]

Almost two years after China pledged $24 billion in investment to the Philippines, barely any projects have materialized, prompting deepening concerns that President Rodrigo Duterte has undermined the country’s sovereignty with little to show in return. Of the 27 deals signed between China and the Philippines during Duterte’s visit to Beijing in October 2016, China […]

China should reconsider the “sufficient” size of their nuclear weapons stockpile to scare off potential attackers, China’s Global Times said, pointing at the US’ “aggressive attitude” in the South China Sea and the Taiwan issue. One of the lessons China has to learn from the Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin summit is that Washington respects military power […]

In shift, Xi says China, US and other nations can share the region BEIJING — China appears set to take a softer hand with its neighbors as tensions with the U.S. escalate, seeking friends that will take its side in a long-term battle with Washington for influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Pacific Ocean is […]

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s time in office has shown how a charismatic, populist leader can recalibrate a country’s foreign policy almost single-handedly. Under his watch, the Philippines has pursued an “independent” foreign policy, one that is less hostile to China and less dependent on the United States, the Philippines’ sole treaty ally and former colonizer. […]