SINGAPORE — A Chinese general snapped at criticisms over China’s militarization and its deployment of weapons in the South China Sea, as it asserted its rights over almost the entirety of the disputed waterway. “These weapons are a symbol of Chinese sovereignty. Think about it. No matter what country, you can deploy military assets of […]

SINGAPORE – The United States is considering intensified naval patrols in the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China’s growing militarization of the waterway, actions that could further raise the stakes in one of the world’s most volatile areas. The Pentagon is weighing a more assertive program of so-called freedom-of-navigation operations close to […]

MANILA (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – On Wednesday, at the hearing of the congressional special committee on the West Philippine Sea, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano faced question after question about the weak Philippine response to Chinese provocation in the South China Sea. He forcefully denied that the response was weak, and also made […]

(CNN) US Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Tuesday that the United States will continue “a steady drumbeat” of naval exercises to challenge China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, amid Beijing’s militarization of the contested waters. Mattis’ comments came after Beijing expressed “firm opposition” on Sunday after two US warships sailed within 12 […]

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 29) — The Philippines did not lose a single inch of its territory under President Rodrigo Duterte’s watch, the country’s top diplomat said, even promising to quit public office if proven wrong. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday challenged critics to provide evidence that the Duterte administration failed […]

The commander of U.S. Pacific Command and nominee to be America’s next ambassador to South Korea has warned that the U.S. must stand against the threat of Chinese hegemony in Asia. Admiral Harry Harris said on Wednesday that the Western world is approaching an inflection point in history, when “freedom and justice hang in the […]

MANILA – The fear propagated by the government that China might instigate war against the Philippines if provoked is psychological and not based on reality, a defense analyst said Tuesday. This strategy may have been seen as effective in the first year of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, but in the 2 years since the chief […]

ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT – US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the United States would continue to confront what Washington sees as China’s militarization of islands in the South China Sea, despite drawing condemnation from Beijing for an operation in the region over the weekend. Reuters first reported that two US […]

Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio on Friday urged the Duterte administration to “preserve” the country’s victory in the arbitration case against China on the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. Carpio, the top legal luminary in the arbitration case, has constantly urged the government to formally lodge a diplomatic protest against China’s “increasing militarization” […]