China has passed a law that for the first time explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested South China Sea and nearby waters more choppy. China has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with several Southeast Asian countries in the […]

Japan has joined a growing list of countries that are challenging China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. On Tuesday, Japan presented a one-page diplomatic note to the United Nations rejecting China’s baseline claims and denouncing its efforts to limit the freedom of navigation and overflight. Japan’s note is the latest in series of […]

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Foreign Ministry described outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday as a “doomsday clown” and said his designation of China as a perpetrator of genocide and crimes against humanity was merely “a piece of wastepaper.” The allegations of abuses against Muslim minority groups in China’s Xinjiang region are “outright […]

Beijing announced sanctions against a slew of recently departed Trump administration officials over their positions on China on Thursday, barring them from entering or doing business with the country. Among those sanctioned were former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser Robert O’Brien, former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, and former deputy […]

The outgoing US government’s assessment that China has committed “genocide and crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang was among the last acts of the Donald Trump administration that observers said could cement its legacy on Beijing and reduce Joe Biden’s ability to change course. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has used his final days in […]

WILL the new administration of President Joseph Biden escalate or moderate the rivalry between China and the United States for dominance in Asia? More than any other issue, how that geopolitical question is answered will have the greatest impact on the region in the 2020s, and most especially on the Philippines. (The follow-up article on […]

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21) — The Philippines’ arbitral victory in the West Philippine Sea dispute will continue to be recognized by the Biden administration in line with the strengthened ties between the two states, the country’s envoy maintained. Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez expressed confidence on Thursday that relations […]

LONDON – The Chinese Communist party has intensified an assault on all human rights throughout China, and those interacting with the regime should do so in the knowledge they are interacting with ‘a criminal state’, says a new report from the human rights commission of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party. From the incarceration of millions of […]

A Chinese government survey ship was intercepted “running dark” without broadcasting its position via AIS (Automated Information System by Indonesian officials. The incident is latest twist in an ongoing maritime saga which has also seen Chinese uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) found in Indonesia’s territorial waters. The survey ship, Xiang Yang Hong 03, left its base […]

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s top diplomat celebrated what he called the mutual support and growing trust between Manila and Beijing as he welcomed his Chinese counterpart for the third time on Saturday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Manila for an official visit on Friday and is expected to depart on Saturday. Wang […]