Beijing accused Manila of “flagrantly infringing” on Chinese sovereignty and undermining regional peace after the Philippines formally presented its bid to the United Nations this week for extended seabed rights in the South China Sea. The rebuttal, issued by China’s mission to the UN on Thursday, followed Manila’s presentation before the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Beijing said the filing violated its sovereignty, sovereign rights and...
Asean’s optimism in concluding a long-awaited code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by the end of the year is not shared by observers who highlight that significant gaps remain in perspectives between the bloc and China, particularly between Beijing and the Philippines. Any consensus on the code is likely to be broad and symbolic, and while “negotiation fatigue” could set in, it is still important to keep dialogue flowing, according to analysts. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations...
The European Union’s upgraded partnership with the Philippines signals the bloc’s aim to diversify its Indo-Pacific strategy beyond trade into the security arena. Such a move shows Brussels is seeking a larger role in a region where maritime disputes and challenges to the rules-based order could damage its extensive interests, according to analysts. On Friday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy...
China, Philippine coastguard vessels clash in South China Sea.
The Philippine Coast Guard says 12 China Coast Guard vessels and three Chinese maritime militia vessels were involved.
China-Philippine clashes continued near the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal for the second day on Friday, as Beijing started military drills in the South China Sea that are expected to run until the end of the month. “On July 24, the China Coast Guard took control measures in accordance with the law toward multiple Philippine vessels engaged in illegal activities in waters under China’s jurisdiction off Huangyan Island,” the coastguard said in a statement on Friday, referring to Beijing’s name...
The elevation of ties between the Philippines and New Zealand to a comprehensive partnership gives both countries a wider framework to deepen cooperation, as Manila expands its network of middle-power partners and Wellington steps up its engagement in Southeast Asia, analysts have said. The upgrade also builds on rapidly tightening defence ties, giving Manila another security partner and New Zealand a stronger foothold in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific, observers add. New Zealand and the...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday warned his Philippine counterpart that Manila would “bear the bitter consequences” if it tried to provoke Beijing with the help of other countries. Wang made the remark as he lodged a “strong protest” during talks with Theresa Lazaro, the Philippines’ top diplomat, in Manila over what he called an “aggressive act of ramming a Chinese law enforcement vessel” at a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Monday. It was the third day Beijing has...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Philippine counterpart in Manila on Wednesday, with both sides highlighting the need for “reducing the risk of miscalculation” and maintaining stability in the South China Sea. The meeting on the sidelines of the Asean foreign ministers’ gathering marked the first formal talks between the top diplomats since Maria Theresa Lazaro assumed office in July last year. It also came days after fresh tensions in the disputed waters, with Chinese coastguard and...
Dispute erupts in South China Sea after incident near Second Thomas Shoal involving Chinese and Philippine vessels.
Malaysia is stepping up surveillance on its eastern flank, pushing ahead with plans for a long-range radar at a frontline South China Sea outpost and launching newly operational drones. The upgrades reflect Kuala Lumpur’s bid to improve its ability to detect threats as the Philippines revives its claim over Sabah state in Malaysian Borneo and Chinese patrols persist near its offshore energy fields. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Sunday that the radar would be installed on Swallow...
China Daily posted a video of a monkey being forced to sing its claims to the South China Sea.
A decade after Beijing rejected the ruling by The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration on its South China Sea claims, rival nations continue to manoeuvre for control. In the second of our series on the anniversary, Alyssa Chen explores how deepening maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam could affect China’s regional strategy. With Vietnamese President To Lam by his side in Manila late last month, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr sent a clear message of...
For a man sanctioned by Beijing, barred from visiting China and accused of damaging bilateral ties, Gilberto Teodoro Jnr sounded remarkably composed. Composed, that is, until the conversation turned to the South China Sea – the very subject that landed him in hot water in the first place. In an interview this week, the Philippines’ defence chief said that Manila would keep only limited military communication channels open with Beijing, while ruling out broader engagement unless China changed its...
Beijing has issued a lengthy critique of the Philippines’ territorial claims in the South China Sea, condemning its actions as “unlawful” expansions that pose a “grave threat” to the post-war global order. Wednesday’s report by a Ministry of Natural Resources think tank – its third within days – marks the latest move in China’s campaign to reinforce its position in the disputed waters. The push underlines Beijing’s rejection of the Philippines’ stance just days before the 10th anniversary of a...
China has issued a legal warning to Japan and the Philippines over their planned maritime border talks, calling the move “internationally wrongful” and saying it had the right to hold both nations accountable. It is the latest protest from Beijing after Manila and Tokyo agreed in May to launch formal negotiations to delimit the maritime boundary of the exclusive economic zones and continental shelf between the two countries, which overlap with areas claimed by China. “The announcement,...