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☆ U.S. Defence Chief Reaffirms Support for Philippines, Chides 'Dangerous' Chinese Conduct
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines and criticised as "dangerous" China's use of water cannon and disruption of a Philippine resupply mission last week. In a phone call on Wednesday with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, Austin "reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the Philippines" following Chinese obstruction at the Second Thomas Shoal "of a lawful Philippine resupply mission," said a statement from the Pentagon. Austin emphasised support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction, it said. The Philippines routinely sends boats to the Second Thomas Shoal to deliver supplies to a small group of its soldiers posted to guard a warship that was intentionally grounded on a reef 25 years ago. The Philippines has been furious over what it calls repeated aggression by China's coastguard around disputed features located inside Manila's 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Gilberto Teodoro, Austin, Thomas, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: . Defense, Philippine, Pentagon, China's coastguard Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, China, United States

☆ Philippines and US Intend to Hold '2-Plus-2' Meeting in March, Envoy Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines and the United States intend to hold a "2-plus-2 meeting" of top diplomatic and defence officials in Manila in March, the Philippine ambassador to Washington said on Monday. He said there is an "intention" to hold a meeting, and the plan is "still a work in progress." Romualdez did not respond to a question on what will be the agenda of the planned meeting, which comes at a time of simmering tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. The Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States. There was no immediate comment from the Philippines' defense secretary, the Philippine foreign ministry, and the U.S. embassy in Manila.

Persons: Jose Manuel Romualdez, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Enrique Manalo, Gilberto Teodoro, Romualdez, Karen Lema, Lisa Shumaker, Diane Craft Organizations: Defense, Nikkei, U.S Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, Manila, Philippine, Washington, China, South China

☆ Philippine Says Armed Forces to Ensure 'Unimpeded and Peaceful' Exploration in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Manila calls the portion of the South China Sea that is within its EEZ as the West Philippine Sea, where it has had a series of confrontations with China with both trading accusations of provoking conflict. In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the South China Sea disputed by China, which claims almost all of the sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. Plans by a Philippine firm to drill for oil and natural gas on the Reed Bank in the South China Sea have been hampered for years by the territorial dispute. The encroacher has a vast area of sea," Teodoro said. China and the Philippines agreed last week to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts and differences in the South China Sea through friendly talks.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, China's, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: Manila Overseas Press Club, South China, West, Reed Bank Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Manila, West Philippines, South, West Philippine, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Philippine, South China

☆ 'Foreign terrorists' behind deadly Philippine bombing — officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr condemned a deadly bombing on Sunday, blaming "foreign terrorists", as police and the military strengthened security in the country's south and around the capital Manila. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists," Marcos said in a statement. Law enforcement operations to bring to justice the perpetrators of the "terrorist activity" will "continue unabated", Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a press conference. There were "strong indications of a foreign element" in the bombing, Teodoro said, refusing to elaborate so as not to compromise ongoing investigation. Fragments of a 16-mm mortar were recovered at the scene, senior police official Emmanuel Peralta told the press conference.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Emmanuel Peralta Organizations: Mindanao State University Locations: Marawi, Manila

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A powerful earthquake that shook the southern Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said Sunday. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia, but later dropped its tsunami warning. In Japan, authorities issued evacuation orders late Saturday in various parts of Okinawa prefecture, including for the entire coastal area, affecting thousands of people. My perfume bottles fell off a table, pictures on my wall swung and I heard people screaming outside: 'Get out, get out, earthquake, earthquake!”’ Isidoro said. Thousands of residents stayed outside their homes for hours in many towns due to the earthquake and tsunami scare, including in some that were drenched by an overnight downpour, officials said.

Persons: Shieldon Isidoro, Isidoro, ’ Isidoro, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, Teresito Bacolcol, Mari Yamaguchi Organizations: Geological Survey, Tsunami Warning, Associated Press, Defense, Philippine Institute of Locations: MANILA, Philippines, U.S, Indonesia, Palau, Malaysia, Japan, Okinawa, Tagum, Davao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur province

☆ Philippines, France to Level-Up Defence Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

By Mikhail FloresMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines and France agreed to level-up defence cooperation between the two countries, Philippine defence minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday. Teodoro met his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Manila where he said they are working to get authority from their leaders to begin negotiations for a status of forces agreement. "We intend to take concrete steps to leveling up and making more comprehensive our defense cooperation," Teodoro said in a joint briefingLecornu's Manila visit is the first leg of his trip across the Indo-Pacific which includes stops in Malaysia and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. France considers itself an Indo-Pacific power, with over 7,000 troops stationed in overseas territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Edwina Gibbs)

Persons: Mikhail Flores MANILA, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Sebastien Lecornu, Mikhail Flores, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Locations: Philippines, France, Manila, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Pacific, Indian

☆ Philippines, France to level-up defence ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Mikhail Flores | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Philippines and France agreed to level-up defence cooperation between the two countries, Philippine defence minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday. Teodoro met his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Manila where he said they are working to get authority from their leaders to begin negotiations for a status of forces agreement. "We intend to take concrete steps to leveling up and making more comprehensive our defense cooperation," Teodoro said in a joint briefingLecornu's Manila visit is the first leg of his trip across the Indo-Pacific which includes stops in Malaysia and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. France considers itself an Indo-Pacific power, with over 7,000 troops stationed in overseas territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Sebastien Lecornu, Mikhail Flores, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, France, Manila, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Pacific, Indian

☆ Philippines' South China Sea Patrols With US Within Its Rights -Security Adviser
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' joint patrols with the United States in the South China Sea are within Manila's rights, and it will continue to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, its national security adviser said on Friday. The Southeast Asian nation rejects China's assertion that the Philippines enlisted "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a statement, responding to Beijing's remarks. Teodoro said there will be several iterations of joint patrols moving forward. The treaty allies conducted joint patrols from Tuesday to Thursday in waters near Taiwan and the South China Sea within Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), fanning further tensions with China. China claims most of the South China Sea on the basis of a "nine-dash line" that stretches as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the EEZs of rival claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Persons: Eduardo Año, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Neil Jerome Morales, Mikhail Flores, Jamie Freed Organizations: Philippines, National Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, South China, China, Taiwan, South, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam

☆ Philippines' South China Sea patrols with US within its rights -security adviser
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Philippine Air Force/Handout via REUTERS/... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreMANILA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Philippines' joint patrols with the United States in the South China Sea are within Manila's rights, and it will continue to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, its national security adviser said on Friday. The Southeast Asian nation rejects China's assertion that the Philippines enlisted "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said in a statement, responding to Beijing's remarks. Teodoro said there will be several iterations of joint patrols moving forward. The treaty allies conducted joint patrols from Tuesday to Thursday in waters near Taiwan and the South China Sea within Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), fanning further tensions with China. China claims most of the South China Sea on the basis of a "nine-dash line" that stretches as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the EEZs of rival claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Persons: Eduardo Año, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Neil Jerome Morales, Mikhail Flores, Jamie Freed Organizations: Philippine Air Force, Pacific Command, . Maritime, South China, REUTERS, Philippines, National, Thomson Locations: U.S, Philippines, Batanes, South, MANILA, United States, South China, China, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam

☆ China has a sweeping vision to reshape the world — and countries are listening
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

All this coincides with longstanding calls from countries across the developing world for an international system where they have more say. Beijing, he added, sees the US as merely “paying lip service” to the “liberal order” to hurt other countries. Sergei Savostyanov/Sputnik/ReutersIn recent years, even some countries that have for decades embraced a close partnership with the US have drawn closer to China and its vision. “Is China really trying to promote multipolarity — or does China just want to (become a) substitute (for) US influence over the world?” he asked. They also raise questions about how a more militarily and economically powerful China would behave globally, if left unchecked.

Persons: Xi Jinping, —, Xi, Vladimir Putin, General Antonio Guterres, ” Xi, , Shen Hong, they’d, ”, Yun Sun, liberalize, Sanjit Das, Shen Dingli, ‘, ’ ”, Russia’s Putin, Bashar al, Assad —, Assad’s, Sergei Savostyanov, Ali Sarwar Naqvi, “ We’ve, James Marape, ’, Rubens Duarte, Li Zhiquan, “, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Ted Aljibe, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Zhang Youxia, Beijing’s, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, BRICS, Weeks, Joe Biden, Sergio Lima, ” — Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United Nations, Forum, China, Communist, CNN, Beijing, Washington, Getty, Stimson, Bank, World Trade Organization, . Riot, Bloomberg, Initiative, Asian, Global, Sputnik, Reuters, Center for International Strategic Studies, Papua New Guinea, multipolarity, China News Service, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Global Security Initiative, NATO, Russia, Philippine Defense, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, United, New, Seven, Ministry, Global Security, Group, UN, Communist Party Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Ukraine, Gaza, Russian, Xinhua, Washington, South, Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, America, Shanghai, West, Hangzhou, Israel, Pakistan, Pakistani, Islamabad, Papua New, Brazil, Indonesia, Europe, Asia, Scarborough, South China, AFP, Moscow, Russia, “, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Palestine, India, South Africa, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, New Delhi, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, ” Beijing

☆ Philippines eyes multilateral effort to avert South China Sea clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Philippine flagged boat is blocked by a China Coast Guard vessel during an incident that resulted in a collision between the two vessels, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea in this screen grab obtained from handout video released October 22, 2023. China Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The Philippines will boost multilateral activities including freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, its defence minister said on Wednesday, expressing hope that more countries would "join our fight" after an altercation with China this week. The incident, near a disputed reef in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, drew widespread condemnation of Beijing, which says it has sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international arbitration award declaring that claim has no legal basis. The recent incident with China "could result in more willing nations to join our fight," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a televised interview on state-run PTV. Teodoro also said he is optimistic on the progress on reciprocal access agreement between Japan and the Philippines.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Martin Petty Organizations: China Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rights, China's, PTV, Washington, Thomson Locations: Philippine, South, Rights MANILA, Philippines, South China, China, Manila, Beijing, Japan, United States

☆ US and Philippines launch military drills with partners as China tensions mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“In Tagalog ‘Sama Sama’ is a phrase that means ‘together’ and there could not be a better phrase to capture the spirit of this exercise,” said Capt. The US Navy, US Marine Corps, and Armed Forces of the Philippines joined partners to commence the seventh iteration of exercise Sama Sama in Manila on October 2. Earlier this year, the Philippine coast guard accused a Chinese coast guard ship of pointing a “military grade” laser at some of its crew, temporarily blinding them. Sama Sama features more than 1,800 personnel from the participating countries, many aboard warships from the Philippines, the US, the UK, Japan and Canada. Sama Sama will run through October 13.

Persons: ”, Sean Lewis, ‘, Adm, Toribio Adaci, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, ” Teodoro, “ It’s, it’s Organizations: CNN, United States, US Navy, US Navy’s Destroyer Squadron, Philippine Navy, Philippine News Agency, US Marine Corps, Armed Forces, Philippine Defense, Foreign Ministry, Philippine Naval Forces Southern Locations: Philippine, Manila, Beijing, South China, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Philippines, CNN Beijing, China, Spratly, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Philippine Naval Forces Southern Luzon

China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea, and most of the islands and sandbars within it, including many features that are hundreds of miles from mainland China. If they (China) close off the South China Sea, perhaps the next target may be the Straits of Malacca and then the Indian Ocean,” Teodoro said. But since taking office last year, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has taken a stronger stance over the South China Sea than his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos has also strengthened US relations that had frayed under Duterte, with the two allies touting increased cooperation and joint patrols in the South China Sea in the future. As part of the Marcos administration’s commitment to boost the Philippines defense and monitoring capabilities in the South China Sea, Teodoro said further “air and naval assets” have been ordered.

Persons: ”, of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr, “ It’s, it’s, Teodoro, “, ” Teodoro, It’s, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos, Defense Lindsey Ford, ” Ford, Aaron Favila, China “, Xi Jinping Organizations: Philippines CNN, CNN, of National Defense, Department of National Defense, Defense, AP Locations: Manila, Philippines, China, Philippine, South China, South, United States, Republic of, Beijing, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, The Hague, Ukraine, Russia, Malacca, China . Washington, Second, The Philippines

Images from the Philippine Coast Guard also showed the Chinese ship moving dangerously close in front of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels as they escorted the resupply boats. Manila’s claims are backed by the international Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled in 2016 that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. “Two Filipino supply vessels and two coast guard vessels illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Renai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands,” Gan Yu, spokesman for the China Coast Guard, said according to the statement published on its website Sunday. Gan reasserted Chinese territorial claims on the islands and the South China Sea and vowed to continue law-enforcement activity within the region. And on Monday, China’s coast guard, in a statement, accused Manila of trying to “permanently occupy” Chinese sovereign territory.

Persons: Thomas, Renai, Matthew Miller, Ottawa “ unreservedly, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, Collin Koh, ”, Koh, Philippine Sen, Alan Peter Cayetano, Gan Yu, Gan, Jeffrey Ordaniel, Blake Herzinger, Lloyd Austin, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, Jonathan Malaya, ” Koh, Ordaniel Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, South China, Philippines Mutual Defense, US State Department, Canadian Embassy, Ottawa, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines Coast Guard Philippine, Philippine Foreign Ministry, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Court, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, CNN Philippines, China Coast Guard, Facebook, Pacific Forum, Tokyo International University, United States Studies Center, US, Philippine, Monday’s, National Security Council Locations: China, Philippine, South, United States, Philippines, Washington, Manila, Australia, Japan, Germany, South China, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, BRP Sierra, Hague, Singapore, China’s Nansha, China’s, “, Malaya

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