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☆ Chinese water cannon damages ship in new South China Sea flare-up, Philippines says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Video supplied by the Philippine Coast Guard showed two larger Chinese vessels firing water cannons from opposite sides of the Philippine ship. “The Philippine vessels encountered dangerous maneuvers and obstruction from four China Coast Guard vessels and six Chinese Maritime Militia vessels,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in the statement. The Philippine Coast Guard ship suffered “damage to the railing and canopy,” according to its statement. Over the past two decades, China has occupied a number of obscure reefs and atolls far from its shoreline across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports. Beijing and Manila’s South China Sea disputes have heated up since the 2022 election of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has taken a stronger line against China than his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, ”, Thomas, “, Thomas Shoal, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte Organizations: CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, China Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia, Weibo, Asia, Transparency Initiative, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Locations: Philippine, China, Scarborough Shoal, Chinese, Luzon, ” Beijing, South, Scarborough, Huangyan, Bajo, Masinloc, Philippines, South China, Palawan, BRP Sierra, Weibo, ”, Beijing, Manila’s, Manila, United States, Washington

☆ US sends land-attack missile system to Philippines for exercises in apparent message to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The presence of the US Army’s Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system, increases the risks of “misjudgment and miscalculation” in a region already on edge over Chinese-Philippines face-offs in the South China Sea, Beijing says. It’s the first-ever deployment of the MRC missile system, also known as the Typhon system, to the Indo-Pacific theater, and it comes amid a series of US-Philippine military exercises, including the largest-ever edition of the bilateral Balikatan exercises beginning Monday. It also can fire the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, a maneuverable cruise missile with a range of 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles), according to the CSIS. Those are the same rules Washington and Manila accuse Beijing of ignoring with aggressive Chinese actions that have injured Filipino sailors and damaged vessels around disputed features in the South China Sea. US Army PacificChina’s missile advantageAnalysts say the deployment of the Typhon missile battery is the first signal of US plans to address what has long been an advantage for Beijing in the region.

Persons: Lin Jian, ” Lin, Stephen Koehler, “, equalizes, ”, Collin Koh, Christopher Milhal, Koh, Rupert Schulenberg, Donald Trump “, Thomas, CNN’s Steven Jiang Organizations: South Korea CNN, US, MRC, US Army, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign, US Pacific Fleet, Sunday, Xinhua, CNN, US Air Force, US Army Pacific, Beijing, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, ”, don’t, International Institute for Strategic Studies, South, Lewis, McChord, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Russian, Philippine News Agency, CNN Philippine Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, United States, Philippines, South China Sea, Beijing, Philippine, South China, Taiwan Strait, Qingdao, Washington, Manila, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Taiwan, Guam, Singapore, South, Soviet Union, Palawan, Sulu, Spratly

☆ White House says it’s very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea ahead of key trilateral meeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The White House is very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea, a senior administration official said, as President Joe Biden prepares to draw two Asian allies closer at a historic meeting on Thursday. Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former’s case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter’s areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China claims the shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as its sovereign territory, as it does much of the South China Sea, in defiance of an international arbitration ruling. CNN has previously reported that the three leaders will hold private discussions on the South China Sea. A senior administration official also said that on Thursday the White House will be announcing a new infrastructure project in the Philippines.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Fumio Kishida, Thomas, Kishida, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, “ We’re, ” Biden, Australia –, ”, Brad Lendon, Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, East China, China Coast Guard, CNN, American, White, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, Coast Guard Locations: South China, Japan, Philippines, China, East, Philippine, Palawan, Taiwan, South, North Korea, Russia, Kishida, Ukraine, Manila, Asia, Pacific, United States, Beijing, India, US, Australia

☆ China concerns bring new unity to once-turbulent US-Japan-Philippines relationship ahead of major White House summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Both the Philippines and Japan are US defense treaty allies, and the US military retains permanent bases in Japan and has base rights in the Philippines. That threat is manifested in three key areas – Taiwan, the South China Sea and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, analysts say. Here's why 03:27 - Source: CNNJapan and Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former’s case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter’s areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China claims the shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as its sovereign territory, as it does much of the South China Sea, in defiance of an international arbitration ruling. “Alliance building is the most practical way to deal with China’s moves” in the South China Sea, he said.

Persons: ”, James D.J, Brown, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Xi Jinping, Biden, Micah Jeiel Perez, Marcos, Kishida, ” Marcos, Shinzo Abe, Ricardo Jose, ” Jose, Thomas, CNN Marcos, Shoal, China –, Masaharu Homma, –, Perez, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr’s, Duterte, Thomas Shoal, Veejay Villafranca, Robert Ward, BRP Antonio Luna, you’ve, Donald, Trump, ” Brown, “, Ward Organizations: South Korea CNN, White, Temple University, Japanese, Taiwan –, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, University of, Nikkei Asia, University of the, “, CNN, East China, Philippine, China Coast Guard, US, US State Department, Gen, “ Alliance, Clark Air Base, Naval, Bloomberg, Getty, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Cooperative, Philippine Navy, BRP, Royal Australian Navy, Self, Defense Forces, JS Akebono, US Navy, USS, Multilateral Maritime Cooperative, Armed Forces, AP Analysts Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, Japan, Philippines, China, Tokyo, Philippine, Taiwan, Washington, South, Senkaku, East China, University of the Philippines, CNN Japan, East, South China, Palawan, China – Washington, Beijing, Spain, Spanish, Imperial Japan, New Orleans, Bataan, Subic, Manila, US, Australia, India, Vietnam, Warramunga, IISS

Hong Kong CNN —China’s coast guard used water cannon against Philippine boats in a contested area of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in a string of maritime clashes between the two countries. The AFP also accused the Chinese coast guard of performing a “dangerous maneuver” by crossing the bow of the resupply vessel before using the water cannon. It said China subsequently installed floating barriers to “prevent further entry of any vessels.”A Philippine Coast Guard vessel had been “impeded and encircled” by a Chinese coast guard ship and two Chinese “maritime militia” vessels, the agency said, cutting it off from the resupply boat. The ship is now mostly a rusted wreckage and is manned by Philippine marines stationed on rotation. The latest run-in came just four days after Secretary of State Blinken told a news conference in Manila that the United States had an “ironclad commitment” to defending the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jay Tarriela, Thomas, “, Thomas Shoal, Blinken Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Armed Forces, AFP, Philippine Coast Guard, Convention, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine, Sierra Madre, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, South, Philippine, China, Philippines, AFP, ”, Beijing, Manila, Palawan, BRP Sierra, Madre, Sierra, China’s, United States, South China, People’s Republic of China, Washington

☆ South China Sea: On board an outnumbered Philippine ship facing down Chinese aggression
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Rebecca Wright | Ivan Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Near Second Thomas Shoal, South China Sea CNN —As dawn slowly broke on the horizon, a large fleet of Chinese vessels came into view from the deck of a Philippine Coast Guard ship as it entered the contested waters of the South China Sea. Filipino soldiers on the dilapidated Sierra Madre ship, anchored near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, on May 11, 2015. The US military also maintains a regular presence in the South China Sea, with aircraft overflights, so-called “freedom of navigation” operations, and patrols and exercises with allies and partners to assert that the South China Sea is an international waterway. The Philippine Coast Guard said it counted five China Coast Guard vessels and 18 boats belonging to Beijing’s “maritime militia." Rebecca Wright/CNNTarriela, the Coast Guard spokesperson, said a China Coast Guard vessel had come within 20 yards (60 feet) of the Cabra.

Persons: David, Goliath, “, ”, Thomas Shoal, Rebecca Wright, Sabina, Ritchie, Jiao, –, Jay Tarriela, Mao Ning, China Coast Guard “, Thomas, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr, Jose Manuel Romualdez, CNN Tarriela, Tomas Etzler, Erik de Castro, month’s, ” Tarriela, ‘, Collin Koh, ” Koh, Ray Powell, SeaLight, “ Will, ” Powell, we’ve Organizations: South China, CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine, Armed Forces, China Coast Guard, ” CNN, Philippine Navy, Coast Guard, Foreign Ministry, Sierra Madre, Center for Strategic, Studies, China Power, Ministry, Washington, Philippine News Agency . Diplomacy, Coast Guardians, Guard, Madre, Reuters, USS, China, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, National Security, Stanford University Locations: South, South China, Philippines, United States, Philippine, China, Bulilyan, Palawan, Sierra Madre, Sierra, The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Madre, Hague, Beijing, China’s, Manila, Shanghai, Singapore

THITU ISLAND, South China Sea (AP) — The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. It’s pure bullying,” Ano told reporters after the ceremony, describing the actions of Chinese ships as flouting international law. Surrounded by white beaches, the tadpole-shaped Thitu Island is called Pag-asa — Tagalog for hope — by about 250 Filipino villagers. It’s one of nine islands, islets and atolls that have been occupied by Philippine forces since the 1970s in the South China Sea’s Spratlys archipelago. Speaking in Honolulu, where he met U.S. military leaders about two weeks ago, Marcos said the situation in the South China Sea “has become more dire” with China showing interest in atolls and shoals that are “closer and closer” to the Philippine coast.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, it’s, Eduardo Ano, ” Ano, Ano, ”, Daisy Cojamco, asa —, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Duterte, Marcos, ” Marcos Organizations: National, Philippine, Associated Press, Washington, South China Locations: THITU, South China, Philippine, China, Manila, United States, Philippines, Asia, Thitu, Pag, Palawan, Vietnam, Australia, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Honolulu, South, asia

☆ Philippines builds new coast guard station on island in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway. Inaugurated on Friday, the new three-storey facility is equipped with state-of-the art technology such as radar, automatic identification, satellite communication, and coastal cameras, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement. Manila's outpost of Thitu is its biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea, largely claimed by Beijing, despite conflicting territorial claims by several regional nations. Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, Eduardo Ano, Thitu, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, People's Liberation Army, PLA ) Navy, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, Pag, Spratly Islands, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Spratly, Beijing, Palawan, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam

☆ China says Philippines enlists foreign force to stir trouble in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese military will maintain high vigilance, resolutely defend sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and resolutely safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, China's military said. "The Philippines enlisted forces out of the region to patrol ... stirred up trouble and engaged in hype, undermining regional peace and stability," the southern theatre command of the Chinese military said. Relations have soured between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as he pivots towards closer ties with the U.S., which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday China had warned the U.S. and the Philippines in connection with their patrols. A Chinese navy ship shadowed three U.S. and Philippine warships conducting joint patrols on Thursday, the Philippine armed forces chief, Romeo Brawner, told reporters.

Persons: Carlos Dominguez, Gao Hucheng, Damir Sagolj, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mao Ning, Romeo Brawner, Brawner, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Liz Lee, Neil Jerome Morales, Edmund Klamann, Robert Birsel Organizations: Philippine, China's, REUTERS, U.S, Philippines, U.S ., Relations, South China, China, Philippine -, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Philippines, BEIJING, MANILA, Philippine, U.S, South China, Taiwan, South, Palawan, United States, Manila

☆ Philippines rejects China's call for prior notice on resupply missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said the line on China's maps had no legal basis, which Beijing rejects. "The Philippines has not entered into any agreement abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ and continental shelf, including in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal," Daza said. The Second Thomas Shoal lies 190 km (118 miles) off the Philippine island of Palawan, or well within the Manila's EEZ.

Persons: Thomas, Teresita Daza, Lloyd Austin, harassments, Daza, Thomas Shoal, Mikhail Flores, Neil Jerome Morales, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Rights, of Foreign Affairs, US, Manila, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, China, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, Beijing, Jakarta, Sierra, Ayungin, Philippine, Palawan

☆ How a Decaying Warship Beached on a Tiny Shoal Provoked China’s Ire
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Camille Elemia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For more than two decades, it has been an unlikely flashpoint in the South China Sea: a rusty, World War II-era ship beached on a tiny reef that has become a symbol of Philippine resistance against Beijing. The Philippine government ran the vessel aground in 1999 on the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested reef 120 miles off the coast of the western province of Palawan. The dilapidated warship, known as the Sierra Madre, will never sail again. But it has remained there ever since, a marker of the Philippines’ claim to the shoal and an effort to prevent China from seizing more of the disputed waters. On Friday, a reporter for The New York Times was among a group given rare access to a Philippine resupply mission, first boarding a Coast Guard ship — the BRP Cabra — and then an inflatable dinghy to get within 1,000 yards of the Sierra Madre.

Persons: Thomas Organizations: Beijing, Philippine, The New York Times, Coast Guard, BRP, — Locations: South China, Palawan, Sierra Madre, Philippines, China, Philippine

Hong Kong CNN —China and the Philippines on Sunday accused each other of causing collisions in a disputed area of the South China Sea, the latest in a string of maritime confrontations between the two countries that have heightened regional tensions. In a statement Sunday, the Chinese Coast Guard accused the Philippines of violating international marine law and threatening the navigation safety of Chinese ships. In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a landmark maritime dispute, which concluded that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. In September, the Philippine Coast Guard released video of a Filipino diver cutting a Chinese-installed floating barrier in a disputed area of the waterway that had prevented Filipino boats from entering. It came just days after after the Philippine Coast Guard accused China’s maritime militia of turning vast patches of coral near the Palawan island chain into a bleached and broken wasteland.

Persons: Thomas, “, Thomas Shoal Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Coast Guard, National Task Force, West Philippine, BRP, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard Locations: Hong Kong, China, Philippines, South China, Philippine, Ayungin, Spratly, BRP Sierra Madre, Manila, Beijing, China’s, The Hague, Palawan

☆ Philippines sees no current, future engagements with Taiwan - military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. speaks to the media during a press briefing at Western Command in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The Philippines has no military engagements with Taiwan and it does not see future engagements with the democratically-governed island, Manila's armed forces chief Romeo Brawner told foreign correspondents on Thursday. The Philippines sees risk of conflict over Taiwan as a major concern amid geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States. The military is ready for any eventuality, though it has not monitored reports on any intended attacks on Taiwan in particular, Brawner said. The Philippines adheres to the "One China Policy", and also has ties with Taipei, with its Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan serving as a de facto embassy.

Persons: Romeo Brawner, Eloisa Lopez, Brawner, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales Organizations: Forces, Western Command, REUTERS, Rights, Philippine, Office, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Rights MANILA, Taiwan, China, United States, Mavulis, Taipei, Manila

☆ Philippines to recruit 'cyber warriors' for online defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. walks past honor guards during the arrival ceremony at Western Command, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, August 10, 2023. Several government agencies, including the lower house of Congress, have recently reported cyber attacks and the chief of the armed forces said some of the almost daily attacks on the military came from abroad. "Instead of recruiting soldiers for infantry battalions, this time we will recruit cyber warriors," General Romeo Brawner told reporters. "There is this general realisation that this new breed of warriors does not have to be muscle strong." Cyber defence training was part joint exercises this year with U.S. forces, Brawner said, highlighting the growing importance of cyber resilience in defence strategy.

Persons: Romeo Brawner Jr, Eloisa Lopez, Romeo Brawner, Brawner, Karen Lema, Robert Birsel Organizations: Forces, Western Command, REUTERS, Rights, coastguard, U.S, China Telecom, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Rights MANILA, Philippine, China, South China, Japan

Passengers queue at airline counters in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, January 2, 2023. "While the information is currently under validation, immediate enhanced security measures are being implemented across all airports," CAAP said. The Oct. 4 memo included a screenshot of what it said was the threat, which did not contain the word "bomb" but said "an airplane will explode" at Manila's international airport today and "please beware". Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said patrols had been increased and K9 units deployed at all terminals of Manila's international airport, and law enforcement agencies were coordinating closely. Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, CAAP, Jaime Bautista, Bautista, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Martin Petty, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Ninoy Aquino International Airport, REUTERS, Security, Civil Aviation Authority of, Philippines Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Thomson Locations: Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Manila, MANILA, Davao, Bicol, Palawan, Cebu

☆ China condemns Philippine re-supply mission to disputed atoll
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/MANILA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - China has condemned a mission by four Philippine ships to re-supply Philippine troops on a disputed South China Sea atoll, saying the vessels had entered its waters in the Spratly Islands without its permission. "Philippine supply ships and two coast guard ships entered the waters ... in China's Nansha Islands without permission from the Chinese government," China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said a post on its website, using China's name for the Spratly Islands. The atoll in the area is known as Ayungin in the Philippines, while China calls it the Renai Reef. read moreThe Philippine National Security Council (NSC) said its re-supply and rotation mission was completed despite attempts by a significant number of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia to "harass and interfere" with it. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Gan Yu, Thomas, Philippe, Ryan Woo, Karen Lema, Engen Tham, Kaiwen Xu, Robert Birsel Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Rights, China Coast Guard, Philippine National Security Council, Chinese Maritime Militia, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, Philippine, Spratly, South, Rights BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, South China, China's Nansha, Palawan, United States, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

CNN —A floating barrier installed by China to prevent Filipino boats from fishing in a disputed area of the South China Sea has been removed, Philippine authorities said Monday, in the latest flashpoint between Manila and Beijing over their competing maritime claims. The video is a vivid illustration of a fraught power struggle that has been playing out for years in the South China Sea as Manila tries to push back against increasingly assertive claims to the disputed strategic waterway by Beijing. “The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law,” the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement Monday, adding that it also infringed on Philippine sovereignty. Beijing claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea, as well as most of the islands and sandbars within it, including many features that are hundreds of miles away from China’s mainland. In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a landmark maritime dispute, which concluded that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea.

Persons: Wang Wenbin, ” Organizations: CNN, South China, Philippine Coast Guard, Coast Guard Locations: China, South, Manila, Beijing, Bajo de Masinloc, Scarborough, Philippine, Luzon, South China, Huangyan, Philippines, China’s, The Hague, United States, Palawan

This is what it looks like when a Chinese naval vessel bears down on your fishing boat. We know because we were there. This boat was carrying Times journalists off the island of Palawan, in the Philippines, looking at how China was imposing its territorial ambitions on the South China Sea. An international court says China has no claim to these waters. The Chinese navy boat guarding Mischief Reef said differently.

Locations: Palawan, Philippines, China

☆ South China Sea: Philippines accuses Chinese maritime militia of destroying coral reefs near Palawan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Philippine Coast Guard/FacebookTarriela said between August 9 and September 11, the coast guard monitored 33 Chinese vessels within the vicinity of Rozul Reef and around 15 Chinese ships near Escoda Shoal. The UP Marine Science Institute found vibrant corals in the Rozul (Iroquios) Reef in the South China Sea in May 2021. At least two foreign ambassadors in Manila have expressed alarm over reports of destruction of marine resources in the South China Sea. The grounded Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre, which Manila uses to stake its territorial claims at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, as pictured on April 23, 2023. Under current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the country’s National Security Team began to publicize its findings about what was actually happening in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea more regularly, Powell said.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, ” Tarriela, Facebook Tarriela, Tarriela, Mao Ning, “, ”, Gerry Arances, Arances, Ray Powell, SeaLight, Powell, Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Rodrigo Duterte, Shoal, Ted Aljibe, Thomas Shoal, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia, Facebook, Philippine, Spratly Islands, Philippine coastguard, University of, Philippines Marine Science Institute, country’s National Security Council, Scientific, UP Marine Science Institute, Marine Science, CNN Philippines, Center for Energy, coastguard, National Security, Stanford University, The, United, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Asia, Transparency Initiative, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, National Security Team, West Philippine, South China Locations: South, Philippines, China, Sabina, South China, Palawan, Beijing, Philippine, Rozul, Escoda Shoal, ” Beijing, China’s, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, The Hague, West Philippine, United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Manila, Sierra, Spratly, AFP, BRP Sierra, Sierra Madre, West

☆ In a US showdown with China, there are some missions with no special-operations 'easy button'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Special-operations forces have been a centerpiece of US military operations for two decades. US leaders should remember that special operators aren't suited for some tasks, one expert says. But in an era of strategic competition with China, there are some missions with no special-ops "easy button," according to David Ucko, a professor and expert on irregular warfare. First, the US special-operations community should consolidate its core strengths, particularly irregular warfare, which is "highly relevant" to strategic competition with China. US Navy SEALs train with Philippine Navy special-operations and Australian army special-operations troops in Palawan in April 2022.

Persons: David Ucko, David Devich, Ucko, US Army John F, Mario A, Ramirez, Jared N, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, US Special Forces, US Army, Royal United Services Institute, China, Air Force, RAF Mildenhall, US Air Force, Tech, Westin Warburton, Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, State, Justice, Treasury, US Navy, Philippine Navy, US Marine Corps, Army Green Beret, Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, British SAS, Commonwealth, Group, SAS, Allies, Army Delta Force, Delta Force, US Army Rangers, US Army Green Berets, Psychological Operations, Boat Service, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, SOF, Afghanistan's Ghazni, British, Russia, North Carolina, Palawan, Ukraine, Taiwan, North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Johns

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — It took more than a day of flying, including two refueling stops, for Vice President Kamala Harris to reach this year’s summit of Southeast Asian countries. Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 226 ImagesPolitical Cartoons View All 1146 ImagesThis was her third trip to Southeast Asia since taking office — Harris heads back to Washington on Thursday — and she's visited more countries here than any other region. Harris' approval ratings remain underwater, and her announcements in Southeast Asia tend to be counted in the millions of dollars rather than the billions. “Everybody works their own way.”Harris' travel to Southeast Asia began in her first year in office, when she visited Singapore and Vietnam, but the trip almost didn't happen. But she’s put in the work," said Gregory B. Poling, who directs the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, ”, ” Harris, — Harris, she's, “, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden’s, she’s, Sullivan, Dinna Prapto, Phil Gordon, ” Gordon, Gregory B, Poling, David Rothkopf, Bill Clinton, there’s “, Biden didn't, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, it’s, Edna Tarigan Organizations: United, Associated Press, Lowy Institute, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, U.S, ”, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Economic Cooperation, AP Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, United States, Washington, Southeast Asia, China, Central America, Asia, Australia, Beijing, Jakarta, Singapore, Vietnam, Afghanistan, South China, Thailand, Philippines, U.S, Philippine, Palawan

☆ Philippines, US navies conduct joint sail in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Naval vessels from the Philippines and United States conducted a joint sail through parts of the South China Sea lying within the Southeast Asian nation's exclusive economic zone, Manila's military said on Monday. It was the first time the Philippines and Washington have carried out a joint sail in waters west of Palawan island, the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Command said. The display of cooperation between the US and Philippines comes at a time of heightened tension between Manila and Beijing, which claims much of the South China Sea. China has built militarised, manmade islands in the South China Sea and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Philippines won an international arbitration award against China in 2016, after a tribunal said Beijing's sweeping claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea had no legal basis.

Persons: Rizal, US Navy Alrleigh Burke, Ralph Johnson, Karen Lema, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Armed Forces, Western Command, US Navy, Philippine Navy, Pacific Navy, The Philippines, China, South China, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, South China, Washington, Palawan, Manila, Beijing, Philippine, China, South, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

☆ China-Philippines tensions: Is a maritime militia Beijing says doesn't exist causing chaos in the South China Sea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Most of the Chinese ships involved are marked “China Coast Guard,” but among the flotilla are also at least two blue-hulled vessels that resemble fishing boats. After the confrontation last weekend, China claimed the Philippines had violated its sovereignty by grounding the ship on the shoal. That symbiotic relationship became even clearer in 2021 when the China Coast Guard came under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Central Military Commission effectively making it part of Beijing’s military. The Chinese vessels “physically blockaded the supply ship. Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty ImagesChina’s waiting gameAnalysts say they don’t see any appetite in Beijing for actual combat over Second Thomas Shoal, but they also say China can afford to play a waiting game.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Jay Tarriela, Thomas, “, ”, China’s, People’s Liberation Army –, Lyle Morris, CNN ‘, doesn’t, Ray Powell, SeaLight, Powell, Morris, ” Powell, Shoal, Ted Aljibe, Lionel Fatton, ” Washington Organizations: CNN, China Coast Guard, United, “, Philippine Coast Guard, Hague, People’s Liberation Army, PLA Navy, Chinese Central Military Commission, Asia Society, Center for China, National Security, Stanford University, Central Military Commission, US Navy, US Coast Guard, Getty, Webster University Locations: Philippine, South, Philippines, Spratly, United States, Beijing, China, Palawan, Sierra Madre, ”, South China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Washington, Manila, Sierra, AFP, Switzerland

☆ Video Shows China Blasting Water Cannon at Philippines Coast Guard Boat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Philippine Coast Guard has released a video that shows a Chinese Coast Guard vessel firing a water cannon at one of its ships, going public with a new complaint of aggressive behavior from China. Two vessels of the Philippines Coast Guard were on what was supposed to be a normal resupply mission 120 miles off the coast of Palawan, when they ran into a Chinese blockade. After a Chinese vessel fired its water cannon at one Philippine ship, it then moved to block it from advancing. The area is claimed by several countries and has been a site of repeated run-ins between Chinese and Philippine ships. On Monday, China’s Coast Guard released a statement, justifying its move by claiming that the Philippines violated China’s sovereignty and international law and that the Philippine ships had been “lawfully intercepted.”

Persons: Thomas Shoal, ” Organizations: Philippine Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Philippines Coast Guard, China’s Coast Guard Locations: China, Palawan, Philippine, Spratly, South China, Philippines

☆ Philippines' military chief visits remote islands near disputed Spratlys
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BALABAC, Philippines, May 18 (Reuters) - When the Philippine military chief addressed a small contingent of navy officers on a remote island in Palawan province near the disputed Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea, he reminded them their mission was to "ensure there is peace". "We make sure that we are deployed where we are needed. "This is surrounded by islands, and this is where foreign vessels from international waters will enter and pass through our SLOCs (sea lines of communications)," Centino said of the air base's location. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea with a "nine-dash line" on maps that stretches more than 1,500 km off its mainland and cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. "It is important we are able to monitor to detect who is coming in and out... if hostile or friendly forces," Centino said.

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