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☆ China Deploys Dozens of Ships to Block Philippine Protest Flotilla
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Chris Buckley | Camille Elemia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China has sent dozens of coast guard and maritime militia vessels toward a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, a large show of force aimed at blocking a civilian protest flotilla from the Philippines, as tensions between the countries have flared. The Filipino group organizing the flotilla of about 100 small fishing boats, led by five slightly bigger ones, said it wanted to assert the Philippines’ claims to Scarborough Shoal, an atoll controlled by Beijing that is closer to Manila. But even before the motley Philippine fleet set out on Wednesday morning, China deployed a formidable contingent of much bigger government-run ships to the area, an intimidating escalation of its frequent assertions of control over vast expanses of sea far from its mainland. “What we’re seeing this time, I would say, is definitely of another order,” said Ray Powell, the director of SeaLight, a group that monitors the South China Sea. “I think that the China Coast Guard is concerned that they’re going to try to sort of get too close and so they’re sending an overwhelming force.”

Persons: ”, Ray Powell Organizations: Philippine, China Coast Guard Locations: China, South China, Philippines, Scarborough, Beijing, Manila

☆ If you're stranded on an island, a 'HELP' sign can actually save you — but there's an even better way to get rescued
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThree mariners stranded on an island in the Pacific Ocean were rescued earlier this month after they made a large "HELP" signal by laying out palm leaves on the beach — a scene right out of a movie. Beyond fires, Bigney said it's ideal to create signals with contrast. So in the case of the men stranded on Pikelot Atoll, palm leaves against bright white sand may've created enough contrast to be seen easily from afar. The Coast Guard said the men had access to food and water while stranded with their damaged boat. They thought to signal for help," she said, adding, "Oftentimes it is just a psychological game, in any situation."

Persons: —, Chelsea Garcia, Oliver Henry, Bigney, It's Organizations: Service, Federated, Business, Coast Guard, Navy, Coast, Survival Locations: Polowat, Federated States, Micronesia, Pikelot, Papa New Guinea

☆ Pacific castaways’ ‘HELP’ sign sparks US rescue mission – and an unexpected family reunion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

So the castaways gathered palm fronds from the 31-acre island, arranged them to spell out “HELP” on the beach, and waited, according to a Coast Guard statement. The names of the stranded men have not been released by the Coast Guard, and CNN attempts to contact their relatives have not gotten replies. When the Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry reached Pikelot on April 9, the story took another twist. “He couldn’t believe I’m with the Coast Guard trying to rescue them.”The man was a third cousin, the others fourth cousins, he said. “It could be coincidence,” said Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir, public affairs officer for US Coast Guard Forces Micronesia.

Persons: Sgt, Richard Ebensberger, Chelsea Garcia, ” Garcia, Oliver Henry, Eugene Halishlius, Halishlius, ” Halishlius, ”, Sara Muir Organizations: CNN, US Navy, Coast Guard, US Coast Guard, Guard, Hawaii Air National Guard, Federated, Kadena Air Base, Navy, Coast Guard HC, Air, Coast, US Coast Guard Forces Micronesia, US Air Force, Andersen Air Force Base, Australian Locations: Micronesia, Pikelot, Guam, Polowat, Federated States, Pacific, Philippines, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan

☆ 3 Men Rescued from Pacific Island After Writing ‘Help’ With Palm Leaves
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Three men who were stranded on a remote Pacific island for more than a week were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after spelling out “HELP” on a beach using palm leaves. The lost men were found on Pikelot, an uninhabited island about 100 miles northwest of their home, alongside their damaged boat on Sunday by an American military aircraft, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam said in a statement. After their unintended delay, the Coast Guard said, the men had been safely returned home Tuesday evening. The search began on Saturday when a woman sent out a distress call to the Coast Guard, reporting that her three uncles had not returned home after almost a week away. The Coast Guard embarked on the search with a U.S. Navy aircraft crew.

Organizations: U.S . Coast Guard, U.S . Coast Guard Sector, Federated, Coast Guard, U.S . Navy Locations: American, U.S . Coast Guard Sector Guam, Polowat, Federated States, Micronesia

☆ US military rescued mariners stranded in the Pacific after they used palm leaves to spell 'HELP' on the beach
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The crew of USCGC Oliver Henry rescues three mariners stranded on Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, on April 9, 2024. "This successful operation underscores the effective coordination and partnership between the US Coast Guard, the US Navy, and regional partners," Garcia said. The crew of USCGC Oliver Henry rescues three mariners stranded on Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, on April 9, 2024. The Coast Guard has also carried out more recent searches for individuals who went missing while on cruise ships. AdvertisementThe Coast Guard has long operated in the Pacific — its ships used to patrol American territories and other nearby countries for decades.

Persons: —, Chelsea Garcia, USCGC Oliver Henry, Garcia, Oliver Henry Organizations: Navy, Service, Federated, US Coast Guard Forces Micronesia, US Navy, US Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard HC, 130J, Coast, Guard Locations: American, Pikelot, Federated States, Micronesia, Guam, Tuesday's Coast, Yap State, Polowat, China

☆ China Coast Guard Says It Took Measures Against Philippine Vessels in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China's coast guard said it had taken control measures against Philippine vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, while the Philippine coast guard decried the moves as "irresponsible and provocative". The incident occurred in the Second Thomas Shoal and Spratly Islands waters, according to the Chinese Coast Guard. A Philippine coast guard vessel was "impeded" and "encircled" by one Chinese coast guard vessel and two Chinese maritime militia vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a separate statement. As a result, the Philippine coast guard vessel was "isolated" from the resupply boat by the "irresponsible and provocative behaviour" of the Chinese maritime forces, the Philippine coast guard said. The China coast guard implements regulations in accordance with laws, and handles matters in a reasonable, legal, and professional manner, Gan said.

Persons: Thomas, Gan Yu, Gan, Neil Jerome Morales, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Chinese Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Convention Locations: MANILA, SHANGHAI, South, Philippine, Spratly, Manila, China, Philippines, South China, Beijing, Shanghai

☆ Biden to host Japan PM Kishida, Philippines President Marcos for White House summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company's plan to buy an iconic American steel company. Eugene Hoshiko | AFP | Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company's plan to buy an iconic American steel company. The announcement came as North Korea's state media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable "super-large" multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea's capital. Biden argued in announcing his opposition that the U.S. needs to "maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steelworkers." Meanwhile, long-running Philippines-Chinese tensions have come back into focus this month after Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided in the disputed South China Sea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Eugene Hoshiko, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kim Jong Un, Biden, Thomas Shoal, Thomas Organizations: AFP, Getty, White, Steel, Nippon Steel of, American steelworkers, " Nippon Steel, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre Locations: Philippines, South, American, Japan, North, Korea, U.S, Pittsburgh, Nippon Steel of Japan, Philippine, China, BRP Sierra, Thomas Shoal, Sierra

☆ U.S. cautions Pacific Island nations about China security ties after Hawaii neighbor Kiribati gets Chinese police
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Jan. 6, 2020 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Kiribati's President Taneti Mamau at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 6, 2020. The United States on Monday cautioned Pacific Islands nations against assistance from Chinese security forces after Reuters reported that Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati, a neighbor of Hawaii. Kiribati's acting police commissioner Eeri Aritiera told Reuters last week uniformed Chinese officers were working with police in community policing and a crime database program. "We are concerned about the potential implications security agreements and security-related cyber cooperation with the PRC may have for any Pacific Island nation's autonomy," the spokesperson said. The United States countered with a pledge in October to upgrade the wharf on Kanton island, a former U.S. military base, and said it wants to open an embassy in Kiribati.

Persons: Li Keqiang, Taneti Mamau, Eeri Aritiera Organizations: of, People, Monday, Pacific, Reuters, U.S . State Department, world's, United Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, United States, Kiribati, Hawaii, Honolulu, People's Republic of China, Washington, Kanton, U.S

☆ Satellite images reveal floating barrier at mouth of disputed atoll in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Satellite images of the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea show a new floating barrier across its entrance, near where Philippine ships and China coast guard vessels have had frequent run-ins. China claims the Scarborough Shoal, although it is inside the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. An international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said in 2016 that China's claims had no legal basis — a decision Beijing has rejected. That makes the atoll one of Asia's most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights. The satellite image bolsters a report and video distributed by the Philippine Coast Guard, or PCG, on Sunday showing two Chinese coast guard inflatable boats deploying floating barriers at the shoal's entrance on Feb 22.

Persons: BRP Datu Tamblot, Hague, China's Organizations: Philippine Bureau of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, BRP Datu, Maxar Technologies, Reuters, Fisheries, Philippine Coast Guard Locations: China, Scarborough, South China, South, Philippine, Philippines, Beijing

☆ Chinese fishing vessels are going scorched earth and pumping cyanide into contested waters, Philippine fishing authority says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bureau on Saturday accused Chinese vessels of pumping cyanide into the shoal's waters. AdvertisementThe Philippines' fishing bureau has accused Chinese fishing vessels of using cyanide to destroy the Scarborough Shoal, a fish-rich atoll in the South China Sea contested by both Manila and Beijing. Cyanide fishing is a controversial fishing method that typically involves dumping the highly toxic chemical near coral reefs or in fishing grounds to stun or kill fish so they can be easily captured. Notably, the Philippines' fishing industry was known to use cyanide fishing back in the 1960s to capture live fish for aquariums and restaurants, though the practice has become less common. The Scarborough Shoal is contested by The Philippines, China, and Taiwan.

Persons: —, Nazario Briguera, Brigeura, Briguera, hadn't, Jay Tarriela, Guo Shoujing, Hague Organizations: Service, Bureau of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, The Philippine, Philippine, Scarborough, Philippine Star, ROSA, GMA, Philippine Coast Guard, Conservation, Education Foundation, Global Times, The, TED, Getty, Google, Fisheries, Business Locations: Philippines, China, Scarborough, South, Manila, Beijing, Masinloc, Spanish, Scarborough Shoal, AFP, Bajo de, Cebu, South China, Taiwan, The Philippines, Quezon City, Philippine

Though one of the most potent and long-running (or at least long-stomping) forces in movies, Godzilla has never before rubbed elbows at the Academy Awards. At the Oscar luncheon, Steven Spielberg warmly greeted Yamazaki and told him he had seen “Godzilla Minus One” three times. But “Godzilla Minus One” returns to the essential nature of Godzilla as a sober symbol of nuclear holocaust and atomic trauma. My intent was to put a spotlight on what Godzilla represented.”In “Godzilla Minus One,” just as WWII is ending, Godzilla is growing. But unlike more broadly blockbuster-styled Godzilla films, “Godzilla Minus One” is rigorously rooted in a Japanese perspective.

Persons: he’s, “, ”, Takashi Yamazaki, —, Yamazaki, Ishirō Honda, Steven Spielberg, ” Yamazaki, ‘, ’, ’ They’ve, “ Oppenheimer, “ Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Raymond Burr, Koichi, Ryunosuke, Robert Oppenheimer’s, Nolan, we’re, Hayao Miyazaki’s, Miyazaki, ‘ Oppenheimer, Jake Coyle Organizations: Academy, Toho, “, Galaxy, U.S ., Pictures, Warner Bros, American Locations: Tokyo , Hong Kong, Paris, San Francisco, Boston, Moscow, London, Hawaii, U.S, Canada, Canadian, Tokyo, Japan, Bikini, Kong, Hiroshima, Nagasaki

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesHow did Deep Sea Vision detect the object that could be Earhart's plane? But it wasn't until the team reviewed sonar data in December that they saw the fuzzy yellow outline of what resembles a plane. “In the end, we came out with an image of a target that we believe very strongly is Amelia’s aircraft," Romeo told The Associated Press. But he said that Romeo’s team must provide “a forensic level of documentation” to prove it’s Earhart’s Lockheed. He would have expected to see straight wings and not swept wings, like the new sonar suggests, as well as engines.

Persons: Amelia Earhart, Tony Romeo, Electra, Romeo, Earhart, Fred Noonan, Noonan, “ Amelia, James Delgado, ”, Delgado, Romeo's, David Jourdan, Dorothy Cochrane, Cochrane, ’ ”, Lockheed Electra, Ole Varmer, Varmer, ” Varmer, “ It’s, —, Finley, Pollard Organizations: COLUMBIA, Lockheed, Archaeologists, Pan American Airlines, Air Force, Associated Press, Navy, National Air and Space Museum, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, The Ocean Foundation, Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University in, Smithsonian, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: South Carolina, Norwegian, Howland, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, New Guinea, U.S, New Jersey, “, Maritime, Connecticut, Howland Island, Purdue University in Indiana, Norfolk , Virginia

☆ An Explorer Believes He Found Amelia Earhart’s Plane. Experts Aren’t Convinced.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Michael Levenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It is one of the greatest enduring mysteries in aviation history: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart after she took off from Lae, New Guinea, in a Lockheed 10-E Electra on July 2, 1937. Earhart was trying to become the first woman to fly around the world. She and a navigator, Fred Noonan, were headed to Howland Island, a tiny coral atoll in the southwestern Pacific, to refuel. For years, many have tried and failed to find the wreckage of their plane. Now, the head of a marine robotics company believes he has done it, although some experts remain deeply skeptical.

Persons: Amelia Earhart, Electra, Earhart, Fred Noonan Organizations: Lockheed Locations: Lae , New Guinea, Howland, Pacific

☆ Powerful Waves Slam U.S. Army Base in the Marshall Islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A surge of unexpected waves swamped the island of Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands on Saturday, forcing evacuations from a U.S. Military base and causing damage that could take months to repair. A video from inside a building at U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll that circulated widely on social media showed a surge of water crashing through a set of double doors, knocking them off their hinges and upending people who were standing nearby. Another burst of water rushed through the windows, forcing the people to wade through waist-high water as furniture and vegetation floated around them. Roi-Namur is a small island about 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii and is the second-largest island of the Kwajalein Atoll, a loop of coral reefs in the Marshall Islands.

Persons: U.S . Army Garrison Organizations: U.S, Military, U.S . Army Locations: Roi, Namur, Marshall, Hawaii, Kwajalein

☆ A US military base was pummeled with rogue waves from a storm surge on the Marshall Islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

'Get out of here'The Café Roi dining facility was heavily flooded in the storm. US Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll/DVIDSShocking viral video captured heavy flooding on the US military base around 9 p.m. Saturday night. A surge of water broke down the front doors of a local restaurant, the Outrigger Bar and Grill, flooding the building and causing some people inside to lose their footing under the waves. Erik Hanson, a scuba instructor on the Marshall Islands, posted the video on Instagram, saying the flooding was caused by a "combination of wind, tides, and swell direction." "Get out of here," a voice on the video is heard saying before the lights in the building cut out.

Persons: Erik Hanson Organizations: US Army Locations: Roi, Kwajalein, Marshall

☆ Huge rogue waves smash into remote US military base in Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

US military buildings damaged by the rogue waves on Kwajalein Atoll, January 21, 2024. U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein AtollPhotos released by the US military showed damage to Roi-Namur infrastructure in Kwajalein Atoll, January 21, 2024. Photos released by the US military showed damage to Roi-Namur infrastructure in Kwajalein Atoll, January 21, 2024. U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll“The impacts of these waves are also more strongly felt across low-lying islands, which includes the Marshall Islands,” he said. Photos released by the US military showed personnel being moved from Roi-Namur island on Kwajalein Atoll, January 21, 2024.

Persons: “, Drew Morgan, U.S . Army Garrison, Robert Shackelford, Shackelford, ”, Ronald Reagan Organizations: CNN, US Army, Marshall, Facebook, Army, U.S . Army, National Weather Service, Geological Survey, Missile Defense Command, Ronald, Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense, Department of Defense, U.S . Strategic Command Locations: Roi, Namur, Kwajalein, Republic, Atoll, Kwajalein Atoll, USAG, Marshall, Hawaii

The fishermen, led by Saligan, reported to the Philippine coast guard that Chinese coast guard personnel drove them away from the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines on Jan. 12 and ordered them to dump their catch of fish and seashells back to the sea. However, five Chinese coast guard personnel, three of them armed with steel batons, followed by boat, alighted on the islet and ordered the fishermen to leave. Go away,” Saligan said he told the Chinese coast guard personnel, who he said insisted that they leave the shoal immediately. They wanted us to return our catch to the sea,” Saligan told a small group of journalists, including from The Associated Press, in Manila. Philippine coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said the written statements and video submitted by Saligan and his men have been validated as accurate by the coast guard.

Persons: Joely Saligan, Manila’s, Saligan, ” Saligan, “, Commodore Jay Tarriela, ” Tarriela, Tarriela, Thomas Shoal, Joeal Calupitan, Aaron Favila Organizations: Scarborough, The Associated Press, China, United, Associated Press Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, Shanghai, Beijing, Manila, Washington, Philippine, Scarborough Shoal, South China, United States, Asia, U.S

☆ China's military: US combat ship 'illegally' entered territorial waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on the contested Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, in the South China Sea, March 9, 2023/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - China's military on Monday said a U.S. combat ship illegally entered waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed South China Sea atoll. "The U.S. seriously undermined regional peace and stability," said a spokesperson for China's Southern Theater of Operations in a statement. The spokesperson also said the U.S. deliberately disrupted the South China Sea and seriously violated China's sovereignty. China is in dispute with several of its neighbours over its extensive claims of territorial waters in the South China Sea. ship., and that "its troops in the theater are on high alert at all times to resolutely defend national sovereignty."

Persons: Thomas, Bernard Orr, Chizu Nomiyama, Diane Craft Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Rights, China's Southern Theater of Operations, People's Liberation Army, Philippine Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, South China, Rights BEIJING, U.S, China, South, Shanghai

☆ An island vacation with no mosquito bites – and no chemicals, either
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Regan Stephens | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Soneva Fushi, a resort on the private Kunfunadhoo Island in the Maldives, has spent years working to eradicate these pests. Soneva has partnered with the Germany-based company Biogents, which has developed mosquito traps that rely on environmentally friendly attractants. A Biogents-created mosquito trap at Soneva Fushi Courtesy Soneva FushiWhat’s more, these techniques are typically only useful for eliminating adult mosquitoes. An overwater bungalow at Soneva Fushi Sandro Bruecklmeier/Courtesy Soneva FushiThe pest-combatting program has been a success, according to Soneva. The resort chain has gifted mosquito traps to Parliament in Malé, the country’s capital, and trained staffers on how to use them.

Persons: Soneva, “, ”, Arnfinn Oines, Oines, Fushi Sandro Bruecklmeier, Fushi, Sonu, Eva Shivdasani, Soneva Jani Organizations: CNN Locations: Maldives, Germany, GAT, Kunfunadhoo, Malé, Medhufaru, Noonu

BANGKOK (AP) — The United States and the Philippines are conducting joint air and maritime patrols in the South China Sea, which come as the two countries step up cooperation in the face of growingly aggressive Chinese activity in the area. The patrols run through Thursday and also include both the U.S. and Philippine navies. They come only days after Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called the situation in the South China Sea increasingly “dire” as China seeks to assert its presence in an area where multiple nations have competing territorial claims. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own waters, which has led to disputes not only with the Philippines but also with Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. The move, which Marcos said would boost the Philippines’ coastal defense, dovetails with the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, ”, ” Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, Biden Organizations: Philippine Air Force, U.S, South China Locations: BANGKOK, United States, Philippines, South China, Batanes, Taiwan, China, Philippine, South, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Honolulu, Russia, Tokyo

Eighty years ago, the United States military attacked the island of Betio, part of the Tarawa atoll in what is today the archipelago nation of Kiribati, to wrest it from Japanese control. But its location would allow the United States to move northwest: first to the Marshall Islands, then to the Mariana Islands and eventually to Japan itself. These were the “leapfrogging” tactics the Allies used in the Pacific to weaken Japan’s control of the region, as well as to establish bases to launch further attacks. On Betio, the United States military had expected an easy conquest by air and sea, a so-called amphibious assault involving about 18,000 Marines and an additional 35,000 troops. But awaiting them were heavy Japanese fortifications, including concrete bunkers and cannons along the sandy fringes of the atoll and some 5,000 troops, nearly a quarter of them enslaved Korean laborers, on the front line.

Persons: Betio Organizations: United States Locations: Betio, Kiribati, United States, Marshall, Mariana Islands, Japan, Pacific

☆ Philippines' Marcos, China's Xi to discuss tensions, way forward in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. President of the Philippines attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea. Marcos said he also discussed South China Sea issues with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. China claims sovereignty over nearly 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. The Philippines' foreign ministry on Thursday committed to continue resupply missions and an "upkeep" of a grounded navy ship in a disputed South China Sea atoll, saying it does not have to give prior notice to China.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Carlos Barria, Xi Jinping, Marcos, Xi, Kamala Harris, Neil Jerome Morales, Shri Navaratnam, Michael Perry Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, APEC, South China, West, U.S, The, of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights MANILA, San Francisco, South China, West Philippine, Manila, South, China, China's, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ 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

☆ Philippines Calls on China to Remove Illegal Structures, Cease Reclamations in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' foreign ministry on Thursday called on China to remove illegal structures, cease reclamations and be accountable for environmental damage in the South China Sea. The Philippines was responding to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson regarding the Philippines' recent resupply mission. "We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. The resupply missions are legitimate activities within our EEZ, in accordance with international law," said Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza. The regular resupply missions support the Philippines' troops stationed in an intentionally grounded, dilapidated warship on Second Thomas Shoal, a hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea that Manila calls Ayungin and is known as Renai Reef in China.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Teresita Daza, Thomas, Mikhail Flores, Neil Jerome Morales Organizations: of Foreign Affairs, South China Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, South China, Philippine, South, Manila, Ayungin, China's

SYDNEY/BEIJING Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia scored a significant win for influence in the Pacific Islands region with a trump card that China, seeking to expand security ties, doesn't have: the opportunity of resettlement. "It is something China can't do," said Australian National University Pacific expert Graeme Smith. "China can turn up and offer more infrastructure money... they can't turn up and offer this kind of resettlement relationship. Australia also will be able to block any policing deal between China and Tuvalu - as well as any telecommunications, energy or port deal - under its treaty. "Cooperation in the Pacific region tends to focus on non-traditional security, including maintenance of public security and infrastructure to deal with climate change," he added.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Graeme Smith, Richard Marles, Peter Dean, Smith, Wang Yiwei, Kirsty Needham, Martin Pollard, Miral Organizations: SYDNEY, Pacific, Australian National University Pacific, Pacific Islanders, Defence, United States Studies Centre, Albanese's, Pacific Games, State, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Renmin University, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Australia, China, Tuvalu, Washington, Beijing, Rarotonga, Sydney, Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Kiribati, U.S, United States, Pacific

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