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☆ Philippines sees risk of conflict over Taiwan as a 'major concern'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Filipino soldiers stand at attention near a Philippine flag at Thitu island in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. "Major concern is also seen in the Cross-Straits relations that has the potential to be the flashpoint in the region," the government said in the document, published by the National Security Council, referring to the Taiwan Strait. The plan also covered government food and energy security priorities and noted that the South China Sea "remains a primary national interest". To achieve energy security, the government said it would explore development of offshore reserves, including in the South China Sea, to help reduce dependence on imports. Ties with China have grown tense under Marcos, as the Philippines pivots back to traditional ally the United States.

Persons: Erik De Castro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Karen Lema, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Security Council, Mutual Defense, U.S, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, China, Philippines, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Japan, South, South China

☆ The U.S. could be missing a 'really serious problem' in the South China Sea, says David Riedel
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe U.S. could be missing a 'really serious problem' in the South China Sea, says David RiedelDavid Riedel, Riedel Research Group president and founder, joins 'Fast Money' to talk geopolitical tensions with China, the Chinese economy and more.

Persons: David Riedel David Riedel, Riedel Organizations: Riedel Research Locations: South China, China

☆ India is a rising force in Southeast Asia as region seeks to counter China's dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(Photo credit RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images) Raveendran | Afp | Getty ImagesIndia is taking major strides to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, a move that will allow countries to counter China's dominance in the region. "India certainly is becoming more ambitious in Southeast Asia. "This is particularly salient to the maritime sphere, namely the South China Sea, where overlapping sovereignty disputes threaten regional stability and openness," he added. "It continues to maintain a very independent streak in its foreign policy, which suits a large number of Southeast Asian countries." While China remained the most influential and strategic power in Southeast Asia, its standing has diminished, the Southeast Asia survey from February showed.

Persons: Pant, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Narendra Modi's, Satoru Nagao, Nagao, Derek Grossman, Modi, Xi Jinping, Ted Aljibe, Enrique Manalo, Rand's Grossman, Joanne Lin, Lin, ISEAS's Lin Organizations: Indian, Getty, Afp, Observer Research Foundation, CNBC, Southeast, Hudson Institute, Vietnam Air Force, Rand Corporation, TED ALJIBE, Initiative, ASEAN Studies, Yusof Ishak Institute, Observers, Pant Observer Research, China -, Wilson Center, ASEAN Wonk, U.S, ASEAN Studies Centre, Yusof, Ukraine, U.S ., New Delhi's Observer Research Foundation Locations: New Delhi, AFP, Southeast Asia, India, China, Beijing, Vietnam, Tokyo, China —, Manila, Philippine, Delhi, The Hague, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, ISEAS, Singapore, Asia, Europe, China - U.S, U.S, New

☆ 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

☆ China asks Philippines to jointly work on defusing South China Sea tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the Philippines to work with China to seek an effective way to defuse tensions in the South China Sea, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. The comments come amid rising tensions between the two countries over the location of a grounded warship that serves as a military outpost in the South China Sea. The comments were made by Wang during a visit to Singapore and Malaysia which took place on Thursday and Friday, said Xinhua. The Philippines won an international arbitration award in 2016 against China's claim over almost all of the South China Sea, after a tribunal ruled Beijing's sweeping claim had no legal basis, including at the Second Thomas Shoal. China, which does not recognize the ruling, has built militarized, man-made islands in the South China Sea and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the EEZs of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Thomas Organizations: Xinhua, Philippines, China's Locations: Philippines, China, South China, Singapore, Malaysia, Xinhua, Philippine, Sierra, Thomas Shoal . China, South, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia

☆ Philippines says refurbishing grounded ship an option to strengthen hold on disputed shoal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Philippine flag flutters onboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines used as a military outpost, in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea March 30, 2014. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File PhotoPUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines Aug 11 (Reuters) - The Philippines is looking at several options to strengthen its hold on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea including refurbishing a grounded and rusting warship it uses as a military outpost, a move that would likely anger Beijing. The Philippines intentionally grounded the World War Two-era warship Sierra Madre in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within its exclusive economic zone, and rotates a handful of troops through the ship. China has urged the Philippines to fulfill a "promise" to tow away the grounded vessel, but Manila denied striking any agreement to abandon the shoal, which it calls Ayungin. The Philippines won an international arbitration award in 2016 against China's South China Sea sovereignty claim, after a tribunal ruled Beijing's sweeping claim had no legal basis, including at the Second Thomas Shoal.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Alberto Carlos, Romeo Brawner, Thomas, Ayungin, Carlos, Ramsey Gutierrez, Gutierrez, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: flutters, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Marines, REUTERS, Philippine Western Command, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines, China's, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, Spratly, South, PRINCESA, Philippines, South China, Beijing, Sierra, China, Manila, Japan, France, South Korea, United States, Philippine, Thomas Shoal . China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

CNN —Authorities in Lebanon moved to ban the “Barbie” movie from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it promotes homosexuality and violates the nation’s values. The minister said the movie also “promotes sexual deviance and transsexuality,” by Lebanese state-run media on Wednesday. “Sexual deviance” is a term commonly used in the Middle East to refer to homosexuals. The ban comes amid heightened anti-LGBTQ rhetoric by some politicians and government officials in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He referred to homosexuality as “sexual perversion” and identified same-sex relations as a “threat” to Lebanon.

Persons: Barbie, Mohammad Mortada, ”, Hassan Nasrallah, Hussain bin Ali, Prophet Mohammed’s, Nasrallah, “ Barbie ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Rights Watch Locations: Lebanon, ”, Lebanese, East, Kuwait, Iraq, Denmark, Sweden, Vietnam, South China

☆ This massive, crumbling shipwreck-turned-military station has become the latest flashpoint in tense US-China relations. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Philippine Coast Guard said the ship was carrying supplies to a Filipino military outpost. A massive, crumbling shipwreck that was repurposed by the Philippines and turned into a garrison in the South China Sea. Troops stationed aboard the Sierra Madre, take part in a flag retreat, March 29, 2014. Loresto told The Times that he preferred combat over being stationed on the Sierra Madre. Although the US has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, it has carried out regular naval operations in the region.

Persons: Matthew Miller, Thomas Shoal, Ritchie, Erik De Castro, Joey Loresto, Loresto, Jay Tarriela Organizations: Service, State Department, US State Department, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Reuters, US Naval Magazine, LST, Troops, New York Times, Times, Embassy, China Coast Guard, US Navy Locations: Philippines, South China, China, Wall, Silicon, Philippine, Sierra, Spratly, Madre, Harnett County, Vietnam, Sierra Madre, United States

☆ China's attendance at Saudi peace talks is 'bad news' for Putin — but Xi Jinping is still 'well served' by his friendship with Russia, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese diplomats attended Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, signaling a possible rift with Russia. While China's attendance is notable, the country is still benefiting from its relationship with Russia. Chinese leader Xi Jinping wants to be seen as an international stakeholder, an expert said. Participants in the talks, however, saw China's presence as a major win for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. "So Xi wants to be seen as a responsible stakeholder — even as he rattles his saber towards Taiwan," Miles said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Russia's, —, Putin, Simon Miles, Vladimir Putin, China's, Wang Yi, Sergei Lavrov, Miles, Xi, Ukraine's, Sergey Radchenko Organizations: Service, Privacy, China, Ukraine, Financial Times, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Russian, CNN, Kremlin, Johns Hopkins University, The New York Times Locations: Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Wall, Silicon, China, Moscow, Saudi, Soviet, Siberia, Taiwan, South China, Beijing

China Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSMANILA, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Wednesday denied making an agreement with China to remove a grounded warship that serves as a military outpost in South China Sea, and said if there ever were such a deal, it should be considered rescinded. China on Monday accused the Philippines of reneging on a promise made "explicitly" to remove the ship, which was grounded in 1999 to bolster its territorial claims in one of the world's most contested areas. Jonathan Malaya, National Security Council assistant director general, earlier challenged China to produce evidence of the promise. China and the Philippines have been embroiled for years in on-off confrontations at the shoal, the latest on Saturday. China has built militarised, manmade islands in the South China Sea and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the EEZs of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, I'm, Marcos, Jonathan Malaya, Thomas, Jay Batongbacal, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Martin Petty Organizations: Coast Guard, China Coast Guard, REUTERS, National Security Council, Philippines, China, South China, University of the, Thomson Locations: Philippine, REUTERS MANILA, China, South China, Philippines, Sierra, Manila, reneging, China's, Sierra Madre, Malaya, South, Thomas Shoal . China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, University of the Philippines

Tensions have soared between the two neighbours over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. China's embassy in Manila criticised Washington for "gathering" its allies to continue "hyping up" the South China Sea issue and the boat incident. "South China Sea is not a 'safari park' for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord," the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, is home to a handful of troops living aboard the former warship Sierra Madre. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Rommel Ong, Ong, Collin Koh, There's, Koh, Jonathan Malaya, Lloyd Austin, Gilbert Teodoro, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: South China, coastguard, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Philippines National Security Council, China, U.S . Defense, Philippines Defense, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, Manila, South, Philippine, United States, China's, Washington, Sierra Madre, BRP Sierra, Spratly, Beijing, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, U.S, Japan, France

☆ China repeats call for Philippines to remove grounded warship
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dispute over the Second Thomas Shoal in South China Sea came after Manila accused China's coast guard of "excessive and offensive actions" against Philippines vessels. "China once again urges the Philippine side to immediately remove the warship from Second Thomas Shoal and restore it to its unoccupied state," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. Tensions have soared between the two countries over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports Manila in its maritime disputes with China. Echoing the foreign ministry, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines said on Tuesday China had no choice but to respond. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the waters of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Thomas, Jonathan Malaya, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Huang Xilian, Ella Cao, Liz Lee, Karen Lema, Jacqueline Wong, Gerry Doyle Organizations: China Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine, REUTERS, National Security Council, South China, China, Thomson Locations: South, BEIJING, MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Beijing, South China, China's, China, Philippine, Ayungin, United States, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan

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

☆ China tells Philippines to remove grounded warship in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/MANILA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - China told the Philippines on Monday to remove its grounded warship from the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea after blocking two Manila supply ships with water cannons over the weekend as both sides asserted their claims of the area. The Philippines in 1999 intentionally grounded the warship to stake its claim to the Second Thomas Reef, a submerged reef that is part of the Spratly islands in the South China Sea. China over the weekend said it had "indisputable" sovereignty of the area and urged the Philippines to stop infringing activities in this waters. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that the country continued to assert its sovereignty and territorial rights despite challenges in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and the Spratly island, which consists of many islets, reefs banks and shoals and lie in the centre of South China Sea and along major shipping lanes.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Thomas, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Albee Zhang, Neil Jerome Morales Organizations: China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, South, Manila, Philippine, Spratly, South China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Beijing

☆ 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

☆ US Marines gearing up to defend 'key' terrain near China are about to get a first-of-its-kind ship-hunting missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NMESIS, a ground-based anti-ship missile, is set to be fielded for the first time later this year. "NMESIS is the solution for the ground-based anti-ship missile capability," Staff Sgt. It emerged from the force redesign initiated by Gen. David Berger in 2019, shortly after taking over as Marine Corps commandant. We're shaping Marine Corps missile artillery and everything going forward" with the force-design plan, Reddy said. I think the learning begins this fall when we put it in the hands of a Marine unit."

Persons: NMESIS, Derek Reddy, Reddy, Earik Barton NMESIS, David Berger, Berger, Melanye Martinez, MCS2 Malcolm Kelley, Fielding, Nick Mannweiler, —, Eric Smith, We've, Smith Organizations: Navy - Marine Expeditionary Ship, Service, Corps, US Navy, Western Pacific, Marines, 1st Marine Division, Staff, Naval Air, US Marine Corps, Marine, Naval, Unit, Expeditionary, Tactical, Marine Littoral Regiment, Washington DC, Navy, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Tomahawk Locations: Wall, Silicon, California, Hawaii, Western, Southern California, Mugu, Philippines, Tripoli, San Diego, NMESIS, Taiwan, US, Okinawa —

CNN —The Philippines has accused Chinese Coast Guard ships of firing water cannons and making “dangerous maneuvers” at its ships in the South China Sea. “(China) has no lawful claim to the maritime area around Second Thomas Shoal,” it said in a statement published on Saturday. One of the world’s most contested regionsThe South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Beijing claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it. Relations were strained in December when Manila expressed “great concern” about the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested waterway.

Persons: Thomas, Second Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Xi Jinping, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, US State Department, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Locations: Philippines, South China, China, Ayungin, Spratly, Second, Manila, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Philippine, BRP Sierra

☆ Philippines says China blocked, water-cannoned boat in S. China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's coast guard countered that it had implemented necessary controls in accordance with the law to deter Philippine ships, which it accused of trespassing and carrying illegal building materials. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas. China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu responded that China has "indisputable" sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and their adjacent waters, including the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese actions violated laws including two international conventions and a ruling from a global tribunal. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague concluded in 2016 that Beijing's expansive claim to the South China Sea was groundless.

Persons: Carlos Dominguez, Gao Hucheng, Damir Sagolj, China's, Thomas, Gan Yu, Gan, Jay Tarriela, Enrico Dela Cruz, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: Philippine, China's, REUTERS, Armed Forces, China Coast Guard, Central Military Commission, Philippine Coast Guard, U.S . State Department, Washington, Coast Guard, Philippines Mutual Defense, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Philippine, MANILA, Philippines, South China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Manila, Ayungin, Spratly, The Hague, South, United States

[1/2] Hun Manet, son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen is seen at a polling station on the day of Cambodia's general election, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 23, 2023. "We hope to host (Hun Manet). Osius said the U.S. approach to Cambodia had been "punitive" and Washington should look for opportunities for dialogue. "Better for (Hun Manet) if there if he's got some strategic options, and that could mean improving ties with us," he said. Cambodia's Washington embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Hun Manet, Cambodia's, Hun Sen, Cindy Liu, Ted Osius, he’s, he's, Osius, Hun, Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Southeast Asia, Reuters, Cambodian People's Party, U.S ., ASEAN Business, General Assembly, Beijing, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Washington, New York, Southeast, U.S, Vietnam, United States, China, Ream, UNGA

☆ EU ready to strengthen maritime security cooperation with the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., claps beside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after signing ceremonies at the Malacanang Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, July 31, 2023.Aaron Favila/POOL via REUTERSMANILA, July 31 (Reuters) - The European Union is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday, as she stressed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. She was speaking after a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila where the two leaders discussed a range of issues from security and trade to climate change. "We are ready to strengthen the cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security in the region by sharing information, conducting threat assessment and building the capacity of your coast guard," she said in a joint press conference with Marcos. Von der Leyen on Monday reaffirmed the EU's support for a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's expansive claims, saying the ruling is legally binding and provides the basis for resolving disputes peacefully. Von der Leyen also said the European Union will support the Philippines' fight against climate change, which is a priority for Marcos as he pushes to increase renewables in the country's power mix to 35% by 2030.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Ursula von der Leyen, Aaron Favila, Marcos, Von der Leyen, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Philippine, European, REUTERS, European Union, Thomson Locations: Manila, Philippines, REUTERS MANILA, The Philippines, United States, China, South China, European

☆ Foreign ships, aircraft in East and South China Seas escalating tensions - China's defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 29 (Reuters) - The frequent dispatch of ships and aircraft by certain unnamed countries to "show off their military force for self-interest" has raised tensions in the East and South China Seas, China's defence ministry said on Saturday. In comments about a Japanese defence report flagging Chinese threats, ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said the actions have seriously aggravated regional tensions, even as overall situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea was generally stable. Tan said Japan's annual defence paper projected a "wrong perception" of China, and "deliberately exaggerates the so-called Chinese military threat". Japan released its annual defence paper last week, offering a gloomy assessment of the threat of China's territorial ambitions, its security partnership with Russia and a belligerent North Korea. In December, Japan announced doubling its defence spending over the next five years, undertaking its biggest military build-up since World War Two.

Persons: Tan Kefei, Tan, Liz Lee, Lincoln Organizations: South China, East China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, East, South, South China, China, Tokyo, Japan, Taiwan Strait, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Australia says it is 'confident' on US nuclear submarines as ministers meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was confident a deal for the U.S. to sell nuclear powered submarines to Australia was on track, ahead of talks between defence and foreign ministers of the two countries on Friday. Twenty-five U.S. Republican lawmakers told President Joe Biden on Thursday the plan to sell three attack submarines to Australia under the so-called AUKUS partnership would "unacceptably weaken" the U.S. fleet without a clear plan to replace them. The United States, Britain and Australia announced the three-way AUKUS defence agreement in 2021 under which Australia is to obtain nuclear submarine technology from the United States. The U.S. is Australia's major security ally and announced with Britain in March that the United States would sell Australia three U.S. Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the early 2030s, before Britain and Australia produce a new submarine class - SSN-AUKUS - the following decade. "Now's the time to be working closely with friends, and Australia has no better friend than the United States of America," Marles said at the start of a meeting with his U.S. counterpart.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Albanese, Richard Marles, Austin, Marles, Kirsty Needham, Alasdair Pal, Praveen Menon Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Republican, U.S, Defence, ., Democrats, NATO, Britain, Australian Defence, Sky, U.S ., Marines, Thomson Locations: Australia, Queensland, United States, Britain, Lithuania, U.S, . Virginia, CHINA, East, South, Japan, United States of America, Darwin, Sydney, Lincoln

☆ War with China would be an 'onslaught' like the US hasn't faced in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

War would also have severe consequences for China and US allies in the Western Pacific. Any war with China would be fought on multiple fronts — from the air and sea to the web and financial markets. The US maintained this capacity for decades, but America's manufacturing prowess has atrophied since the end of the Cold War. Control of the Pacific would be a crucial part of any war with China, and Beijing boasts the world's largest navy. Cash warsWhile a military conflict between the US and China is only a hypothetical, the two countries are already competing on the economic battlefield.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mark Milley, Dan Blumenthal, it's, Blumenthal, Ujian, didn't, Glenn O'Donnell, Forrester, stymie, Ann Wang, William Alan Reinsch, Reinsch, Russia —, Scott Kennedy, Kennedy, aren't, Ramping, Jake Epstein, Jacob Zinkula Organizations: US, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Armed, US Navy, American Enterprise Institute, US Department of Defense, US Marine Corps, Pentagon, Navigation Plan, Ford, Nimitz, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Beijing, Russia, Columbia University, Marine Locations: China, Western, Beijing, Pacific, Taiwan, South China, America, Nebraska, Pearl, Normandy, Mongolia, Ukraine, Russian, Nanchang, Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian, wean, Washington, United States, Japan, Philippines, Netherlands

☆ Fact Check-Barbie movie didn’t show Greater Albania map
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The map of Greater Albania, a political concept that seeks to unite all Albanian people under one rule, does not appear in the Barbie movie. A fabricated headline alleging Serbia banned the film due to its inclusion of such a map features a digitally altered frame of the blockbuster hit. The circulating image includes a scene of the movie, but with an edited map. A Greater Albania map does not appear in the Barbie movie. A headline on social media claiming Serbia banned the film due to this map is fabricated and includes a digitally altered frame.

Persons: Margot Robbie, Read Organizations: BBC, Reuters Locations: Albania, Serbia, Balkans, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albanian, South, Serbian

At least one person drowned in the province of Rizal in the wake of the typhoon, the national disaster agency said. But authorities issued land warnings for several counties and cities in southern Taiwan including the major port city of Kaohsiung. Railway services between eastern and southern Taiwan will be suspended from Wednesday evening. More than 300 people have been evacuated in southern and eastern Taiwan as a precaution as Doksuri was expected to bring up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) of rainfall there. A Level II emergency response implies an oncoming typhoon could severely affect the country, according to the state council's national emergency plan for flood control and drought relief.

Persons: Doksuri, Talim, Karen Lema, Bernard Orr, Yimou Lee, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Weather Bureau, Railway, Meteorological Centre, South China Sea, Meteorological Administration, Guangzhou Daily, Central Meteorological Administration, Thomson Locations: MANILA, BEIJING, TAIPEI, Philippines, Taiwan, China, Cagayan province, Rizal, Philippine, Kaohsiung, South, Fujian, Guangdong, Manila, Beijing, Tapei, Shanghai

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