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☆ China's latest addition to its disputed South China Sea outpost: a hot pot restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Laura Zhou | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The restaurant opened in late April and can seat 120 at once, the local government says. Woody Island, known as Yongxing in China, is the largest outcrop in the group of about 30 islands making up the Paracels. The government, headquartered on Woody Island, administers both the Paracels and the also hotly contested Spratly island chain, which China calls the Nansha Islands. A satellite photo of Woody Island in March 2018. The centre is also seen as a way to demonstrate Beijing's sovereignty in the region by linking underwater artefacts from the South China Sea — "an important section of the Maritime Silk Road" — to Chinese cultural heritage.

☆ US stands with Philippines against Chinese 'intimidation' in S. China Sea - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 3 (Reuters) - The United States stands with treaty ally the Philippines in the face of harassment by China's coast guard in the South China Sea and remains deeply concerned about "intimidation" by Beijing, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. The Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "dangerous manoeuvres" and "aggressive tactics" in the South China Sea, in another maritime confrontation between the two countries. China said the Philippines vessels made "deliberate provocative moves". Kritenbrink also said the United States and its partners recognised the importance of maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait. Under Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos' anti-U.S. predecessor, relations soured as he sought to court China while openly rebuking Washington.

☆ Countries on the South China Sea get pulled and pushed in two directions simultaneously by Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ted Kemp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCountries on the South China Sea get pulled and pushed in two directions simultaneously by BeijingAsia-Pacific countries have to balance their trade relationships with China and the "indisputable problem" of China claiming the South China Sea as its own, CNBC's Ted Kemp reports.

☆ Biden to reassure Philippines' Marcos as China tensions flare
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden listens during the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 29, 2023. Marcos, who became president last year, has sought warm relations with both the United States and China, who are vying for influence in the Asia-Pacific region. "Some of the steps that China have taken have concerned (Marcos), probably even surprised him," said one senior Biden administration official. Experts say the United States considers the Philippines a potential location for rockets, missiles and artillery systems to counter a Chinese amphibious assault. "We're standing shoulder to shoulder in the South China Sea, where our alignment has never been stronger," said one U.S. official.

☆ Philippines, China to discuss fishing rights in South China Sea - Marcos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, May 1 (Reuters) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said China has agreed to discuss fishing rights in the South China Sea, as he pushed for a "direct communication line" with Beijing on maritime differences. China has agreed to "sit down" and talk about Filipinos' fishing rights in the South China Sea, Marcos said, adding he has asked the Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Foreign Affairs "to put together...a map of these fishing grounds" that will be presented to Beijing. The Philippines accused China's coast guard on Friday of "aggressive tactics" following a recent incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. The United States has urged China to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, while Beijing said it was willing to handle maritime differences with countries of concern through friendly consultations, while warning Washington against interference. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, with a "nine-dash line" on maps that stretches more than 1,500 km (930 miles) off its mainland and cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

☆ Biden to Meet Marcos in Washington as Tensions Grow With China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Katie Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — President Biden will meet with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines at the White House on Monday, a visit that is meant to send a message to China that the Filipino leader plans to deepen his country’s relationship with the United States. Mr. Marcos’s trip comes days after the U.S. and Philippine militaries held joint exercises aimed at curbing China’s influence in the South China Sea and strengthening the United States’ ability to defend Taiwan if China invades. The trip is the Biden administration’s latest push to bolster its relationships with key Asian allies as tensions with China rise. Its northernmost island of Itbayat is less than 100 miles from Taiwan, and an increased U.S. military presence could allow for a quick troop response in a war with China. For the United States, Mr. Marcos is an eager but untested partner.

☆ Analysis: Whether Trump or Biden, some in Europe see the US as an unreliable ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But they also knew that Biden would not be able to undo all the damage done in Donald Trump’s four years. First, if Trump could happen once, there is no reason he or someone in his mold won’t happen again. Second, Biden, Europeans believe, has continued much of Trump’s foreign policy of protectionism on trade and maximum pressure on China. I am worried we are underestimating the risk of China,” says an Eastern Europe diplomat. “Europe has lots of ties to China, but it also learned recently how fast a partner can become an adversary.

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - At a summit on Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr are expected to reach agreements on greater business engagement, as well as "military enhancements" amid shared concerns about China, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters. Marcos is due in the United States on Sunday for a four-day visit that Philippines official say is aimed at reaffirming the special relationship between the Philippines and the United States, which are long-time allies. The senior U.S. administration official said it was impossible to underestimate its strategic importance of the Philippines, although the relationship was more than just about security. "We will roll out some deliverables during the next week that will highlight business engagement but also some military enhancements as well," he said on Saturday. The official said that as part of moves to boost commercial ties, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would a lead a presidential business delegation to the Philippines.

☆ US says Chinese Coast Guard is harassing Philippine vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - The United States on Saturday called on China to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines at a time of simmering geopolitical tension. "We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "aggressive tactics" following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. In February, the Philippines said a Chinese ship had directed a "military-grade laser" at one of its resupply vessels. China's foreign ministry on Friday said the Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and made deliberate provocative moves.

☆ Philippines rebukes Beijing for 'dangerous manoeuvres' in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Neil Jerome Morales | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The incident occurred on Sunday during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. One of the two Chinese vessels "carried out dangerous manoeuvres" about 150 feet (45.72 m) from a Philippine ship, it said. In February, the Philippines said a Chinese ship had directed a "military-grade laser" at one of its resupply vessels. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Friday said the Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and "made deliberate provocative moves". "We urge the Philippines to respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights," Mao said, adding the Chinese vessels acted professionally and with restraint.

☆ China lodges serious representations with South Korea over joint statement with U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - China expressed "strong dissatisfaction" to South Korea over its joint statement with the United States about the need for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a foreign ministry statement said on Friday. Department of Asian Affairs Director-General Liu Jinsong met with South Korean Embassy Minister Kang Sang-wook on Thursday evening to emphasise China's stance on Taiwan and urged South Korea to strictly adhere to the "One-China" principle, the ministry said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is on a six-day visit to the United States, during which Yoon and President Joe Biden held talks that covered tensions between China and Taiwan and Chinese military activities in the South China Sea. In a South Korea-U.S. joint statement, the presidents stressed the need for peace in the Taiwan Strait and said they opposed "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, including through unlawful maritime claims, the militarization of reclaimed features, and coercive activities." Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As US and Philippine defense ties grow closer, China drives wedge over Taiwan issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But the election of his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, last year has returned relations to a more even keel, in part because Manila has become wary of a more assertive China. Last year the US granted $100 million to boost the Southeast Asian country’s defense capabilities and military modernization. Heydarian added that China has to rethink its strategy towards the Philippines, as the Marcos Jr administration is openly more aligned with the US. China remains one of the top trade partners of the Philippines, while Marcos Jr also continues to negotiate energy and agriculture investments from Beijing. Some worry Marcos Jr might be giving too much access to the US, especially when it comes to bases and facilities close to Taiwan, Heydarian said.

☆ Facing China, the Philippines and U.S. Join in Biggest Military Drill Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More weapons could come. After the foreign and defense ministers of both the United States and the Philippines held talks earlier this month, Washington said it would commit to adopt “a security sector assistance road map” in the Philippines, which “will guide shared defense modernization investments.” Mr. Marcos is set to meet President Joe Biden next week in Washington. Collin Koh, a research fellow and expert on maritime security in Southeast Asia, said that the Philippines could “help to complicate Chinese defense planning” in the South China Sea. “Even weaker actors can pull off certain victories,” he said, pointing to how Ukraine’s vastly outgunned military had shocked and stymied Russian forces over the past year. Now, they say they are more reassured, especially after several visits by high-level U.S. officials.

☆ US and Philippine forces fire on mock enemy warship in South China Sea military exercise
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —United States and Philippine forces fired on a mock enemy warship in the South China Sea on Wednesday, the latest display of American firepower in Asia as tensions with China continue to rise. Earlier this month, China’s state-run media labeled the drills as an “attempt to target China.”US and Philippine military leaders said Wednesday’s exercise was designed to synchronize combat forces. “Together we are strengthening our capabilities in full-spectrum military operations across all domains,” Jurney said. The four bases joined five included earlier, including three on the main island of Luzon, close to Taiwan, and one on Balabac Island close to Chinese installations on the disputed islands in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, in another sign of increasing US-Philippine military cooperation, the US Pacific Air Forces said Tuesday a key air exercise will return to the Philippines next month for the first time since 1990.

☆ Philippines' Marcos to seek specifics from Biden on US defence commitment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Marcos will hold talks with Biden in Washington this weekend, a meeting the White House said would reaffirm its "ironclad commitments to the defence of the Philippines". "It (the treaty) needs to adjust because of the changes in the situation we are facing in the South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea," Marcos said in a radio interview. China, however, says the pact with the United States is stoking the fire of regional tensions. Marcos on Monday said he and Biden should discuss what exactly their alliance entails and how to manage tension with China. Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China, Singapore plan military drills as Beijing forges defence ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) - China and Singapore will hold a joint military exercise as soon as this week, their first combined drills since 2021, as Beijing deepens its defence and security ties with Southeast Asia, a region with strong existing U.S. alliances. Two years ago, China and Singapore held a combined military drill in international waters at the southern tip of the South China Sea, following the upgrade of a bilateral defence pact in 2019 to include bigger-scale exercises among their army, navy and air force. Such passages annoy China, which lays claims to nearly all of the South China Sea despite an international ruling to the contrary. Around the same time, China sent fighter-bombers to Thailand in joint air force drills code named Falcon Strike 2022. China's increased military engagement in Southeast Asia is widely expected to challenge the influence that the United States has shaped with countries including Singapore and Indonesia in coming years.

☆ Australia unveils biggest overhaul in defense spending in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Australia has unveiled a radical shakeup of its defense spending billed as the most significant review of its military preparedness since World War II, shifting its emphasis onto long-range strike capabilities and building munitions at home. Launching the Defense Strategic Review in Canberra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government’s strategy was designed to make Australia more self reliant, more prepared and more secure. Defense Minister Richard Marles said the defense posture that had served Australia well for decades was “no longer fit for purpose” and the review recasts the mission of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). It also recommends speeding up the acquisition of long-range strike missiles and manufacturing munitions within Australia. The country also wants to improve its defense cooperation with regional neighbors, particularly in the Pacific.

☆ Differences in South China Sea are not sum total of Philippines-China relations - Philippine official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, April 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines' foreign minister on Saturday said his nation's differences with China in the South China Sea are not the sum total of relations between the two countries. The Philippines has previously raised diplomatic protests at the presence of Chinese fishing vessels and what it calls China's "aggressive actions" in the strategic waterway. Qin said on Saturday China is ready to work with the Philippines to implement a consensus between the two countries and properly resolve differences. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which sees the passage of about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne annually and is believed to be rich in minerals and oil-and-gas deposits. A landmark arbitration ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 invalidated China's claims.

☆ Australia says discovery of WW2 shipwreck ends 'tragic' maritime chapter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Marles said the SS Montevideo Maru, an unmarked prisoner of war transport vessel missing since being sunk off the Philippines' coast in July 1942, had been discovered northwest of Luzon island. The ship was torpedoed en route from what is now Papua New Guinea to China's Hainan by a U.S. submarine, unaware of the POWs onboard. It is considered Australia's worst maritime disaster. "This brings to an end one of the most tragic chapters in Australia's maritime history," Marles said in a video message. More than 1,000 men - POWs and civilians from several countries - are thought to have lost their lives in the tragedy.

☆ SS Montevideo Maru: Wreck of ship that sank in World War II with 1,000 POWs found in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Heather Law | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Japanese merchant ship that sank during World War II while carrying over 1,000 prisoners of war in Australia’s largest loss of life at sea has been found. The Montevideo Maru was discovered off the northwest coast of the Philippines’ Luzon island at a depth of more than 4,000 meters (13,000ft) in the South China Sea, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles confirmed in a video he posted on Saturday from his Twitter account. The discovery brought to an end to “one of the most tragic chapters in Australia’s maritime history,” he said. “The absence of a location of the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives,” Marles explained. This is the heart and the spirit of Lest We Forget,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote.

☆ Analysis: Australia prepares more assertive military stance to deter conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The review examined how Australia could better integrate with its AUKUS partners the United States and Britain, as well as other allies, the government has said. Changing that equation is crucial to the future of Australia's military, they said. Campbell said Australia's defence forces would enhance how they could operate alongside partners, but has ruled out foreign bases on its soil and will always retain control of its forces. Even as it beefs up its military, Australia says China will remain an important trade partner. One of the world's top LNG exporters, Australia's top gas customers last year were Japan, China and South Korea.

☆ Vietnam opposes China's unilateral South China Sea fishing ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HANOI, April 20 (Reuters) - Vietnam took aim at China on Thursday for imposing an annual ban on fishing in a vast area of the South China Sea, calling it a violation of its sovereignty and urging Beijing not to complicate matters. China has imposed the ban each year since 1999 and Vietnam routinely opposes it. China says the ban, which will apply from May 1 to Aug. 16, is to promote sustainable fishing and improve marine ecology. "China's so-called fishing ban violates Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and the sovereign rights and jurisdiction in Vietnamese waters and its exclusive economic zone," Doan Khac Viet, a Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular news briefing. Viet called on China to respect Vietnam's sovereignty and "not to complicate the situation".

CNN —The Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies stressed their solidarity against Russia’s assault on Ukraine, and called on China to “abstain from threats,” in a communique Tuesday following talks in Japan. The G7 foreign ministers said, however, that they “recognized the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China” and working together with Beijing on global challenges, according to the statement. He pointed to the language referring to “one China policies” or agreements by which governments have established diplomatic relations with Beijing and not Taipei. The communique was released as the foreign ministers wrapped up three days of talks in the central Japanese town of Karuizawa in Nagano prefecture. The minister also urged fighting parties in the recent outbreak of violence in Sudan to “end hostilities immediately,” and return to negotiations.

April 18 (Reuters) - U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) first-quarter results surpassed Wall Street targets on Tuesday despite parts and labor shortages, as simmering geopolitical tensions fueled demand from both U.S. and international customers. Shares of the company rose as much as 3.8% to hit a record high of $508.1 in early trading. The Pentagon's $858 billion defense budget for 2023 has also resulted in multiple contract wins for U.S. defense firms such as Lockheed, Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N), which count the U.S. Department of Defense as their biggest customer. Lockheed's order backlog also fell to $145.1 billion as of quarter-end from $150 billion at the end of 2022. The missiles maker reaffirmed its full-year outlook, projecting net sales in the range of about $65 billion to $66 billion and profits between $26.60 and $26.90 per share.

☆ US warship sails through Taiwan Strait following China war games
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. warship USS Milius sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, in what the U.S. Navy described on Monday as a "routine" transit, just days after China ended its latest war games around the island. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, officially ended its three days of exercises around Taiwan last Monday where it practiced precision strikes and blockading the island. The U.S. Navy sails warships through the strait around once a month, and also regularly conducts similar freedom of navigation missions in the disputed South China Sea. Last week, the USS Milius sailed near one of the most important man-made and Chinese controlled islands in the South China Sea, Mischief Reef. China has continued its military activities around Taiwan since the drills ended, though on a reduced scale.

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