News

US warship sails near Scarborough Shoal as trade war rages

Idrees Ali, Reuters
Posted at May 20 11:38 AM

The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship, which also include a trade war, US sanctions and Taiwan. Read more »

US urges Southeast Asia to respond to China’s island fortification

Michael Joe Delizo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 17 11:43 AM

MANILA — A senior United States Naval officer is encouraging Southeast Asian nations to determine its own response to China’s military expansion in the South China Sea. Read more »

US navy chief does not want China tensions to 'boil over'

Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 16 07:03 AM

The US navy chief said Wednesday he did not want maritime tensions with China to "boil over", a week after Washington's latest challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in contested waters.   Read more »

US says China's focus on its S.China Sea ops unwarranted

John Geddie and Fathin Ungku, Reuters
Posted at May 15 04:02 PM

The head of operations of the United States Navy said on Wednesday that its freedom of navigation movements in the disputed South China Sea get more attention than they deserve.  Read more »

PH will never fall into China 'debt trap,' finance officials say

Michael Joe Delizo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 11 04:17 PM

MANILA – Finance officials on Saturday made the assurance that the Philippines would never fall into China’s infamous debt trap, brushing off concerns that Manila might end up surrendering its prized resources if it defaults on loans from Beijing.    Read more »

Where is China money going? Gambling, real estate, tours, big cities big winners

Alvin A. Camba, Contributor/Fellow, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Posted at May 11 05:54 AM

The fourth state visit to China of President Rodrigo R. Duterte just 2 weeks ago is said to have yielded business deals worth a total of US$12.165 billion and a grant of one billion renminbi (about US$148.5 million). Read more »

PH, US, Japan, India group sail in S.China Sea show of force towards China: experts

Michael Joe Delizo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 10 01:49 PM

Experts on Friday hailed the recent naval drill of the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and India in the South China Sea that was seen as a flexing of muscles against China’s dominance in the contested waterway. Read more »

Comelec secures participation of West PH Sea town in May 13 polls

Michael Joe Delizo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 10 11:48 AM

Election officers, soldiers and police on Thursday flew to Kalayaan Island, Palawan to secure residents’ participation in the May 13 midterm elections. Read more »

PH, US, Japan, India navies sail together in disputed South China Sea

ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 09 06:33 PM

MANILA – Navies from the Philippines, the United States, India and Japan have sailed together for the first time for a maritime activity in the disputed South China Sea.  Read more »

Writ of kalikasan presses gov't to prove it has been protecting West PH Sea - analyst

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 07 12:02 PM

The writ of kalikasan the Supreme Court issued will push the Duterte administration to prove what it has done to protect and preserve the Philippines' marine environment in its exclusive economic zone, an analyst said Tuesday. Read more »

Beijing slams US warship sail-by in South China Sea

Agence France-Presse
Posted at May 06 10:36 PM

China said two US warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea without permission on Monday in the latest US challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in the region. Read more »

'China is a great state': Ex Aussie PM tears into spooks over China suspicions

ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 06 04:33 PM

SYDNEY - Australia's outspoken former prime minister Paul Keating has launched an extraordinary attack on the country's top spies, branding them "nutters" who had gone "berko" over the threat from China. Read more »

Two US warships sail in disputed South China Sea

Idrees Ali, Reuters
Posted at May 06 01:07 PM

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that could anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the world's two biggest economies. Read more »

SC issues writ of kalikasan for protection of West PH Sea marine environment

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 03 07:03 PM

MANILA - The Supreme Court on Friday issued a writ of kalikasan in response to a petition seeking protection of the marine environment in the disputed West Philippine Sea, sources told ABS-CBN News.  Read more »

China's underwater nukes test the Pentagon

Greg Torode and David Lague, Reuters
Posted at May 02 11:52 PM

HONG KONG - Recent visitors to the bay surrounding a submarine base on the southern coast of China's Hainan Island describe a curious nocturnal phenomenon. Powerful spotlights are sometimes trained directly on the ocean frontages of neighboring hotels at night, making visibility out to sea virtually impossible. Some of the lights are mounted on land and others on passing naval patrol boats. Read more »

Japan, Vietnam to seek peaceful solution of South China Sea dispute

Kyodo News
Posted at May 02 11:13 PM

The Japanese and Vietnamese defense ministers agreed Thursday to seek a peaceful resolution for the Southeast Asian country's territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, according to Japanese ministry officials.   Read more »

‘No other way but to talk,’ says Palace on maritime row with China

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Apr 30 04:19 PM

Negotiating with China is the only way to resolve the dispute in the South China Sea, Malacañang claimed Tuesday. Read more »

Philippines, China to address 'irritants' through bilateral mechanisms: Palace

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Apr 29 06:27 PM

The Philippines and China address "irritants" in disputed waters using bilateral mechanisms, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said Monday. Read more »

Foreign Affairs chief twits 'idiotesses': Leave Scarborough clams alone

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Apr 29 09:56 AM

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Sunday appealed anew for the issue of China's clam harvesting in disputed waters to be left alone. Read more »

Philippine push in sea row with China should continue after polls: analyst

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Apr 28 02:47 PM

The Philippines' pushback against China's intrusion in disputed waters should be sustained even after the May midterm elections, a maritime law expert said Sunday. Read more »