(REUTERS) The Philippines expressed “grave concern” on Sunday and demanded an explanation from China’s ambassador over what it said was an increasing number of Chinese boats near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. A Philippines air force plane flew over the rocky outcrop on Saturday and spotted more boats than usual in a flotilla China has maintained since seizing the shoal after a tense standoff in 2012, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana […]
Tag: Brunei
Pres. Duterte cancels first foreign trip
MANILA, Philippines (AFP)–Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled Saturday his first foreign trip to Brunei following a deadly blast in his home town, his spokesman said. An improvised explosive device tore through a night market in the southern city of Davao on Friday, killing at least 14 people and leaving another 67 injured. Duterte, who was in Davao at the time of the bombing, visited the blast site and has been monitoring the situation there with his […]
China hosts ASEAN officials for South China Sea talks
(REUTERS) China hosted the ASEAN delegations for the 13th Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in the northern region of Inner Mongolia on Tuesday (August 16), state media reported. State broadcaster CCTV said the meeting reviewed and passed two documents of pragmatic maritime cooperation, including a joint statement from China and ASEAN countries on the application of the Code for […]
Philippines seeks formal talks with China amid South China Sea tensions: Ramos
(Reuters) The Philippines special envoy to China, Fidel Ramos, said on Friday Manila wants formal discussions with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation after a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying. Ramos was speaking near the end of a trip to Hong Kong undertaken in an attempt to rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea. An arbitration court in […]
China plans first regular civilian cruises to disputed Spratlys by 2020
(REUTERS) China will offer its first regular civilian cruises to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea by 2020, state media said on Wednesday, a move likely to irk other claimants to the disputed waters. China’s activities in the contested area, such as building artificial islands, airfields and other military facilities, have fueled tension in Southeast Asia, although it says most of the construction is for civilian purposes. The island province of Hainan […]
Cambodian PM denies role in ASEAN U-turn on South China Sea
PHNOM PENH / AFP- Cambodian Premier Hun Sen lashed out Monday at claims his government had bowed to Chinese pressure to help scupper a joint statement by Southeast Asian nations on the South China Sea. In an angry speech Hun Sen also accused an international court of political bias as it prepares to rule on a sea dispute between the Philippines and China. The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration is widely expected to rule […]
China urged to cooperate as Asia worries about South China Sea row
(Reuters) China came under pressure from the United States and Asian powers to rein in its actions in the South China Sea, with the U.S. defense secretary urging Beijing to join in on regional cooperation or risk erecting a “Great Wall of self-isolation.” U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter encouraged China to participate in a “principled security network” for Asia to help counter concerns about its strategic intentions following “expansive and unprecedented actions” in the South […]
Taiwan enters South China Sea legal fray, as group seeks to sway international court
(Reuters) A Taiwanese group has intervened in the Philippines’ international court case against China’s claims in the South China Sea, pressing Taipei’s position that Taiwan is entitled to a swathe of the disputed waterway as an economic zone. The unusual submission has emerged just as judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague are poised to rule on the Philippines’ landmark case, brought under the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of […]
DTI-Sarangani rolls out i-PMDP
ALABEL, Sarangani, (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Sarangani provincial office is pushing among local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in food processing its Integrated Product and Market Development Project (i-PMDP), an enhanced business development program. Processed food cluster is one of the prioritized sub-sectors under DTI’s industry clustering strategy. Engr. Nenita Barroso, DTI provincial director, said i-PMPD seeks to increase and sustain the supply of exportable-quality processed products of the province […]
China: Japan’s ‘hype’ on air defence zone spreads tension
(Reuters) – China does not feel threatened by countries in Southeast Asia and is optimistic about the situation in the disputed South China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said, warningJapan not to “spread rumors” it plans a new air defense identification zone. China alarmed Japan, South Korea and the United States last year when it announced an air defense identification zone for the East China Sea, covering a group of uninhabited islands at the center of a bitter ownership spat between China and […]





