Tag: philippines

Philippines hit by 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mindanao, no tsunami threat detected

Eagle News – On Thursday, July, 11, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake occurred at a depth of 630 km (391.46 miles). While the deep offshore quake is not anticipated to cause damage, aftershocks are likely. There is no threat of a tsunami. The Philippines is situated in the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, an area known for […]

Philippines, Japan eye signing key defense pact amid China tensions

By Pam CASTRO MANILA, July 5, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines’ military chief said Thursday he hoped a key defence pact with Japan allowing for the deployment of troops on each other’s territory will be signed at security talks next week. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa are set to meet their Philippine counterparts in Manila on Monday. The Philippines and Japan — longtime allies of the United States — have […]

Philippines says it agrees with China to ‘de-escalate’ South China Sea tensions

By Pam CASTRO MANILA, July 2, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines and China agreed on Tuesday to “de-escalate tensions” over the South China Sea, Manila said, following a violent clash in the disputed waters last month. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the hotly contested waterway but last month’s incident was the most serious in a number of escalating confrontations. Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an […]

President Marcos says Philippines won’t be intimidated amid China row

  MANILA, June 23, 2024 (AFP) – President Ferdinand Marcos said Sunday the Philippines “will not be intimidated” by anyone after a violent clash between the Filipino navy and the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea. The confrontation took place Monday off Second Thomas Shoal as the Chinese sailors foiled an attempt by Philippine forces to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship that was deliberately grounded atop the disputed shoal in 1999 […]

Chinese sailors wield sticks, axe in disputed sea clash with Philippines

MANILA, June 20, 2024 (AFP) – Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing weapons including sticks, knives and an axe clashed with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed. The clash took place Monday as Philippine forces attempted to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship deliberately grounded atop the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, Manila said. Fresh footage of the confrontation released late Wednesday by […]

China’s ‘salami-slicing strategy’ against Philippines in disputed sea

By Matthew WALSH BEIJING, June 19, 2024 (AFP) – Ramming boats, building militarised islands and threatening perceived trespassers — China is escalating confrontations with the Philippines in a bid to push it out of the South China Sea, analysts say. One of the most perilous flashpoints between the two nations is a submerged reef called the Second Thomas Shoal, where in 1999 the Philippine navy intentionally marooned a decrepit World War II ship to assert […]

Philippines says Chinese coast guard boarded navy vessels in South China Sea

MANILA, June 19, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippine military said Wednesday the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Filipino navy boats in a violent confrontation in the South China Sea this week in which a Filipino sailor lost a thumb. Monday’s incident was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area. Filipino military chief […]

Philippines says navy officer severely injured in China Coast Guard ‘ramming’

MANILA, June 18, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines said Tuesday one of its navy personnel was severely injured after the China Coast Guard rammed a Philippine vessel near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. “A Philippine Navy personnel sustained severe injury after the CCG’s (China Coast Guard’s) intentional high-speed ramming during the rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) on June 17,” a military statement said. The shoal, which hosts […]

US warns China after Philippines accuses ships of ramming boats

MANILA, June 17, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippine government on Monday accused Chinese ships of ramming and damaging its boats in the South China Sea during a confrontation in waters off the Second Thomas Shoal, home to a garrison of Filipino troops. “The People’s Liberation Army-Navy, China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including ramming and towing,” Manila’s national task force on the West Philippine Sea said in a statement. […]

Philippine ship, Chinese vessel collide in South China Sea: Beijing

BEIJING, June 17, 2024 (AFP) – Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday, the Chinese Coast Guard said, as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims over the disputed area. Known in Chinese as the Ren’ai Reef, the Second Thomas Shoal has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months. These have often taken place during Philippine attempts […]

Philippines submits UN claim to extended continental shelf

MANILA, June 16, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines has sought recognition from the United Nations for its claim to an extended continental shelf off the island that is closest to a hotly disputed region of the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire waterway through which trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes annually, and huge unexploited oil and gas deposits are believed to lie under its seabed. The sea is also important as […]

New China rules allow detention of foreigners in South China Sea

By Jing Xuan TENG SHANGHAI, June 15, 2024 (AFP) – New Chinese coast guard rules took effect Saturday, under which it can detain foreigners for trespassing in the disputed South China Sea, where neighbours and the G7 have accused Beijing of intimidation and coercion. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and an international ruling that its stance has no […]