By Panu Wongcha-um VIENTIANE, Laos (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pressed Southeast Asian leaders and China at a regional summit on Thursday to urgently speed up negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, while accusing Beijing of harassment and intimidation. Speaking in Laos to leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Marcos said substantive progress was necessary and all parties must “be earnestly […]
Tag: SOUTHCHINASEA
Philippines accuses China of assaulting Vietnamese fishermen in South China Sea
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines accused Chinese maritime officials on Friday of carrying out an “unjustified assault” on Vietnamese fishermen in the contested waters of the South China Sea, adding its voice to a fraught dispute over the confrontation. Vietnam said this week that Chinese law enforcement officers had beaten 10 fishermen and seized their gear while they were working last Sunday near the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands, which Hanoi also claims and calls Hoang Sa. […]
US, Asia-Pacific nations hold joint maritime exercises in South China Sea
By Neil Jerome Morales MANILA (Reuters) – The armed forces of five countries conducted joint maritime exercises in a portion of the South China Sea on Saturday as China carried out its own military drills in the disputed waterway. The exercises involving the Philippines, United States, Australia, Japan and – for the first time – New Zealand took place in Manila’s exclusive economic zone and sought to improve the militaries’ interoperability, the Philippine armed forces […]
Quad group expands maritime security cooperation at Biden’s farewell summit
By Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom CLAYMONT, Delaware (Reuters) -Leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States expanded joint security steps in Asia’s trade-rich waters as outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden hosted counterparts from the Quad grouping established due to shared concerns about China. Biden, meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese near his Delaware hometown on Saturday, stressed the importance of maintaining the […]
Philippines eyes future missile launchers purchase, to retain US Typhon system
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines hopes to procure mid-range capability missiles in future and wants to utilise a U.S.-deployed Typhon system for its military training, with no immediate plan for it to be returned, a top security official said on Friday. Confirming an earlier report by Reuters, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said there was no set timeline for the withdrawal of the United States’ mid-range missile system from the country, which China has […]
Biden, ‘Quad’ leaders to talk maritime security as China tensions grow
By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Tensions brewing in Asia’s trade-rich waters top the agenda as U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes leaders from Australia, India and Japan to his Delaware hometown for a diplomatic push to counter China in the waning months of his presidency. Biden headed to Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday ahead of the Quad Leaders Summit, where the leaders are expected to speak about conflict between Beijing and its neighbors in the South China […]
China urges EU to be ‘objective and fair’ on South China Sea issue
BEIJING (Reuters) – China urged the European Union to be “objective and fair” and careful with words and actions on issues in the South China Sea, after the bloc remarked on an incident that occurred over the weekend. China said it was “strongly dissatisfied” with the European Union’s “accusations” against it on the issue, a statement by the Chinese mission to the EU showed. “The European Union is not a party to the South China […]
China, Philippines accuse each other of ramming ships in South China Sea
By Neil Jerome Morales and Joe Cash BEIJING (Reuters) -The Philippines and China exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in an escalating series of clashes in the vital waterway. The collision near the Sabina Shoal was their fifth maritime confrontation in a month in a longstanding rivalry. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, […]
Philippines, Vietnam boost military ties amid South China Sea tensions
By Mikhail Flores MANILA (Reuters) -Vietnam and the Philippines agreed on Friday to advance defence and military relations and deepen collaboration on maritime security, in a significant step by two countries long at odds with Beijing over its actions in the South China Sea. Vietnamese Defence Minister Phan Van Giang was in Manila for talks with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, his first visit as defence chief, and paid a courtesy call earlier in the […]
Chinese Embassy in Philippines protests remarks made by Japan ambassador concerning South China Sea dispute
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s embassy in the Philippines on Thursday said it had sent a diplomatic note of protest to the Japanese embassy in the Southeast Asian country concerning “irresponsible” remarks its ambassador made regarding the South China Sea’s Sabina Shoal. In a statement, the Chinese embassy said the comments displayed “ignorance of the facts and contained unwarranted accusations against China” after Japan’s ambassador on Monday tweeted a video of a Chinese coastguard vessel under […]
China, Philippines clash in South China Sea despite efforts to rebuild trust
MANILA/BEIJING (Reuters) – The Philippines and China clashed in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sunday over what Manila said was a resupply mission for fishermen, the latest in a series of sea and air confrontations in the strategic waterway. The incident overshadows efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and better manage disputes after months of confrontations, including a violent clash in June where a Filipino sailor lost a finger. The Philippines […]
Philippines urges China to halt ‘provocative’ actions after flare incidents
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines called on Beijing on Saturday to “immediately cease all provocative and dangerous actions” after accusing it of “unjustifiably” deploying flares from China-occupied Subi Reef on Aug. 22 while a Manila aircraft was conducting patrols. The same aircraft also “faced harassment” from a Chinese jet fighter while it was conducting a surveillance flight near Scarborough Shoal on Aug. 19, the Philippines’ South China Sea Task Force said in a statement. “Such […]





