The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: South China Sea
China Sanctions Philippine Senator Who Crafted South China Sea Claim
The Chinese announced sanctions against Francis Tolentino, the former Senate majority leader of the Philippines. The move bars Tolentino, whose term ended on Monday, from traveling to the Chinese mainland, Macau, and Hong Kong. Tolentino was the main author of the
China, Philippines Trade Accusations After Fresh South China Sea Clash
Chinese and Philippine vessels clashed anew on Friday near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, prompting both sides to blame the other for the confrontation. A China Coast Guard vessel prevented a much smaller Philippines Bureau of Aquatic ...
Japan-U.S.-Philippines Hold Coast Guard Drills With Eye on China
By Andrew McKirdy, with Katie Forster in Tokyo Japan's coast guard will simulate a collision between vessels Friday during joint exercises with the United States and the Philippines seen as a show of unity against Chinese activity in disputed regional waters. ...
Pakistan to Acquire Chinese Missile Defense System
The official X page of the Pakistani government announced on Friday that it had been offered a range of advanced Chinese weapons. They include the HQ-19 long-range air defense missile system. The system, made by China Aerospace Science and Technology ...
Philippine Defense Chief in Testy Exchange at Shangri-La Dialogue
Gilberto Teodoro, the Defense Secretary of the Philippines, got into a tense back-and-forth with Chinese officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday. During a plenary session, two People’s Liberation Army officers asked him if Manila would adopt a friendlier attitude to China or serve as a U.S. ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
French President’s Southeast Asia Tour Draws Skepticism on Chinese Social Media
Chinese netizens have been buzzing about French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to Southeast Asia, where he aimed to offer Vietnam and other regional countries a "third option" beyond the U.S. and China. One article, titled “Macron Just Arrived in ...
Philippines Says China Coast Guard Fired Water Cannon,’Sideswiped’ Govt Vessel
The Philippines fisheries bureau accused the China Coast Guard on Thursday of firing water cannon and sideswiping a Filipino government vessel while it collected sand for a research project. China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the ...
Beijing Slams Video Posted by U.S. Embassy in Singapore About South China Sea
China slammed a video shared on social media by the U.S. embassy in Singapore, which criticizes Beijing's South China Sea claims, comparing them to the actions of an inconsiderate neighbor who intrudes on others' space. The roughly 90-second video shows a ...
Vietnam Slams China’s Fishing Ban in Disputed Waters as Illegal
Vietnam has formally protested China’s latest imposition of an annual fishing ban in the South China Sea, which Vietnam refers to as the East Sea. The country states that the unilateral move violates its sovereignty and contravenes international ...
Sandy Cay Flag Standoff: A Brewing Firestorm in the South China Sea — Here’s Why
A flag war unfolded on a disputed sandbank in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines. No shots were fired, but the symbolism was deafening. Last week, four Chinese coast guard officials conducted maritime control and planted flags ...
Philippines Slams ‘High-Risk’ Chinese Naval Actions Near Contested Reef
The Philippines criticized on Thursday a "high-risk" manoeuvre by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal -- a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested ...
Philippines Slams ‘High-Risk’ Chinese Naval Actions Near Contested Reef
The Philippines criticized on Thursday a "high-risk" manoeuvre by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal -- a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested ...