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WHO seeks China access for Covid origin probe
The head of the World Health Organization has asked China to provide information on the origin of Covid-19 and allow its experts full access to investigate the source of the coronavirus. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the Financial Times he is awaiting the response of Beijing to WHO’s letter requesting for “full access” and information. The WHO wants to determine with certainty the origins of the Covid pandemic. There are currently two theories about the origin of the Covid-19 virus. One theory says the virus escaped from a laboratory where it is being studied in Wuhan, China. The second theory says an animal with the coronavirus infected people at a local market in the same Chinese city. A team of specialists led by the WHO and accompanied by Chinese colleagues had investigated China in early 2021. In a joint report, they favored the hypothesis that the virus had been transmitted by intermediary animal from a bat to a human, possibly at a market. Tedros said after that all options remained “on the table.” Tedros has repeatedly said the WHO would not abandon its investigation and has called on Beijing for transparency in sharing data, carrying out investigations and sharing the results. The WHO lifted the highest alert level that had been in place for the pandemic earlier this year. Thanks to vaccines, post-infection immunity and better treatment, the virus is now under greater control, although with the arrival of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, new variants are emerging. WITH AFP The post WHO seeks China access for Covid origin probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pope arrives in Mongolia to back tiny Catholic presence on China’s doorstep
Pope Francis arrived in Mongolia on Friday, beginning the first papal visit to the vast Asian nation landlocked between China and Russia. The 86-year-old pontiff's trip through Monday to the Buddhist-majority nation is a gesture of support for the tiny community of Catholics numbering about 1,400. The Argentine pontiff left Rome at 1640 GMT Thursday bound for the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, arriving Friday morning local time following a nine-hour journey. He was greeted by a line of Mongolian honor guards in traditional blue, red, and yellow attire and foreign minister Batmunkh Battsetseg. Aboard the papal plane soon after take-off, Francis described the vast, sparsely populated country of Mongolia as one that "can be understood with the senses." Asked by a journalist whether he found diplomacy difficult, the pope answered: "Yes, you don't know how difficult it is. "Sometimes you need a sense of humor." The nine-hour flight passed over Chinese airspace and the pontiff, following custom, sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping, bearing "greetings of good wishes" to him and the Chinese people. "Assuring you of my prayers for the well-being of the nation, I invoke upon all of you the divine blessings of unity and peace," he wrote. The voyage -- Francis' second to the region in a year after a September trip to Kazakhstan -- is geopolitically strategic. It is seen as encouraging Mongolia's fragile democracy and potentially helping the Church make inroads with the country's more powerful neighbors. "This is a clear effort of the Holy See to take care of Central Asia and not abandon it to Russia or China," Michel Chambon, a scholar of Catholicism in Asia, told AFP. The visit -- Francis' 43rd voyage in his decade as head of the Catholic Church -- is also crucial in keeping the door open for improved Vatican ties with Beijing and Moscow, which have yet to offer the Pope an invitation. "It's a way to not give up, to remind them 'I'm here!'" Chambon said. "It's a way not to just stay in Rome and wait for things to happen but to jump in." Stamina test The trip will be a stamina test for the pope, who continues to travel widely despite undergoing a hernia operation in June and pain in his knee that has forced him to use a wheelchair. After a day of rest, the pontiff's itinerary on Saturday includes a welcome ceremony, meetings with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, and a first address to authorities, diplomats, and members of civil society. He will meet the Catholic community -- which includes just 25 priests and 33 nuns, only two of them Mongolian -- later Saturday in Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. Its circular nave resembles a "ger", the Mongolian nomads' traditional tent dwelling. The Jesuit pope addresses an interreligious meeting Sunday, where the rector of Ulaanbaatar's Russian Orthodox Church is expected to be present with a delegation, and later presides over a mass inside a newly built ice hockey arena. Pilgrims from nearby countries are expected at the mass, the Vatican said, including from Russia, China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan. Not taking sides Once part of the empire of Genghis Khan, Mongolia is dependent on Russia for energy imports and on China for the export of its raw materials, primarily coal. But while toeing a neutral line with its powerful neighbors, it has engaged in a "third neighbor" policy, strengthening relations with other nations, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea, for balance. That makes Mongolia potentially helpful for Vatican relations with both Beijing and Moscow. The Holy See last year renewed a deal on the thorny issue of bishop appointments with China, and Francis has sought to broker an end to the war in Ukraine with Russia. Francis may use his trip to the former Soviet satellite state, a democracy since just 1992, to hammer home democratic principles. A major coal industry corruption scandal provoked street protests in December, eroding public trust amid a weak economy, high inflation, and major gaps between rich and poor. Chambon, a fellow at Singapore's Asia Research Institute, said Francis may take a page from last year's Kazakhstan visit, during which he warned authorities they have a responsibility to govern well. "The pope is not taking sides but is really putting politicians in front of their responsibilities," Chambon said. "'Who are we serving, are we honest, are we caring for the poor and marginalized, are we taking care of the entire nation in its religious and ethnic diversity?' "He plays the games but he asks the hard questions." Francis, who plans in October to publish an update to his seminal 2015 "Laudato Si'" a global call to action for the environment, will also likely bring attention to the impact of climate change on Mongolia's ecosystems. Together with mining and overgrazing, rising temperatures and their effects are fuelling desertification across swathes of the country. Severe cold, flooding and drought have killed off herds on the vast grasslands, forcing nomads who make up one-third of the population to migrate to Ulaanbaatar, now surrounded by shantytowns inhabited by displaced herders. The post Pope arrives in Mongolia to back tiny Catholic presence on China’s doorstep appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China hallucinating — University professors
China has “many collective hallucinations.” This was the assessment made by three political analysts and university professors at the weekly News Forum in Quezon City, Saturday. University of Santo Tomas Political Science Department professor Dr. Froilan Calilung said the problem with China is it has “many collective hallucinations.” Calilung seconded the views shared by the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, Director Jay Batongbacal, who said China’s latest move is an attempt to manipulate the Philippines through strategies that would be advantageous to Beijing. The two university professors believed that Beijing is attempting to make other “dangerous maneuvers” to test the current administration. "Every time there is a new administration, China is instigating a potential crisis. It is testing what kind of leader we have and what kind of people are surrounding him,” Batongbacal said. On Wednesday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he is repealing any commitment, should there be an existing agreement between the Philippines and China, on the supposed removal of the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal. Political analyst and De La Salle University professor Renato de Castro on the other hand lauded President Marcos for standing firm that the BRP Sierra Madre would not be removed from Ayungin Shoal. “It boils down to the national determination. And I think the President has already implicated we will not abandon the BRP Sierra Madre. That’s the most important thing, the political decision to ensure that we maintain our presence over Ayungin Shoal,” De Castro said. He added that the 5 August incident where the Chinese Coast Guard blocked and used water cannon against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, is "part of (China’s) tactic” to pressure the Philippines and create a “crisis situation to put the other side on the defensive.” “The Chinese do not do it on a basis of good faith. They always deal with crises from the position of that faith. The crisis is not meant to resolve. The crisis is meant to put the other side on the defensive, to put pressure on you,” De Castro explained. China’s claim that the Philippines has made a promise to remove the grounded BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal is a “lie and gaslighting,” according to Batongbacal. "We don't believe that. We've been hearing that for a long time, but we haven't been able to find anyone with authority who might have said that," Batongbacal said. “Definitely, it’s a lie, it’s gaslighting na tinatawag. Mapapansin niyo, madalas nangyayari iyan. Pinapaduda ka sa sarili mong posisyon by saying things," he added. Larger vessels for resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal For their part, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said they are ready and willing, should the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) request for more vessels that will escort boats for resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal, following China’s water cannon blasting incident last week. “If the Armed Forces of the Philippines would request the Philippine Coast Guard to provide escort, we will deploy vessels that will support the supply mission," PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said. Tarriela said PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu “is willing to deploy additional vessels to support the resupply mission and if it needs be to deploy a 97-meter vessel that would also be an option.” The PCG is also willing to deploy the offshore patrol vessel, “which is bigger than the 44-meter that we deployed before,” he added. The post China hallucinating — University professors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China demands Philippines remove grounded ship from disputed waters
China Tuesday renewed calls for the Philippines to remove an ageing ship from a reef which Manila uses to press its stake in the Spratly Islands in defiance of Beijing's claim to nearly the entire South China Sea. The move comes after the Philippines at the weekend accused the China Coast Guard of firing water cannon against boats on a resupply mission to its garrison stationed on the grounded vessel. The BRP Sierra Madre -- deliberately grounded in the late 1990s in an effort to check the advance of China in the hotly contested waters -- has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing. The handful of Philippine marines deployed on the crumbling vessel depend upon resupply missions to survive their remote posting. The Philippine military and coast guard accused the China Coast Guard of breaking international law by blocking and firing water cannon at the resupply mission, preventing one of the charter boats from reaching the shoal. Beijing has defended its actions as "professional" and accused Manila of "illegal delivery of construction materials" to the grounded ship. "The Philippine side has repeatedly made clear promises to tow away the warship illegally 'stranded' on the reef," a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said Tuesday. "Twenty-four years have passed, the Philippine side has not only failed to tow away the warship, but also attempted to repair and reinforce it on a large scale to achieve permanent occupation of the Ren'ai Reef," they added, using the Chinese term for the Second Thomas Shoal. "The Chinese side once again urges the Philippines to immediately tow away the 'stranded' warship from the Ren'ai Reef and restore the status of no one and no facilities on the reef," they said. - 'Illegal activities' - Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. China's coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Manila says. The Philippines has issued more than 400 diplomatic protests to Beijing since 2020 over its "illegal activities" in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said. China appeared to be "trying to gauge our commitment to supply our troops" at the shoal, National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told reporters on Monday. "For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal," Malaya added, using the Philippine name for Second Thomas Shoal. Saturday's "David and Goliath" incident showed the Chinese had established what appeared to be a "blockade" of the shoal, Malaya said. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes over the South China Sea but former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was seen as cosying up to China in the hope of attracting investment. Since succeeding Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on his country's maritime rights, seeking to strengthen defence ties with former colonial ruler and longtime ally the United States. ehl-oho/je/mtp © Agence France-Presse The post China demands Philippines remove grounded ship from disputed waters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl slams China’s ‘coercive, unlawful, unjustifiable’ acts in WPS
The Philippines on Monday maintained its territorial rights over the Ayungin Shoal, stressing that it would never leave the area amid the continued escalation of geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea. At a joint press conference, members of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea such as the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the National Security Council and the Philippine Coast Guard condemned China’s recent use of water cannon and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels that were en route to Ayungin Shoal for a routine troop rotation and resupply mission for the BRP Sierra Madre, the decommissioned ship grounded on the shoal to serve as an outpost for Philippine troops stationed on the shoal. “The Philippines condemns in the strongest terms the latest incident of harassment perpetrated by China Coast Guard, People’s Liberation Army Navy and Chinese maritime militia vessels, on August 5, against Philippine vessels, on a routine resupply mission in waters surrounding Ayungin Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea,” the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said. “The Philippines demands that China immediately stop its coercive, unlawful and unjustifiable activities in our maritime zones,” it added. Ayungin Shoal is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is part of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines. NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya asserted the Philippine government would keep its position in Ayungin Shoal through the BRP Sierra Madre. “For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal,” Malaya said when asked about the Philippines’ next actions following the incident. “They’re probably looking for weaknesses in the Philippine position or are trying to gauge our commitment to supply our troops in the shoal, and we are here precisely to reassure the Filipino people that as directed by our President, we are consistent with the President’s directive during the SONA that we will not lose an inch of our territory,” he added. The BRP Sierra Madre is a World War 2 landing ship tank that has been stationed at the Ayungin Shoal since 1999. Asked how the government would maintain its presence in the Ayungin Shoal, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said the government has heightened its assets in the area. “We have already increased the number of our assets in that area for the conduct of maritime patrols and of course, to do rotation and reprovision missions,” Aguilar said. “As to what we will do exactly, that we cannot tell you for security reasons,” he added. Diplomatic processes For its part, the DFA condemned China’s “aggressive” actions in Ayungin Shoal and called on China to stop its “illegal activities” in the country’s maritime zone. “The Department of Foreign Affairs is one with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard in their pursuit of our shared mandate to protect and uphold our legal maritime entitlements,” DFA spokesperson Tess Daza said. “The DFA is making full use of our diplomatic processes and is exercising all possible actions available to us, including the summoning of the Chinese ambassador over this incident,” she added. Daza noted that Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian was summoned by the DFA on Monday morning to convey the Philippine government’s strong protest against on the water cannon operation of the CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels against Philippine indigenous boats conducting regular rotation and resupply and humanitarian missions to Ayungin Shoal. The DFA personally handed over Huang the note verbale of the Philippines for the 5 August incident. As of 7 August, the agency said the country has filed a total of 445 diplomatic protests in the past three years. For this year alone, the country has filed a total of 35 diplomatic protests. The Philippine government, through Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz, also handed the country’s diplomatic protest in Beijing over the incident. The DFA firmly asked China to direct its vessels to “stop” their “illegal actions” against Philippine vessels and to “stop interfering” in legitimate Philippine government activities. It also urged China to comply with its obligations under international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, the 2016 Award in the South China Sea Arbitration, and the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and adhere to its commitments under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. According to the DFA, the incident “undermines efforts to strengthen mutual trust and confidence” between Manila and Beijing. “We value our relations with China and we hope that they too value the relations with the Philippines, but clearly, this incident undermines efforts to strengthen mutual trust and confidence – a crucial element in friendly relations among states,” Daza said. “It does provide tension in our bilateral relations,” she added. The post Phl slams China’s ‘coercive, unlawful, unjustifiable’ acts in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl summons China ambassador over water cannoning of boats
Manila summoned Beijing's envoy on Monday after the China Coast Guard blocked and water cannoned Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos said. The incident happened Saturday as the Philippine Coast Guard escorted charter boats carrying food, water, fuel and other supplies to Filipino military personnel stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored a 2016 international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. The Philippine military and coast guard have accused the China Coast Guard of breaking international law by blocking and firing water cannon at the resupply mission, preventing one of the charter boats from reaching the shoal. Another charter boat successfully unloaded its cargo. "Our Secretary of Foreign Affairs summoned Ambassador Huang (Xilian) today and gave him a note verbale including pictures, video about what happened, and we are awaiting their reply," Marcos told reporters. "The position of China, of course, is they say 'this is ours so we are defending it', and we, for our part, are saying 'no, we own it so we are defending it'. So that becomes a grey area that we are discussing." China maintained over the weekend that it had taken "necessary controls" against Philippine boats that "illegally" entered its waters. The US State Department on Sunday condemned the Chinese actions, saying they directly threatened regional peace and stability. Britain, Australia, Canada and the European Union also criticized Beijing's conduct. Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometers from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. China's coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Manila says. The Philippines has issued more than 400 diplomatic protests to Beijing since 2020 over its "illegal activities" in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said. China appeared to be "trying to gauge our commitment to supply our troops" at the shoal, National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told reporters on Monday. "For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal," Malaya added, using the Philippine name for Second Thomas Shoal, located in the Spratly Islands. 'David and Goliath' Malaya said Saturday's "David and Goliath" incident showed the Chinese had established what appeared to be a "blockade" of the shoal. "There were only two (Philippine) coast guard vessels and two Philippine supply boats against six large Chinese coast guard vessels and two Chinese militia vessels, and more People's Liberation Army naval vessels at near proximity to the area," he said. Malaya said he believed it was the largest Chinese presence at the shoal "in recent memory". At one point, a China Coast Guard vessel came "within 20 yards (18 meters)" of a Philippine coast guard boat, which he said could have resulted in a collision. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, which includes representatives of various government agencies, condemned the Chinese actions "in the strongest terms". "As a low tide elevation, Ayungin shoal can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor is it capable of appropriation under international law," the task force said in a statement. Second Thomas Shoal was part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, and the resupply and upkeep of the BRP Sierra Madre were "legitimate Philippine government activities", it added. The Philippine military deliberately grounded the Sierra Madre on Second Thomas Shoal in the late 1990s, and keeps up a tiny garrison there to maintain a presence in the hotly contested waters. In a statement on Monday, the Chinese coast guard urged Manila to "tow away" the ship and "restore the reef to its original state". Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes over the South China Sea, but former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was seen as cozying up to China in the hope of attracting investment. Since succeeding him, however, Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on his country's maritime rights, seeking to strengthen defense ties with former colonial ruler and longtime ally the United States. The post Phl summons China ambassador over water cannoning of boats appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pompeo hits China hard in Europe gab
Washington—US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday warned Europeans they would abandon their values by embracing China, in a scathing denunciation of Beijing just two days after talks on trans-Pacific tensions......»»
Dela Rosa considers war with China but admits: ‘Hindi naman natin kaya’
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is already fed up with China’s persistent harassments in the West Philippine Sea, prompting thoughts of engaging in war with Beijing. But he knows, war is not an option. “Naubos na ang sasabihin ko dapat dyan. Short of declaring war na tayo dyan against sa kanila e,.....»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»
Opinion - South China Sea- Philippines must softly manage disputes or miss out economically
Manilas assertive transparency strategy is touted as a model for managing maritime disputes but it diminishes key economic opportunities. As Chinese investment pours into other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines must reduce geopolitical risks without acquiescing to Beijing......»»
India backs Philippines in dispute with China
New Delhi has drawn a strong response from Beijing after reiterating its support for Manila in a territorial dispute India has "firmly reiterated" its support for the Philippines and its "national sovereignty," as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Ten.....»»
India backs Philippines in sea dispute with China
New Delhi has drawn a strong response from Beijing after reiterating its support for Manila in a territorial dispute India has "firmly reiterated" its support for the Philippines and its "national sovereignty," as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Ten.....»»
China blocks Philippine supply run in disputed waters (VIDEO)
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly Islands Chinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tan.....»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters (VIDEO)
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly Islands Chinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tan.....»»
China blocks Philippine supply run in disputed waters
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly IslandsChinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tank landing ship over two decades ago.The incident occurred near the Second.....»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly IslandsChinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tank landing ship over two decades ago.The incident occurred near the Second.....»»
Philippines lodges strong protest with China over water cannon attack in disputed South China Sea
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): In the wake of accusation by the Philippines that the Chinese Coast Guard wounded three of its soldiers during a water cannon attack in the disputed South China Sea, Manila on Monday summoned Beijing's envoy to lodge its strong protest, Al Jazeera reported. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement said that Manila conveyed its "strong protest against the aggressiv.....»»
The US is cultivating an antagonist to China in Beijing s own backyard
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the president of the Philippines, is a stark contrast to his predecessor - and besides, Washington has dirt on him The Philippines has been a treaty ally of the United States since 1951, almost as long as it's been an independent country. Before that, it was a colony of the US, which had won it as.....»»
China blocks Philippine supply run in disputed waters (VIDEO)
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly Islands Chinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tan.....»»
China blocks Philippine military supply boat in disputed waters (VIDEO)
Manilla and Beijing have traded accusations over a naval incident near the Spratly Islands Chinese patrol boats used water cannons on Saturday to disrupt an attempt by the Philippine military to deliver supplies to a reef in a disputed part of the South China Sea, where the Philippine Navy intentionally grounded a tan.....»»