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Biden meets Chinese FM, urges cooperation on ‘global challenges’
US President Joe Biden met China's foreign minister for talks on Friday as the two countries seek to smooth ties ahead of a possible visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Biden told top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that Washington and Beijing must "manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication," the White House said. With the Israel-Hamas conflict raging in the Middle East, Biden also "underscored that the United States and China must work together to address global challenges," it added in a statement. Biden has invited Xi to San Francisco next month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but he has also stood firm on China in the run-up, keeping up a stream of sanctions and backing US allies in disputes with Beijing. Wang Yi has been on a two-day visit to Washington during which he also met US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The Chinese foreign minister had been expected to meet Biden too after Blinken met Chinese president Xi in Beijing in June, but it had not previously been confirmed. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had said on Thursday that this week's talks were a "milestone in that effort to keep the lines of communication open with the PRC (People's Republic of China)." Sullivan was going to raise "areas of concern" including China's behavior in the South China Sea, where it has been forcefully asserting its maritime boundaries. Stabilize Wang said after meeting Blinken on Thursday that he wanted to "stabilize US-China relations" and "reduce misunderstanding" after years of tensions. Acknowledging that differences will still come up, Wang said China would respond "calmly, because we are of the view that what is right and what is wrong is not determined by who has the stronger arm or the louder voice." Biden and Xi have had no contact since a meeting in Bali in November 2022. Relations have been tense for years between world's top two economies as they vie for influence in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and as Beijing boosts cooperation with Russia in a bid to reduce US dominance. Tensions have been particularly high over Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing that over the past year has launched major military exercises in response to actions by US lawmakers. The United States and China have also traded barbs over the conflict in the Middle East, where Biden has been Israel's foremost ally. US officials have repeatedly spoken of creating "guardrails" with China to prevent worst-case scenarios and have sought, without success, to restore contact between the two militaries. Biden on Wednesday warned China of US treaty obligations to the Philippines, which said that Chinese vessels deliberately hit Manila's boats in dispute-rife waters -- an account contested by Beijing. Speaking alongside Australia's prime minister, a key Asia-Pacific ally, Biden vowed to compete with China "every way according to the international rules -- economically, politically, in other ways. But I'm not looking for conflict." The post Biden meets Chinese FM, urges cooperation on ‘global challenges’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia bans goods transactions on social media platforms
Indonesia has banned goods transactions on social media platforms in a new regulation, its trade minister said Wednesday, as Jakarta aims to rein in direct sales on major platforms it says are harming millions of small businesses. Calls had grown in recent months for a regulation governing social media and e-commerce, with offline sellers seeing their livelihoods threatened by the sale of cheaper products on TikTok Shop and other platforms. Indonesia is one of the world's biggest markets for TikTok Shop and was the first to pilot the app's e-commerce arm. "Now, e-commerce cannot become social media. It is separated," Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan told a news conference in the capital, Jakarta, adding that the trade regulation came into force on Tuesday. Hasan said social commerce platforms would have a week to comply with the new rule. "Any government would protect local small businesses," he said, describing the regulation as a way to ensure "equality in business competition". The regulation means social commerce companies are now "prohibited to facilitate payment transactions in its electronic system", according to the regulation document seen by AFP. "Social commerce can place ads like TV, but it mustn't be transactional. (They) can't open shop, can't directly sell," Hasan said, without mentioning TikTok by name. Companies that did not comply would be warned first and would finally have their license to do business in Indonesia revoked, he said. Laws in the archipelago nation did not cover direct transactions through social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook or Instagram before the new regulation. The new regulation is yet another setback for TikTok, which has faced intense scrutiny in the United States and other nations in recent months over users' data security and the company's alleged ties to Beijing. "Other countries are banning, we don't, we're regulating," Hasan said. Indonesia is now the first country in the region to act against the platform's growing popularity in social media commerce. The ministerial-level regulation -- an amendment to a trade regulation issued in 2020 -- did not need approval by lawmakers. TikTok Indonesia said the company was "deeply concerned" about the policy, which would impact millions of sellers and creators using TikTok Shop. "We respect local laws and regulations and will be pursuing a constructive path forward," it said in a statement. Meta -- which owns Facebook and Instagram -- did not respond to a request for comment. 'Markets are quiet' Hasan appeared to confirm the companies would have to choose between separate social media and e-commerce licences. "It's clear... there are no permits for social commerce. If (they) want social commerce, please, only for promotion and ads. If (they) want to sell, there are e-commerce (permits)." The regulation also sets a minimum price of $100 for certain foreign goods bought from Indonesian sellers on e-commerce platforms, according to the regulation document seen by AFP. Some offline sellers at the Tanah Abang market in Jakarta applauded the government's decision. "The government should... dare to innovate given the current situation, where markets are quiet like this," said Stevanie Ahua, a 60-year-old wholesale denim jeans seller. She said her revenue had dropped by 60 percent in recent months as buyers turned to online shops. Others such as 29-year-old cookie baker Panji Made Agung in Bali said he was disappointed by the ban. "For sellers like me, TikTok can be used for soft selling. We can become influencers and sellers at the same time," he said. Experts said the transaction ban would hit the coffers of social media platforms such as TikTok, which takes a commission from every sale. "They will definitely incur losses," said Tauhid Ahmad, executive director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Development of Economics and Finance. Indonesia's e-commerce market is dominated by platforms such as Tokopedia, Shopee and Lazada but TikTok Shop gained a significant market share since launching in 2021. Indonesia, with 125 million users, is TikTok's second-largest global market after the United States, according to company figures. TikTok's chief executive Shou Zi Chew visited Jakarta in June, pledging to pour billions of dollars into Southeast Asia in the years ahead. The post Indonesia bans goods transactions on social media platforms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia bans goods transactions on social media platforms
Indonesia has banned goods transactions on social media platforms in a new regulation, its trade minister said Wednesday, as Jakarta aims to rein in direct sales on major platforms it says are harming millions of small businesses. Calls had grown in recent months for a regulation governing social media and e-commerce, with offline sellers seeing their livelihoods threatened by the sale of cheaper products on TikTok Shop and other platforms. "This trade regulation has been in force (since yesterday)," Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan told a news conference in the capital Jakarta. He said social commerce platforms would have a week to comply with the new rule. "Any government would protect local small businesses," he said, saying the regulation was passed to ensure "equality in business competition". The regulation means social media firms will not be able to conduct direct transactions but only promote products on their platforms. "Social commerce can place ads like TV, but it mustn't be transactional. (They) can't open shop, can't directly sell," he said, without mentioning TikTok by name. Laws in the archipelago nation did not cover direct transactions through social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook or Instagram before the new regulation. The new regulation is yet another setback for TikTok, which has faced intense scrutiny in the United States and other nations in recent months over users' data security and the company's alleged ties to Beijing. "Other countries are banning, we don't, (we're) regulating," Hasan said. Indonesia is one of the world's biggest markets for TikTok Shop and was the first to pilot the app's e-commerce arm. But Indonesia is now the first country in the region to act against the platform's growing popularity in social media commerce. The ministerial-level regulation -- an amendment to a trade regulation issued in 2020 -- did not need approval by lawmakers. Chinese technology giant and TikTok owner ByteDance and TikTok Indonesia did not respond immediately to a request for comment Wednesday. But a TikTok Indonesia spokesperson told AFP on Monday the ban would harm as many as six million local sellers who market their products on the platform. Meta -- which owns Facebook and Instagram -- did not respond to a request for comment. 'Markets are quiet' How the ban will work exactly remains unclear but experts said it could mean social media firms would have to obtain a separate approval for their e-commerce arms. "It could be that their license will be rearranged," said Tauhid Ahmad, executive director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Development of Economics and Finance. Offline sellers at Tanah Abang market in Jakarta applauded the government's decision. "The government should... dare to innovate given the current situation, where markets are quiet like this," said Stevanie Ahua, a 60-year-old wholesale denim jeans seller. She said her revenue had dropped by 60 percent in recent months as buyers turned to online shops. Others like 29-year-old cookie baker Panji Made Agung in Bali said he was disappointed by the ban. "For sellers like me, TikTok can be used for soft selling. We can become influencers and sellers at the same time," he said. Indonesia's e-commerce market is dominated by platforms such as Tokopedia, Shopee and Lazada but TikTok Shop gained a significant market share since launching in 2021. Indonesia, with 125 million users, is TikTok's second-largest global market after the United States, according to company figures. TikTok's chief executive Shou Zi Chew visited Jakarta in June, pledging to pour billions of dollars into Southeast Asia in the coming years. The post Indonesia bans goods transactions on social media platforms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sovereign shame
The government should recognize the possibility that Chinese workers in the country are committing espionage amid the escalating territorial friction in the West Philippine Sea. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro raised the alarm, saying employees of mainly Chinese state firms may be engaged in potential “covert economic and information activities,” including propaganda operations, to sway public opinion in favor of the mainland. Among the workers on the watchlist are “the ones hired by Beijing’s state-run enterprises involved in public infrastructure projects,” according to Teodoro. The Department of National Defense said it is looking into clandestine dealings “happening in the background.” “It’s the activities that we cannot see… that’s what alarms us,” the defense chief said. “The best way to weaken a country, rather than by an overt warlike function or disruption of [its] facilities, is really to take control of [its] internal economy, internal processes, and the like,” Teodoro pointed out. The records of Chinese migrants in the country are inadequate based on previous Senate hearings. No government agency was able to provide the Senate, for instance, with an accurate number of illegal Chinese workers, indicating that they are not being monitored. Labor agencies have also failed to keep track of how many foreign workers are in jobs that, by mandate of the Constitution, should be for Filipinos only. Under the law, foreigners are only allowed to work in jobs that require highly specialized skills and where no Filipinos are deemed competent to do them. During the Senate probe, it was also discovered that as many as 119,000 Chinese nationals who came to the country as tourists are now residents and have jobs in violation of labor regulations. Chinese tourists, through some “gainful” means, were able to obtain special work permits from the Bureau of Immigration. They now work in very diverse areas such as Metro Manila, Clark, Subic, Cagayan and Cagayan de Oro. In one of the inquiries, a Department of Labor and Employment official explained that the special permits were issued without the need for an Alien Employment Permit, or AEP, because the nature of the employment was temporary, lasting from three to six months. The loose process, thus, has allowed foreign workers to enter the country practically unbridled. Senators questioned the discrepancy between the AEPs issued and the number of Chinese workers in the country. Independent sources said that as many as 200,000 to 400,000 Chinese workers are in the country. Four different agencies issue different permits that make the situation worse. The biggest insult by China is that its propaganda work against the Philippines and other opponents in the territorial conflicts is done in this country. Facebook recently removed two networks of fake accounts that were spreading government propaganda, one originating in China and the other in the Philippines. Taken down were 155 Facebook accounts, 11 pages, nine groups and seven Instagram accounts traced to China, and 57 accounts, 31 pages and 20 Instagram accounts based in the Philippines. Such operations breach Facebook’s rules against “coordinated inauthentic behavior on behalf of a foreign or government entity.” The Chinese network used faces created through an AI technique known as GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks). Facebook was able to trace the origins of the accounts because of their visual signatures. “This form of AI is readily available online, and its use (or abuse) by covert operations has exploded in the last year,” according to a report on the social media platform. Identified were a dozen GAN-generated images from the Chinese propaganda operation. Teodoro, who has access to a wealth of information, in revealing the supposed operations being conducted by the Chinese in the country’s backyard, virtually confirmed the problem has reached alarming proportions. It would be easy for the government to keep track of foreign workers if only the appropriate agencies would resist the seduction of human smuggling. In accepting bribes to let the aliens skirt the law, these officials and functionaries have placed our national security at risk. The post Sovereign shame appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Banning Filipino fishermen in Scarborough is an insult — AFP spox
China's actions appear to be a form of disrespect towards the Philippines as they are preventing Filipino fishermen from fishing in the Scarborough Shoal, an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official said on Sunday. In a radio interview, AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar expressed disappointment over the fact that Filipino fishermen are no longer able to engage in fishing activities at the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal. "It's regrettable (that the Filipinos cannot fish at the Scarborough Shoal), but let's see what happens next because we can't allow it to be like this forever," Aguilar said. "It's like they're insulting us with their actions, knowing well that their territorial claim has no basis," Aguilar added. While Filipino fishermen can fish in some areas, the military official said they cannot go near the Scarborough Shoal where the are more fish. Aguilar said the Filipinos can no longer access the Scarborough Shoal because the maritime militia and China Coast Guard vessels are already "blocking the shoal." The Philippine government sued China at The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013. In July 2016, the Court delivered a verdict favoring the Philippines by rejecting China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea. In the same judgment, the court designated Scarborough Shoal as a shared fishing area and prohibited China from taking aggressive actions against Filipino fishermen there, which included preventing their access to the shoal. Furthermore, The Hague Court affirmed that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank fall within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Despite this ruling, Beijing has consistently refused to acknowledge or abide by it. However, China recently released an updated official map that reaffirmed its unlawful assertions over a significant portion of the South China Sea while introducing new claims along the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines lodged a protest against China's release of the 2023 edition of its regular map. The Philippine government urged China to exhibit responsible behavior and adhere to its commitments as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitration decision. The post Banning Filipino fishermen in Scarborough is an insult — AFP spox appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
On WPS conflict, ‘Trillanes cut deals’
Amid the guessing game started by China on who the unnamed President was who promised to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has pointed to a former senator as the culprit. “I haven’t heard from previous presidents that they promised to remove the Sierra Madre, but what I know is that the late President Benigno Aquino III did some backchanneling, and his backdoor agent was former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV,” Enrile said. He added: “Trillanes bypassed then Ambassador Sonia Brady in negotiating with China, and his only credential was he rode in a Philippine Navy boat when he was in the military service.” “The subject of the backchanneling was the Scarborough Shoal standoff, but Trillanes was deceived by the Chinese. The Philippine vessels withdrew from the area of the deadlock, but China stayed put,” he recalled. 2012 Senate skirmish Then-senator Enrile and Trillanes had a confrontation in September 2012 over the government’s covert negotiations with China that Aquino had assigned to Trillanes. In a face-off on the Senate floor, Enrile produced the so-called Brady notes, a report on the discussions between the ambassador and Trillanes on the backchanneling mission. During his several engagements with Chinese officials, Enrile quoted the Brady notes as saying that Trillanes indicated that Filipinos needed more interest in the conflicting claims in the region. Enrile said the Brady notes stated that Aquino was not made fully aware of the details of Trillanes’s actions, and there was a point when the President did not know the talks were suspended for two weeks and that Trillanes was acting on his own. “And for whom? Whose interest was he serving?” Enrile asked. While admitting that it was the prerogative of Aquino as Commander-in-Chief to resort to backchannel talks, designating Trillanes was a huge mistake, he said. “Trillanes should have been discreet, and he should have brought along an embassy representative to record the event. Trillanes thought he was James Bond. That should not have been allowed,” Enrile said. “A person entrusted by the President with a mission must first exercise discretion. When you go to a country to deal with a foreign power, you must notify the embassy,” he said. “Trillanes should have notified the embassy to alert them that he was there on a mission, and he should have brought along at least one responsible official,” he added. He continued: “Everybody should have known that international law already provided the way to settle the dispute, which was the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but which China did not respect.” “China based its claims not on international law but on its might. We should have a counter-balancing force,” according to Enrile. “We should not rely solely on the assistance of other nations; we should keep building up our military assets.” “We should also be prepared, and one way to do that is to require all young Filipinos to undergo training to defend the country.” “Only Filipinos can fight for their country; nobody else can do the fighting for you,” Enrile stressed. False narrative Meanwhile, China was accused of using deception in its sea maneuvers when it tried to block a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on 7 September. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, at the weekly Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, said the Philippine Navy offered to help a Chinese rubber boat in distress near Ayungin Shoal. “Our troops offered assistance, but the Chinese refused and another boat came to their rescue,” Aguilar said. He said one of the Chinese rigid hull inflatable boats had gotten entangled in a fishing line while it was tailing the Philippine vessels heading to Ayungin to resupply the troops there. Aguilar said that while the Chinese boat’s refusal to accept aid from Philippine forces was expected, what surprised the troops was Beijing’s radio call where they blamed the Filipinos for the incident. “They had the guts to challenge our radio message. ‘Philippine Coast Guard, because of your maneuvers, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel came into problem,’” he quoted the Chinese as saying. Aguilar said this was another narrative the Chinese would tell their people. “After this incident, they will come up with their narrative to tell their people about what happened,” Aguilar said. “We don’t want the truth to be drowned out by what really happened,” he added. Misplaced bullying Aguilar described the China Coast Guard’s behavior as “misplaced bullying” amid its continued aggression in Philippine territorial waters. “The CCG is a misplaced bully in the WPS,” Aguilar said. Meanwhile, Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson, said several CCG ships and maritime militia vessels tried to block the Philippine vessels and stop the resupply mission. “It is very important for the government, for us, to be more transparent about what is happening in the West Philippine Sea,” he said. “We face the media; we give them the true story. The media will play a very important role in curtailing this fake news that spreads every time the Chinese release their narratives.” He said China has been pushing the narrative that the Philippines is acting on behalf of the United States. Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Kalayaan island group, is an integral part of the Philippines and is well within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the country has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction. The BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded on Ayungin Shoal since 1999, where it stands as a symbol of Philippine sovereignty and on which a dozen Filipino Marines and sailors are holding the fort. The post On WPS conflict, ‘Trillanes cut deals’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China using false narrative — AFP
The China Coast Guard is using a false narrative in its recent dangerous maneuvers in trying to block a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on 7 September, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Saturday. At the weekly Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar said the Philippine Navy offered to help a Chinese rubber boat in distress in Ayungin Shoal only to be scorned and blamed for the incident. “Troops offered assistance to help China, but China refused.. and another boat came to their rescue,” Aguilar said. He narrated that one of China’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats was entangled in a fishing line while it was tailing Philippine vessels heading to Ayungin Shoal to resupply troops there. Aguilar said while the Chinese boat's refusal to accept aid from Philippine forces was expected, what surprised the troops was Beijing’s radio call that blamed Filipinos for the incident. “They still have the guts to challenge our radio message: ‘Philippine Coast Guard because of your maneuvers, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel came into problem,’” he said. Aguilar called these as “another narrative that they will tell their people." “After this incident, they will come up with their own narrative to tell their people about what happened,” Aguilar said. “We don’t want the truth to be drowned by what happened,” he said. Aguilar also described the CCG's behavior as "misplaced bullying" amid its continued aggression in the country’s territorial waters. “The CCG is a misplaced bully at the WPS,” Aguilar said. This is the third resupply mission after the 5 August incident when the CCG used water cannons against the PCG fleet conducting a similar mission. Another resupply mission was conducted and completed on 22 August. Despite the efforts of the Chinese vessels, the AFP said the resupply mission was successful. “As far as the AFP is concerned, we always refer to existing laws in defining what is our maritime zone right now,” Aguilar said. On the other end, Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the PCG, said several CCG ships and maritime militia vessels tried to block the PCG ships to stop the resupply mission. “It is very important for the government… for us to be more transparent on what is happening in the West Philippine Sea,” he said. “We face the media, we give them the true story. The media will play a very important role in curtailing this fake news that spreads every time they release these narratives,” Tarriella said. He added that China, which has been illegally claiming almost the entire South China Sea, has been pushing the narrative that the Philippines is acting on behalf of the US when it comes to the West Philippine Sea issue. Ayungin Shoal is part of the Kalayaan Island Group and is an integral part of the Philippines, as well as the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the country has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction. The BRP Sierra Madre has been grounded at the Ayungin Shoal since 1999 where a dozen marines and sailors are aboard the ship, which has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the offshore territory. The post China using false narrative — AFP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China’s 10-dash line flaunts ‘arbitrariness’, expert says
China is flaunting anew an “arbitrariness” by releasing its 2023 version of the map, which features a new 10-dash line that defines its purported boundaries in the South China Sea, according to Maritime law expert Professor Jay Batongbacal. “This is already the second time because the first time was in 2013. Based on some reports, it seems that they are introducing a new drawing. It may be small but other countries are already reacting like India and this time, Malaysia has already reacted,” Batongbacal said in a chance interview Thursday evening. China's Ministry of Natural Resources on 28 August issued the map, which covers a large part of the South China Sea, including the country’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. “Una pinapakita nito yung arbitrariness nung kanilang claim kasi nga nagbabago. Pangalawa, pinapakita rin nito na talagang walang basehan ‘yung kanilang dinodrawing na iyan. Talagang yung mga ibang bansa talagang hindi yan tatanggapin (First, it shows the arbitrariness of their claim because it changes. Second, it also shows that what they are claiming is really baseless. The other countries really can’t accept that.)" Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines have earlier rejected China’s claims under the new version of its SCS map, showing that Taiwan as well as India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin region are part of Beijing's domain. Batongbacal said there’s a lot of misinterpretation and manipulation of information regarding China’s claims in the SCS, which overlaps the claims of its neighboring countries. “The Chinese government keeps pushing these narratives that are not really true. The problem is that this information is being reported as if it's true,” he said. Thus, Batongbacal pressed the need for the media outlets, particularly those assigned in the Philippines, to better understand the issues on SCS/WPS. “It is also very important to us because we are a democratic nation and the media plays a very important role in the molding and expression of the public opinion so the media needs to be well-informed, especially in our advocacy in the WPS. This is about our nation,” he said. China’s uncertainties, lack of stability Batongbacal said the Philippines keeps insisting that China should follow the rules-based international order and an international law referred to as “The Law of the Sea Convention.” “China should follow the rules that when we all negotiated—the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—and China itself supposedly ratified that agreement. It shows that even though China signed treaties, conventions, and agreements. yet anytime if it finds it inconvenient in its interest, it can ignore it,” he added. Batongbacal said such action from China shows a “lack of stability and uncertainties.” “And for countries like us, smaller, less powerful and can’t match—let’s say—large countries like China, if that’s our system in the world, then we will not have our independence or sovereignty—if like that. We will just fall into whatever other countries want of us whenever they want, right?,” he said. In the case of the WPS, Batongbacal further explained that China seems pushing for its own “wants and composition” despite signing agreements and international laws. “It keeps ignoring it and insists itself with the other countries. We really need to push back on it and we should stand international law. We should insist that China should follow the agreement and the international law,” he said. He, meanwhile, noted that the legal position of the Philippines was put on record through a series of diplomatic protests. “With it, no one can tell that we are accepting China's claims. It is very clear that we always oppose China that their activities are wrong and it will never be that such behavior would be acceptable in the international law,” he said. Batongbacal underscored the Philippines' need to stand up for legal rights and entitlement in the international community. Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier described China as “delusional and desperate” after issuing the new 2023 version of its 10-dash line map, claiming part of the WPS as theirs. “China is delusional. Wala na sa huwisyo itong Tsina. Kung ano-ano nalang ang ginagawa para mang-angkin ng mga teritoryong hindi naman sa kanya (China is our of its mind. It keeps on inventing to grab what is not theirs) This map is Beijing’s desperate attempt to assert its lies and propaganda,” she said. Hontiveros added that the Department of Foreign Affairs should also coordinate with the National Resource and Mapping Authority) to update a map that clearly shows the country’s exclusive economic zone, continental shelves, and territorial seas in the WPS. The post China’s 10-dash line flaunts ‘arbitrariness’, expert says appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
We are definitely against it, we reject it—DFA on China’s 2023 map
The Philippines lodged a protest against China's release of the 2023 edition of its map depicting its expanded claim in the South China Sea, with a "10-dash line" covering most of the West Philippine Sea. During the Malacañang Press Briefing, Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Daniel Espiritu confirmed Manila filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing regarding the issue. For context, Beijing unveiled its revised map featuring a sequence of ten dashes arranged in a U shape earlier this week, asserting control over almost the entirety of the South China Sea as its own. This region's boundaries included parts of self-ruled Taiwan and several parts of the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Indonesia. "Suffice it to say that we have already expressed our opposition to that matter," Espiritu told Palace reporters. "We are definitely against it, we reject it, and we continue to advocate for a peaceful resolution of disputes in that aspect," he added. Asked how this would affect the upcoming position of the Philippines when Marcos meets the Southeast Asian and Chinese counterparts during the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, Espiritu said the leaders would not complete their discussions on the matter in just one, two, or three meetings. "Progress that has been made (...) we also expressed our profound satisfaction with recent developments in the South China Sea, particularly the issue of water cannoning," Espiritu said. "We emphasized that these actions must be avoided, as they erode trust, escalate tensions in the South China Sea, and destabilize the peace and stability in the region," Espiritu added. In a separate statement on Thursday, the DFA said, “(t)his latest attempt to legitimize China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” It highlighted that Beijing's claims regarding the contested waters under the former nine-dash line had been rendered void by the 2016 Arbitral Award. This ruling said the “maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the ‘nine-dash line’ are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China’s maritime entitlements under the Convention,” the department added. DFA then urged China to demonstrate responsible behavior and adhere to its responsibilities as outlined in the UNCLOS and the arbitration ruling of 2016. The post We are definitely against it, we reject it—DFA on China’s 2023 map appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan PM condemns China over stone throwing at embassy, schools
Japan's prime minister urged China to ensure its people "act in a calm and responsible manner" after instances of stones being thrown at diplomatic missions and schools, following the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Last week, China banned all seafood imports from its neighbor as Japan began releasing cooling water from the Fukushima plant in an operation that Tokyo and the United Nation's nuclear watchdog have said is safe. Since then, Japan has urged its citizens in China to keep a low profile and has increased security around schools and diplomatic missions. Businesses in Japan have meanwhile been swamped with nuisance calls from Chinese numbers. "There have been numerous harassment calls believed to originate from China and instances of stones being thrown at the Japanese embassy and Japanese schools. It must be said these are regrettable," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday. "We summoned the Chinese ambassador to Japan today and strongly urged him to call on Chinese people to act in a calm and responsible manner," Kishida told reporters. Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Masataka Okano told the ambassador, Wu Jianghao, that China should properly inform the public "rather than unnecessarily raising people's concerns by providing information that is not based on scientific evidence", the foreign ministry said in a statement. Low profile Asked what action Beijing would take over the stone throwing, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China "always protects the safety and legitimate rights and interests of foreigners in China, in accordance with law". "We strongly urge the Japanese side to face up to the legitimate concerns of all parties, immediately stop the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, fully consult with its neighbors and other stakeholders, and earnestly dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible manner," Wang told a regular briefing. On Sunday, Japan's foreign ministry urged its citizens in to China to be "cautious in your speech and behavior. Do not speak Japanese unnecessarily or too loudly". "If you need to visit a Japanese embassy, consulate general, or Japanese school, pay close attention to your surroundings," it added. "If you happen to come across a protest or other such activities, do not approach them and do not take pictures of them with your smartphones." A range of businesses in Japan, from bakeries to an aquarium, have reportedly been subjected to thousands of crank calls that have included abusive and racist language. Social media users in China have posted recordings and videos of the calls, some of which have attracted tens of thousands of likes. 'Scientifically justified process' Japan began releasing more than 500 Olympic swimming pools' worth of diluted wastewater from Fukushima into the Pacific on Thursday, 12 years after a tsunami knocked out three reactors in one of the world's worst atomic accidents. All radioactive elements have been filtered out except for tritium, levels of which are within safe limits and below that released by nuclear power stations in their normal operations -- including in China, plant operator TEPCO says. Test results from seawater and fish samples near the plant since the start of the discharge -- which will take decades to complete -- have confirmed this, according to Japanese authorities. "Even after the ocean release, the United States, for example, expressed its position that it is satisfied with Japan's safe, highly transparent and scientifically justified process," Kishida said Monday. "We would like to convey these voices from the international community to the Chinese government." US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel plans to visit Fukushima this week and publicly eat locally caught fish in a show of support to Japan, according to media reports. The post Japan PM condemns China over stone throwing at embassy, schools appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl-China joint maritime patrol may not proceed — AFP chief
The proposed joint maritime patrol between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the People's Liberation Army in the South China Sea may no longer push through, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Sunday, as China continues its hostility toward the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. In a radio interview, Brawner said that Beijing's recent behavior in the WPS raised questions about its intentions to conduct coordinated patrols to uphold peace in the Indo-Pacific region. "With the way they are currently doing things, [the possibility of a joint patrol] seems quite unclear," Brawner said. Brawner stated that despite the joint patrol seems to be off the table at the moment, military collaboration between the two nations' militaries will still continue as a result of a 2004 memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation. Among other advantages, the MOU enables the AFP to deploy military officers to China for additional training. On the other hand, Brawner said that the military exercises with other nations—such as the United States, Japan, and Canada—that the Philippines considered as its "partners" would go on. "We need to inform the whole world about what is happening here in the South China Sea. Because of these recent events, we have been successful in revealing China's coercive and dangerous tactics," Brawner had previously disclosed that the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, had offered to have joint patrols with the Philippines in the SCS. China is claiming a large portion of the SCS, including the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the WPS. However, a historic decision made by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 that supported the Philippines' claims in the SCS found their arguments unlawful. On 5 August, the Chinese Coast Guard attacked the Philippine Coast Guard fleet with water cannons when it was delivering supplies to Filipino troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea's Ayungin Shoal. The latest in a string of alleged episodes of harassment against Philippine warships this year, several nations, led by the United States, Australia, Japan, and Canada, expressed support for Manila and denounced China's conduct. The post Phl-China joint maritime patrol may not proceed — AFP chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China launches military drills around Taiwan as ‘stern warning’
China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday as a "stern warning" after voicing anger over a stopover in the United States by the island's vice president, William Lai. Lai, who is the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential election next year, stopped in New York and returned via San Francisco on a trip to Paraguay, one of a dwindling number of nations that diplomatically recognize Taipei. China on Saturday called Lai a "troublemaker" and vowed to take "resolute measures... to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity". The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army "launched joint air and sea patrols and military exercises of the navy and air force around the island of Taiwan" on Saturday, state media outlet Xinhua quoted military spokesperson Shi Yi as saying. Xinhua said the drills, the scale of which was not immediately known, were meant to test the PLA's ability "to seize control of air and sea spaces" and fight "in real combat conditions". They were also intended to serve as "a stern warning to the collusion of 'Taiwan independence' separatists with foreign elements and their provocations", it added. Taiwan on Saturday said it strongly condemned "such irrational and provocative behavior" and said it would dispatch "appropriate forces" to respond "with practical actions". "Conducting a military exercise this time under a pretext not only does not help the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait but also highlights (China's) militaristic mentality and confirms the hegemonic nature of its military expansion," Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said in a statement. 'New provocative move' China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has pledged to take it one day, by force if necessary. It launched major military exercises after Nancy Pelosi, then House speaker, visited Taiwan last year and later when President Tsai Ing-wen met top US lawmakers as she transited through the United States. Washington had called for calm over Lai's transit, describing the travel as routine. But on Saturday, an official from the ruling Communist Party's Taiwan Work Office "strongly condemned" Lai's trip, calling it a "new provocative move" by his party, the DPP, "to further collude with the United States", Xinhua said. "Lai's latest 'stopover'... was a disguise he used to sell out the interests of Taiwan in order to seek gains in the local election through dishonest moves," the official was quoted as saying. "Lai's deeds have proven that he is an out-and-out troublemaker who will push Taiwan to the dangerous brink of war and bring deep troubles to Taiwan compatriots", the readout continued. At a lunch in New York during the trip, Lai vowed "to resist annexation" and continue to uphold the core tenets of Tsai's administration. Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Tsai, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China. The Harvard-educated doctor turned politician has previously described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker". The post China launches military drills around Taiwan as ‘stern warning’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S.Korea in face of China
US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and South Korea said Friday they saw a "new chapter" of close three-way security cooperation as the Asian allies joined a first-of-a-kind summit that has already rattled China. Going tieless at the bucolic Camp David presidential retreat, Biden praised the "political courage" of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in turning the page on historical animosity. "Your leadership, with the full support of the United States, has brought us here because each of you understands that our world stands at an inflection point," Biden told a joint news conference in the wooded hills outside Washington. Biden insisted the summit was not about China, which has been flexing its muscle both at home and in Asia under President Xi Jinping, including with major exercises around self-ruling Taiwan. But in a joint statement, the three leaders said they opposed the "dangerous and aggressive behavior" of China in maritime disputes in the East and South China Sea. "We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific," it said. The two US allies largely see eye to eye on the world -- and together are the base for some 84,500 US troops -- but such a summit would have been unthinkable until recently due to the legacy of Japan's harsh 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula. But Yoon, taking political risks at home, has turned the page by resolving a dispute over wartime forced labor, and is now calling Japan a partner at a time of high tensions with both China and North Korea. Yoon said he hoped to be "forward-looking" and called the summit a "historic day" in bringing a "firm institutional basis" to the three nations' joint relationship. The three leaders also agreed to a multi-year plan of regular exercises in all domains, going beyond one-off drills in response to North Korea, and made a formal "commitment to consult" during crises, with Biden saying they would open a hotline. The leaders also agreed to share real-time data on North Korea and to hold summits every year. Camp David marks the first time the three countries' leaders have met for a standalone summit, not on the sidelines of a larger event, and is the first diplomatic event since 2015 at the resort, which is synonymous with Middle East peacemaking. 'You can never become a Westerner' Even if Biden said the summit did not target China, Rahm Emanuel, the blunt-speaking US ambassador to Japan, took another tone when he previewed the meeting, saying the three nations were defying China with the United States showing, "We are the rising power; they are declining." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the two economically developed Northeast Asian democracies instead to work with Beijing to "revitalize East Asia." "No matter how blond you dye your hair or how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," he said in a video shared on official media. "We must know where our roots lie," he said. But China's pressure tactics have led to a sharp deterioration in its favorability in Japan and South Korea, which have traditionally been more discreet than the United States in their comments. Tensions have also risen with North Korea, which has launched a volley of missiles in recent months and is feared to respond to the summit with new action. The leaders' joint statement renewed a call on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and urged all nations to enforce sanctions. As the Camp David summit opened, North Korea said it had scrambled jets in response to what it called a US spy plane's incursion. Global allies The summit also set its focus beyond North Korea and even Asia. Tokyo and Seoul have offered a major boost to Ukraine as major non-Western powers joining pressure against Russia's invasion. Kishida said greater cooperation with South Korea was "almost inevitable" in light of the "crisis" in the world order. "Due to Russia's aggression of Ukraine, the international order is shaken from its foundation. The unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas are continuing and the nuclear and missile threats of North Korea are only becoming even greater," Kishida said. The summit aims to institutionalize three-way cooperation to make it difficult for any reversal by a future leader -- a South Korean president who again seizes on hostility with Japan or, potentially, a return of Donald Trump, who has disparaged US troop commitments overseas as wasteful. To the surprise of many observers, Yoon's embrace of Japan has drawn relatively muted protests at home. Yoon, a conservative, has quickly become a close US ally, with Biden welcoming him for a rare state visit in which the South Korean leader regaled the audience by singing "American Pie." But Yoon is constitutionally prohibited from serving more than a single term, which ends in 2027. The post Biden salutes ‘new era’ of united Japan, S.Korea in face of China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. must step up too
American analysts have been exploring the possible ways the West Philippine Sea conflict will play out primarily with the so-called “gray zone” maneuvers by China in the disputed waters in which non-military activities are employed for coercion. The United States Institute of Peace, or USIP, a federal body tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide, is reviewing ways that Washington can play a role in de-escalating the tension in the region. The review was sparked by an act of aggression last week when a Chinese Coast Guard vessel deployed a water cannon to redirect an unarmed Philippine Navy supply boat. China blamed the incident on the Philippine government’s continued defiance of an earlier understanding to ban the delivery of construction materials to the beached BRP Sierra Madre navy vessel at Ayungin Shoal. Tensions have been on the rise since last year on China’s perception that Manila was moving closer to Washington, prompting a more aggressive assertion of its claim over most of the West Philippine Sea. “Given that Washington and Manila have a mutual defense treaty, there is credible concern that an incident like this could trigger a wider US-China conflict,” according to the USIP. Under a new Philippine administration, the formerly conciliatory approach the country had taken in its dispute with China has shifted. Instead, Brian Harding, USIP senior expert for Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has highlighted China’s efforts to swarm and intimidate fishing and coast guard vessels to take the bold move of deepening defense ties with the United States, bringing China-Philippines ties to a new low. Ayungin Shoal, the USIP expert said, has long been a likely candidate for the first showdown between the Philippines and China since Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also identified the shoal, in a speech the other day, as one of five possible flashpoints that may lead to a deeper maritime conflict. In 1999, the Philippines intentionally beached a World War II naval vessel on a submerged reef, located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and has since maintained a small contingent of Marines on board in extremely austere conditions. As a practical matter, in recent years China has turned a blind eye to the Philippines replenishing supplies for the Marines but has blocked the delivery of materials that could be used to repair the ship. USIP’s Andrew Scobell, a China expert, said the recent aggressive actions of a large China Coast Guard vessel on a tiny Filipino Navy supply boat was merely the latest episode in a decades-long campaign of intimidation and coercion by Beijing. Based on its insisted-on nine-dash line boundaries, Beijing claims the right to restrict access to ships from other countries to the South China Sea. “Many of (China’s) white-hulled ships are far larger, much better equipped, and more intimidating than the gray hull naval vessels possessed by most Southeast Asian states,” USIP said. China has persisted in its well-orchestrated campaign of low-intensity conflict, what is widely called “gray zone” actions, to forcefully advance its claims and aggressively push back against rivals. Carla Freeman, a senior USIP expert on China, said that beyond the effort to persuade and deter China, the US should engage in diplomacy to encourage allies and partners in the region to make clear to Beijing their own concerns about the risks to peace posed by confrontation. Regional allies have already issued statements criticizing China’s behavior, with Tokyo using unusually strong language to condemn China’s conduct, the USIP said. Like the Philippines’ position, the USIP said that Washington’s efforts in support of a binding code of conduct, or CoC, would be key to preventing conflict. The USIP, nonetheless, sees as a major obstacle toward progress in the United States itself since it is limited in its diplomatic capabilities after it failed to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Taking the high road in the simmering conflict, thus, would need both the US and China to review their positions of leadership to keep the stability in the region. The post U.S. must step up too appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kuwait bans ‘Barbie’ film over ‘public ethics’ concerns
Kuwait has barred hit film "Barbie" from cinemas over concerns about "public ethics", officials have said, also confirming a separate ban on a horror movie featuring a transgender actor. "Barbie" and "Talk to Me" both "promulgate ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and public order", Lafy Al-Subei'e, head of Kuwait's cinema censorship committee, told the official KUNA news agency. While deciding on any foreign movie, the committee usually orders "censoring of the scenes that run counter to public ethics", Subei'e was quoted as saying late on Wednesday. "But (if) a film carries alien concepts, message or unacceptable behavior, the committee decides to bar the stuff in question as a whole," he said. Gulf Arab states including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia -- all of which outlaw homosexuality -- routinely censor films that contain LGBTQ references. Most recently, they banned the latest Spider-Man animation in June, reportedly over a scene that includes a transgender pride flag. However, "Barbie", which has taken more than $1 billion worldwide, is being shown in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. In Lebanon, Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said on Wednesday he had asked authorities to ban "Barbie" for purportedly "promoting homosexuality", though the film does not contain any overt references to same-sex relationships or queer themes. "Talk to Me", which is shown in Emirati and Saudi theatres, features Australian transgender actor Zoe Terakes but no explicit LGBTQ references. "Our film doesn't have queer themes," Terakes said in a statement posted on social media on Sunday, after the ban was first reported. "I am a trans actor who happened to get the role. I'm not a theme. I'm a person," added Terakes who identifies as non-binary. The post Kuwait bans ‘Barbie’ film over ‘public ethics’ concerns appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Beijing’s ‘diplomatic duplicity’ slammed
Senators yesterday lambasted the China Coast Guard for blocking and using water cannons against Philippine vessels on a resupply mission in the Ayungin Shoal Saturday. Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said the incident should prompt the government to adopt. the Senate resolution proposing actions to counter China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea. “We cannot let this slip. This is too much already!” Ejercito said. “China’s hostile actions towards our Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, and fishermen are extreme. Our territory, security, and peace are at stake here.” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said China’s actions are “yet again a manifestation of its ‘might vs. right’ treatment of its peaceful neighbors.” “By its actions, it shows diplomatic duplicity, of preaching about amity, but practicing hostile behavior,” he said. “We want to be friends with you, but why is it difficult to love you, China?” Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros pointed out that China has “absolutely no right to block, let alone water cannon, our supply vessels.” “They do not have any right to starve Filipinos in the Ayungin Shoal,” Hontiveros added. “I call on our regional neighbors and the broader international community to join the Philippines in condemning this dangerous behavior,” she 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. It is in this shoal that the Philippine government scuttled the BRP Sierra Madre in 1999 to serve as a permanent outpost. The post Beijing’s ‘diplomatic duplicity’ slammed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate adopts reso condemning China’s incursion, harassment in WPS
A resolution denouncing China's intrusion into the West Philippine Sea and its harassment of Filipino fishermen was approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The approval of Senate Resolution 718, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senator Risa Hontiveros, came after the Senate held an executive session on Monday with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and their senior officials. Members of the Senate, as well as mentioned officials, discussed Hontiveros’s earlier resolution which urges the national government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, to elevate China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations General Assembly. Under the resolution, the lawmakers urged the Philippine government, through the DFA, to “continue asserting” the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic rights. Likewise, the agency was also encouraged to “intensify” efforts to engage the international community in upholding its hard-earned victory at the Hague. The Philippines celebrated the seventh anniversary of its historic victory over China in 2016 last month, which solidified Manila's claims to the West Philippine Sea. China has continued to reject the arbitral ruling and stood by its historic rights over the area. As of July 5, the Philippine government, through DFA, has filed a total of 30 diplomatic protests against China in the last seven months. Over the span of three years, Manila has sent a total of 427 notes verbale against Beijing. The resolution also states that the DFA is “expected” to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines' sovereign rights over its EEZ and pursue the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the UNCLOS. Should China continue to ignore the country’s efforts, the resolution contains actions the agency must do such as bringing international attention to China's harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine EEZ and its continued violation of the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS; utilizing international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the Hague Ruling and raise awareness on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea; and engaging with “like-minded” countries to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS. The DFA is also encouraged to file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines' established rights in the West Philippine Sea; and pursue other diplomatic modes as the agency may deem appropriate and necessary. ‘Never watered down’ In his manifestation, Zubiri stressed that the resolution filed by Hontiveros was “never watered down,” but instead “strengthened.” “We came out with strong consensus yesterday after the discussions with the West Philippine Sea Task Force, together with the AFP chief of staff General Brawner and DFA Secretary Manalo and actually we never watered down the resolution that we filed, we actually strengthened the first resolution that we initially filed with Senator Risa,” he said. “I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of the government. Now we gave them several options to choose on how to deal with our neighbors in the North,” he added. He continued: “And the beauty of this is with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues we have come out unanimous.” For her part, Hontiveros expressed her gratitude to her colleagues for the adoption of the resolution, which she described as an “important success” for the country. “I would first like to thank all our colleagues for this concerted effort to not only make the West Philippine Sea issue a part of our national conversation but for ensuring that the Philippine government takes the necessary steps to consolidate global support over our historic 2016 Arbitral Award,” she said. “This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission. In the face of relentless China propaganda since last week, we held our ground. Despite fake news and lies to stop the adoption of the measure, we stood firm,” she added. She continued: “This is an important success not only of the Senate but of the whole Philippines. The Senate crossed party lines to stand unified for our country.” The lawmaker also said that the fight against China’s reckless behavior in the West Philippine Sea “does not end here.” “The fight continues,” she stressed. The post Senate adopts reso condemning China’s incursion, harassment in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar crisis to top agenda at ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting
ASEAN foreign ministers will gather in Indonesia on Tuesday for talks set to be dominated by the crisis in Myanmar, with the regional bloc divided over how or whether to reengage with the coup-wracked country's ruling junta. The two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting will be followed by talks with Beijing, Washington, and other powers where top US diplomat Antony Blinken will seek to push back on China's assertiveness in the South China Sea. ASEAN has long been decried as a toothless talking shop, and it remains split over diplomatic attempts to resolve the Myanmar crisis. The country has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi's government more than two years ago and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. A Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP that "extra efforts" were being made in the days before the meeting to unite the group around the issue. However, the official was "not too optimistic" that would happen given that a "few members have different perspectives on how to approach the problem", they said. Myanmar remains an ASEAN member but has been barred from high-level meetings over the junta's failure to implement a five-point plan, agreed two years ago, to end the violence and restart negotiations to resolve the crisis. ASEAN efforts to kick-start the plan's execution have been fruitless, as the junta ignores international criticism and refuses to engage with its opponents. Thailand, meanwhile, hosted the junta's foreign minister for controversial "informal talks" last month, deepening the divisions between the ASEAN members that attended and abstained. 'Clearer' plan The bloc's initiatives are limited by its charter principles of consensus and noninterference, but analysts say the meeting could push members to do more. "It is hoped there will be a clearer implementation plan on what will ASEAN do going forward," Lina Alexandra of Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies told AFP. The meeting would be a "crucial" opportunity for Indonesia as ASEAN chair to unite the regional bloc after the Thailand talks, she said. On Thursday, an ASEAN-plus-three ministerial meeting with Japan, South Korea, and China will take place ahead of an 18-nation East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting on Friday, which will also include Washington and Beijing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to attend the latter meeting, again putting him in the same room as US Secretary of State Blinken after a brief March meeting as Moscow's Ukraine invasion grinds on. Beijing's actions in the dispute-rife South China Sea will also be high on the agenda, Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told reporters Saturday. China has made sweeping claims in the strategic waterway despite protests from ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as other nations who argue for unimpeded freedom of navigation and that their own territorial claims be respected. The United States and ASEAN will seek to "push back on behavior that runs counter to that vision and to those principles, including the many irresponsible acts that we've seen carried out by China over the last several years", Kritenbrink said. The post Myanmar crisis to top agenda at ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PCG: Actions vs Beijing brought positive changes in West Philippine Sea
The Philippine Coast Guard clarified that while Beijing's behavior in the West Philippine Sea continues to be "concerning," positive changes have been noted in recent months — which they claim to be a result of Manila's transparency about the Asian giant's actions......»»
Chinese envoy holds constructive discussion with Phl Defense chief
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on Thursday said he had a “constructive discussion” with Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. In a Facebook post, Huang said he had paid a courtesy visit with Teodoro at the Department of National Defense. “We had a constructive discussion on promoting defense and military relations between China and the Philippines and maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the envoy said. The two officials met following the reported incident in the Ayungin Shoal where Chinese Coast Guards vessels blocked and carried out “dangerous maneuvers” against Philippine Coast Guards vessels. On Wednesday, PCG said that the incident took place on 30 June near the Ayungin Shoal, which falls within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. “During the operation, the PCG was constantly followed, harassed, and obstructed by the significantly larger Chinese Coast Guard vessels at a distance of approximately 100 yards,” the PCG said in a statement. “These CCGVs blatantly disregard the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea in their attempts to obstruct passage and discourage the PCG vessels from approaching Ayungin Shoal,” it added. Huang did not disclose what was discussed during his meeting with Teodoro, who was tapped by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as secretary of the DND last month. ‘Japan too’ The Japanese Embassy in the Philippines also took a swipe against “repeated intrusions” of China not only in the Philippine waters but also in territories they claimed. “As China’s unilateral actions such as repeated intrusions into Japan’s waters around the Senkaku Islands in the ECS, China's dangerous behavior in the South China Sea in defiance of the 2016 arbitration award is a grave concern for regional peace and stability,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko said in a Tweet. Like the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, Senkaku Islands have long been a sticking point between the bilateral relations of Beijing and Tokyo. However, the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands cemented Manila’s claims in the West Philippine Sea, rejecting China’s nine-dash line claim. China has continued to reject the arbitral ruling and stood by its historic rights over the area. As of July 5, the Philippine government through its Department of Foreign Affairs, has filed a total of 30 diplomatic protests against China in the last seven months. Over the span of three years, Manila has sent a total of 427 notes verbale against Beijing. The post Chinese envoy holds constructive discussion with Phl Defense chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»