VIENTIANE – Southeast Asian defense chiefs and representatives are meeting in the Laotian capital on Wednesday for security talks at a time of increasing maritime disputes with China in the Asia-Pacific and as the transition to a new U.S. president looms. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was set to join the meetings of the…
BEIJING (AP) — China has published baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it had seized from the Philippines, a move that’s likely to increase tensions over overlapping territorial claims. The Foreign Ministry on Sunday posted online geographic coordinates for the baselines around Scarborough Shoal. A nation’s territorial waters and exclusive economic…
BEIJING/MANILA (Reuters) – China summoned the Philippines’ ambassador on Friday to express its objection to two new laws in the Southeast Asian nation asserting maritime rights and sovereignty over disputed areas of the South China Sea, its foreign ministry said. China made “solemn representations” to the ambassador shortly after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed…
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines doubts China’s intention to negotiate a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea although Manila is looking forward to continuing discussions, Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Monday. Teodoro said that while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had approved “good-faith discussions” with China over the long-delayed code, he doubted…
VIENTIANE – President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday said he feels more than just frustration with China contradicting its statements about its activities in the South China Sea. Reporters asked Marcos if he feels frustrated that Beijing says one thing in conferences but does another at sea. ”That would be a bit of an…