hina maintains an anchored presence in the contested waters of the South China Sea through fishing fleets, hundreds of vessels in scale, an undertaking imperative to the advancement of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a reimagining of the ancient Silk Road with which it plans to encircle the globe by 2049.
In March 2021, the Philippines called attention to a fleet of Chinese vessels occupying the Whitsun Reef, to which both China and the Philippines lay claim. The National Taskforce for the West Philippine Sea revealed more than 200 Chinese maritime militia vessels anchored in the reef.
Filipino fishermen, as they have done for generations, rely heavily on the rich waters around the Whitsun Reef for their livelihoods. They are now on the frontlines of what could become a critical moment for international conflict.
Read more at:
China Seeks Maritime Dominance with Gunboat-filled 'Fishing Fleets'
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
6/15/20
Philippines-US Relations: Populism Blindsided: America, Duterte, and the Philippine Military - by Mesrob Vartavarian
After four years in office, President Rodrigo Duterte has been unable
to sever ties between the United States and the Philippine defense
establishment. These linkages persist against Duterte’s wishes despite
his thorough consolidation of power via political patronage and populist
demagogy.
Duterte’s February 11 note to abolish the Philippines-United States Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) by August 2020 could have triggered seismic changes in the Asia-Pacific’s geostrategic landscape. The VFA, which took effect in 1999, is the keystone of U.S.-Philippine defense cooperation in the post-Cold War era. Its termination would endanger the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and 2014’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which promotes maritime security in the South China Sea and interoperability between U.S. and Philippine military forces. Most importantly, the EDCA allows American troops, warships, and planes temporary access to a series of Philippine military installations from which they can coordinate appropriate responses to Chinese infringements on Philippine maritime sovereignty. Duterte hoped to engage China in a quid pro quo, whereby his expulsion of the American military would result in substantial Chinese economic investments, particularly across his political base on the island of Mindanao.
Read more at:
Populism Blindsided: America, Duterte, and the Philippine Military – The Diplomat
Duterte’s February 11 note to abolish the Philippines-United States Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) by August 2020 could have triggered seismic changes in the Asia-Pacific’s geostrategic landscape. The VFA, which took effect in 1999, is the keystone of U.S.-Philippine defense cooperation in the post-Cold War era. Its termination would endanger the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and 2014’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which promotes maritime security in the South China Sea and interoperability between U.S. and Philippine military forces. Most importantly, the EDCA allows American troops, warships, and planes temporary access to a series of Philippine military installations from which they can coordinate appropriate responses to Chinese infringements on Philippine maritime sovereignty. Duterte hoped to engage China in a quid pro quo, whereby his expulsion of the American military would result in substantial Chinese economic investments, particularly across his political base on the island of Mindanao.
Read more at:
Populism Blindsided: America, Duterte, and the Philippine Military – The Diplomat
3/28/20
New Global Order Ranking: Power, equality, nationalism: how the pandemic will reshape the world
The global impact of the coronavirus pandemic poses a fundamental
question: is this one of those historic moments when the world changes
permanently, when the balance of political and economic power shifts
decisively, and when, for most people, in most countries, life is never
quite the same again?
Put more simply, is this the end of the world as we know it? And, equally, could the crisis mark a new beginning?
Genuinely pivotal global moments, watersheds or turning points (pick your own terminology) are actually quite rare. Yet if the premise is correct – that there can be no return to the pre-Covid-19 era – then it poses many unsettling questions about the nature of the change, and whether it will be for better or worse.
Some analysts see grounds for optimism, for example in beneficial environmental effects in northern Italy and China. Countries hitherto at odds, such as Iran and the UAE, are cooperating, at least temporarily. In the Philippines, the crisis prompted a ceasefire with Communist rebels. Global interdependence and the importance of collective, multilateral approaches have been vividly underscored.
After early blunders, China’s government is working hard to turn Covid-19, first detected in Wuhan in November, into a national success story. It claims draconian measures to suppress the disease have largely worked. Now, by offering assistance to Italy and other badly affected countries, China is reinforcing its credentials as a global leader. The virus has become a soft power tool to overtake its superpower rival, the US.
Read more at: Power, equality, nationalism: how the pandemic will reshape the world | World news | The Guardian
Put more simply, is this the end of the world as we know it? And, equally, could the crisis mark a new beginning?
Genuinely pivotal global moments, watersheds or turning points (pick your own terminology) are actually quite rare. Yet if the premise is correct – that there can be no return to the pre-Covid-19 era – then it poses many unsettling questions about the nature of the change, and whether it will be for better or worse.
Some analysts see grounds for optimism, for example in beneficial environmental effects in northern Italy and China. Countries hitherto at odds, such as Iran and the UAE, are cooperating, at least temporarily. In the Philippines, the crisis prompted a ceasefire with Communist rebels. Global interdependence and the importance of collective, multilateral approaches have been vividly underscored.
After early blunders, China’s government is working hard to turn Covid-19, first detected in Wuhan in November, into a national success story. It claims draconian measures to suppress the disease have largely worked. Now, by offering assistance to Italy and other badly affected countries, China is reinforcing its credentials as a global leader. The virus has become a soft power tool to overtake its superpower rival, the US.
Read more at: Power, equality, nationalism: how the pandemic will reshape the world | World news | The Guardian
11/4/17
The Trump Tour To Asia: Trump to tour Asia under cloud of a nuclear North Korea
President Donald Trump paid a solemn visit to the memorial at Pearl
Harbor, a sacred journey for a commander-in-chief about to depart on an
Asia trip that will be shadowed by fears of another international
conflict.
Trump saluted Friday after entering the USS Arizona memorial following a short boat ride with first lady Melania Trump. They approached a wreath of white flowers - a gift from the couple - and watched as two sailors who stood beside it at attention placed the wreath near a wall of names of the fallen.
Trump said not a word about North Korea or its nuclear ambitions on Friday, the eve of his first official visit to Asia. He will arrive in Japan on Sunday morning, the first of five countries he will visit over 11 days as he exhorts Asian allies to increase pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its deadly ambitions.
Hawaii acted as a sort of midway point on Trump's trip halfway around the world. He arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Friday after a daylong flight from Washington.
Read more: Trump to tour Asia under cloud of a nuclear North Korea - France 24
Trump saluted Friday after entering the USS Arizona memorial following a short boat ride with first lady Melania Trump. They approached a wreath of white flowers - a gift from the couple - and watched as two sailors who stood beside it at attention placed the wreath near a wall of names of the fallen.
Trump said not a word about North Korea or its nuclear ambitions on Friday, the eve of his first official visit to Asia. He will arrive in Japan on Sunday morning, the first of five countries he will visit over 11 days as he exhorts Asian allies to increase pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its deadly ambitions.
Hawaii acted as a sort of midway point on Trump's trip halfway around the world. He arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Friday after a daylong flight from Washington.
Read more: Trump to tour Asia under cloud of a nuclear North Korea - France 24
5/1/17
Philippines: By inviting Duterte to the White House, Trump emboldens a killer - by Alan Tidwell
 |
| Are Trump and Duterte on the same page? |
The thug invitations have come out of the White House, now featuring an invitation to a man who stands accused of murder, who backs extrajudicial killing in his country and who has denounced the United States.
His name is Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, known at home to his friends as "the Crusher."
Duterte's host, Donald Trump, invited him to the White House — the People's House — on behalf of you and me.
Trump didn’t clear Duterte invite with State Dept., NSC: report
If you are not appalled, you should be. Here's why.
Duterte's a killer.
In December 2016 reminiscing over his time as mayor of Davao, a city in the southern Philippines, Duterte was quoted saying: "In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys (police) that if I can do it why can't you? And I'd go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble also. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill."
Later in December he admitted, while serving as a prosecutor in Davao, to having thrown a rape suspect out of a helicopter.
Read more: By inviting Duterte to the White House, Trump emboldens a killer - NY Daily News
11/13/13
EU mobilises extra aid for typhoon-striken Philippines
The European Commission earmarked €10 million yesterday (12 November) to support the Philippines' reconstruction, adding to the €3 million announced on Sunday, after perhaps the largest storm in a century killed thousands and caused widespread destruction.
As the magnitude of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Haiyan unfolded in the Philippines (see background), EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, on a visit to the country, announced €10 million of additional EU aid for the rehabilitation of the typhoon-affected areas of the country.
The sum adds to the €3 million of humanitarian aid announced two days before by Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.
Beyond humanitarian assistance, Pieblalgs said the EU was already making resources available for rehabilitation and reconstruction to ensure that there was a smooth transition from crisis management to rebuilding people's lives.
Read more: EU mobilises extra aid for typhoon-striken Philippines | EurActiv
As the magnitude of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Haiyan unfolded in the Philippines (see background), EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, on a visit to the country, announced €10 million of additional EU aid for the rehabilitation of the typhoon-affected areas of the country.
The sum adds to the €3 million of humanitarian aid announced two days before by Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.
Beyond humanitarian assistance, Pieblalgs said the EU was already making resources available for rehabilitation and reconstruction to ensure that there was a smooth transition from crisis management to rebuilding people's lives.
Read more: EU mobilises extra aid for typhoon-striken Philippines | EurActiv
11/8/13
Weather:Monster Typhoon hits Philippines
The strongest typhoon in the world this year and possibly the most powerful ever to hit land smashed into the Philippines on Friday, forcing more than a million people to flee, flooding villages and raising fears of widespread casualties.
Haiyan, a category-5 super typhoon, scoured the northern tip of Cebu province and headed northwest towards Boracay island, both tourist destinations, after lashing the central islands of Leyte and Samar with 275-kph (170 mph) wind gusts and 15-19 ft waves.
"The super typhoon likely made landfall with winds near 195 mph. This makes Haiyan the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall," said Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at U.S.-based Weather Underground.
Read more: Typhoon hits Philippines - chicagotribune.com
Haiyan, a category-5 super typhoon, scoured the northern tip of Cebu province and headed northwest towards Boracay island, both tourist destinations, after lashing the central islands of Leyte and Samar with 275-kph (170 mph) wind gusts and 15-19 ft waves.
"The super typhoon likely made landfall with winds near 195 mph. This makes Haiyan the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall," said Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at U.S.-based Weather Underground.
Read more: Typhoon hits Philippines - chicagotribune.com
12/3/12
China sounds clear warning over South China Sea - by by Greg Torode
Beijing's assertiveness in buttressing its controversial nine-dash claim to the South China Sea is already challenging regional strategic assumptions. If that is followed by a sweeping new enforcement regime at sea, then tensions can only escalate. "Make no mistake … this is potentially a huge move if it is really what Beijing intends to do," one Pentagon official said privately. "We are urgently trying to get some answers."
Freedom of navigation lies at the heart of the dispute. Beijing officials repeatedly insist China would never threaten such freedoms and yet Washington says the need to protect those freedoms underpins its interest in finding a peaceful and legally sound solution to the territorial disputes. The ongoing rhetoric is a jarring reminder that the two giants have divergent opinions on the rights and responsibilities of nations in international waters.
Not surprisingly then, the moves by Hainan - which administers the new Sansha prefecture through which Beijing is manning its claims in the area - are raising more questions than answers. What activities are they likely to object to and take action against? Will they seek to stop ships heading to islands and shoals claimed by China but occupied by other states?
Then came the statements from the Philippines' Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario that provide a rare window on Beijing's strategic intentions - and its regional manoeuvring.
He warned that Beijing had recently made clear to Manila that it would make its maritime presence at the disputed Scarborough Shoal - currently three coastguard-type ships - permanent. That would mark a significant challenge to not just Manila, but also its US treaty ally as well.
Read more: China sounds clear warning over South China Sea | South China Morning Post
Freedom of navigation lies at the heart of the dispute. Beijing officials repeatedly insist China would never threaten such freedoms and yet Washington says the need to protect those freedoms underpins its interest in finding a peaceful and legally sound solution to the territorial disputes. The ongoing rhetoric is a jarring reminder that the two giants have divergent opinions on the rights and responsibilities of nations in international waters.
Not surprisingly then, the moves by Hainan - which administers the new Sansha prefecture through which Beijing is manning its claims in the area - are raising more questions than answers. What activities are they likely to object to and take action against? Will they seek to stop ships heading to islands and shoals claimed by China but occupied by other states?
Then came the statements from the Philippines' Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario that provide a rare window on Beijing's strategic intentions - and its regional manoeuvring.
He warned that Beijing had recently made clear to Manila that it would make its maritime presence at the disputed Scarborough Shoal - currently three coastguard-type ships - permanent. That would mark a significant challenge to not just Manila, but also its US treaty ally as well.
Read more: China sounds clear warning over South China Sea | South China Morning Post
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