Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday denied the existence of a “gentleman’s agreement” between his predecessor and the Chinese government that Manila would not make repairs to a military outpost on a contested shoal in the South China Sea. Last week, Harry Roque, who served as Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential spokesperson, told the media that Duterte … Read more
President Joe Biden will China about its recent aggressive activity in the South China Sea when he meets later this week with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Washington, according to a report in the Financial Times. According to the report, which cited two senior U.S. officials with knowledge … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week to discuss cooperation and security matters amid continuing tensions in the South China Sea. In a statement issued last night, Marcos’ office said that the meeting would discuss the strengthening of defense and economic ties between the … Read more
Chinese and Philippine vessels have once again collided in a contested part of the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said today, as maritime disputes dominated discussions at a regional summit in Australia. PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the collision occurred during a routine “rotation and reprovisioning,” or RoRe operation designed to support … Read more
The Philippines has again condemned China’s coastguard for its latest “provocative action” against Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea, shortly after the two nations agreed to take additional steps to manage tensions in the disputed waterway. Yesterday, Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson of the National Security Council, referred to an incident publicized by the Philippine … Read more
The Philippines and the United States yesterday began a two-day joint maritime and air patrol in the South China Sea, after a year marked by a string of dangerous incidents in contested waters. The maritime exercises between Manila and Washington are the second to take place in less than two months, after a three-day joint … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to defend his country’s territory after two more confrontations with Chinese vessels in contested parts of the South China Sea over the weekend. The two incidents, one of which involved a collision between a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel and a Philippine resupply ship, took place in the … Read more
The Philippines and the United States have started joint air and sea patrols in the South China Sea, the latest step in the two allies’ response to China’s growing assertiveness in contested waters. The three-day drills began yesterday in waters near Mavulis island, the Philippines’ northernmost point, which is located around 100 kilometers from Taiwan, … Read more
As a U.S. Navy surveillance plane flew in circles, keeping a close watch, dozens of Chinese coast guard and accompanying ships chased and encircled Philippine vessels in the latest confrontation in one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the South China Sea. At the height of Friday’s four-hour face-off in the high seas, a Chinese … Read more
Interviews | Security | Southeast Asia In this exclusive interview, Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea at the Philippine Coast Guard, discusses the current situation near Second Thomas Shoal. Advertisement On Oct. 22, in two separate incidents Chinese vessels collided with Philippine boats near Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines keeps a permanent troop presence on … Read more