Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro yesterday rebuked China for accusing his country of provoking tension and stirring trouble in the South China Sea, saying that only Beijing believed what it was saying.
“Truth and in fact, no country in the world, none, supports unequivocally their claim to the whole of South China Sea,” Teodoro said as both nations have exchanged accusations over recent collisions in the waterway.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
Photo: Reuters
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis, a ruling that Beijing rejects.
More than a week ago, Manila and Beijing traded accusations over a collision of their vessels in the South China Sea, with the latter saying the incidents were “entirely caused” by the Philippines.
On Saturday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said that a “paradigm shift” was needed in how his country deals with the South China Sea issue because diplomatic efforts with China were headed “in a poor direction.”
China “will keep the door of dialogue and contact open,” a spokesperson for its embassy in Manila said in a statement later yesterday.
Tensions between the Philippines and China have grown under Marcos, who has complained about China’s “aggressive” behavior, while he sought closer ties with the US.
Marcos has said the Philippines would continue to talk to its partners in the Indo-Pacific region and come up with a joint position on their responsibilities in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines refers to the part of South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.
“China has always advocated and remains committed to properly managing maritime differences through dialogue and consultation,” the embassy’s spokesperson said.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS