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MANILa, Philippines — The Philippines confirmed Thursday that Chinese Coast Guard ships had left an area in the disputed South China Sea, but stressed the ships’ recent presence in the region may be used to bolster its arbitration case against Beijing in a ruling expected to be handed down in May. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said defense authorities reported seeing the ships at the Quirino or Jackson atolls two weeks ago […]
FORMER Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad says, ASEAN nations are hemmed in on the disputed South China Sea, avoiding confronting china because of its sheer power. In a Feb. 25 interview with Bloomberg Television in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir said: “Can ASEAN go to war with china?” “We are dealing with a very powerful country. We can’t tell them ‘look, don’t do this, don’t do that, or I will bash your head’.” China is the largest trading […]
MALAYSIAN Foreign Minister Wisma Putra has summoned Philippine embassy’s charge d’ affaires, Maria Antonina Mendoza-Oblena over published remarks by Vice President Jejomar Binay that he would pursue the country’s territorial claim to Sabah. The government of Malaysia reiterated its position that Malaysia does not recognize and will not entertain any claims by any party on Sabah. The ministry also stressed that Sabah was recognized by the United Nations (UN) and international community as part of […]
The International Monetary Fund or IMF expects the Philippines to post double-digit economic growth amid a steady improvement in public investment efficiency over the next 15 years. In a report, IMF Economist Takuji Komatsuzaki said the improvement in public investment efficiency generates substantial additional benefits particularly through higher gross domestic product or GDP growth. The IMF considered two scenarios in the working paper including a permanent increase in public investment by two percent of GDP […]
MONKAYO, Mindanao — Police said 4 people died and 5 are missing after water flooded a mine in a mountainous gold rush town in the Southern Philippines. Provincial police commander Senior Superintendent Albert Ferro said rescuers lowered tubes to pump water out of the mine in the impoverished town of Monkayo during the search for the missing. It was not immediately clear how the tunnel became flooded early Sunday but there was heavy rain in […]
MANILA, Philippines — Japan signed an agreement to supply defense equipment to the Philippines. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the agreement he signed with the Japanese Ambassador to Manila, Kazuhide Ishikawa, provides a framework for the supply of defense equipment and technology and will allow the Asian countries to carry out joint research and development projects. Neither side mentioned China’s increasingly assertive behavior in disputed areas but that has been a major security concern for […]
NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (AFP) — Myanmar’s parliament will bring forward a vote for the next president to March 10, it was announced Tuesday, leaving little time for Aung San Suu Kyi to strike a deal to let her take the top office. The democracy icon is currently banned from becoming president under the junta-era constitution. Since her National League for Democracy (NLD) party’s crushing victory at elections in November, Suu Kyi has been locked in negotiations with the […]
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) — About a thousand Indonesian military and police personnel gathered at the capital’s National Monument on Tuesday (March 1) for a security drill ahead of the 5th OIC (Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation) Extraordinary Summit which will be attended by leaders of 57 Islamic countries. Indonesian army commander, Gatot Nurmantyo, oversaw the drill and said around 10,150 security personnel will be ready for the event. “Do not tolerate and compromise on any suspicious […]
SAMUTPRAKAN, Thailand (Reuters) — Global charity Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) on Friday (February 26) launched a mission in the Andaman Sea to track and rescue migrant boats in distress in the Southeast Asia region. The migrant boats contain a mix of people from Bangladesh seeking to escape poverty at home as well as Rohingyas, Indonesian and Malay authorities have said. Most of Myanmar’s 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims are stateless and live in apartheid-like conditions […]
UNITED States — The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says China’s military buildup in the South China Sea is intended to dissuade America’s Navy from operating in the region. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, “It is very clear to me that those capabilities that are being developed are intended to limit our ability to move into the Pacific or to operate freely within the […]
EAGLE News — Philippine imports dropped nearly 26 percent in December, the sharpest fall since 2009. Semiconductor shipments contracted almost 40 percent to signal tougher days ahead for one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. The Philippines imports semiconductors largely for assembly in electronics products for export, and the decline underlines slower demand overseas as the global economy weakens. Economists say the import data also highlights softening domestic demand, and growing uncertainty on the investment outlook ahead […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing is installing radar facilities on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, an American think tank has said, in a move that could “significantly change” the operational landscape. Satellite imagery of Cuarteron reef in the Spratly islands released by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows what appears to be a high-frequency radar installation, as well as a lighthouse, underground bunker, helipad and other communications equipment. The […]
