United States (US) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday blasted China's "provocative, destabilising" military activity near Taiwan, as well as Beijing's growing aggression across the wider Asia-Pacific region.Tensions between Washington and Beijing are soaring over democratic, self-ruled Taiwan, which China views as its territory and has vowed to seize one day, by force if necessary.Beijing has conducted dozens of incursions into Taiwan's air defence zone this y

Manila revealed on Tuesday that it had summoned a senior Beijing diplomat to protest the alleged harassment of a marine research vessel by a Chinese coast guard ship in Philippine territorial waters.The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was also reviewing reports on the "presence of foreign coast guard vessels around Reed Bank", site of the 2019 sinking of a Filipino fishing vessel that sparked domestic outrage.The revelation came the same day Manila said it had issued a separat

China will hold naval exercises in the South China Sea (SCS) on Saturday, its maritime authority said, after a week of recrimination from Western powers over its military ambitions across the Pacific region.The exercises, set to take place in the sea less than 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) off the coast of south China's Hainan province, come as the United States (US) leads warnings over China's growing military and economic presence in an area spanning from the SCS to the Pacific Islan

Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Thursday he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the disputed South China Sea (SCS), insisting he would not let China trample on Manila's maritime rights.China claims almost all of the resource-rich waterway, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, with competing claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.Beijing has ignored a 2016 decision by The Hague-based Permanent Cou

The renaissance of the friendly and good bilateral relations between the Philippines and China despite existing differences is one of the legacies of the Duterte administration that yielded tangible and concrete benefits for both countries and their peoples. The Philippines-China bilateral relations have not only improved under the Duterte administration but have been upgraded to a “comprehensive strategic cooperation.” Indeed, the ties between the two countries have improved dramati

President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed Southeast Asian leaders to Washington with promises to support clean energy and maritime security, hoping to showcase a United States commitment as China makes wide inroads.Top leaders from eight of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) flew to Washington for the two-day summit, which opened with a closed-door White House dinner of thyme poached chicken and vanilla ice cream.The Biden administration, which took office des

The United States (US) and China have congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr on his win in the Philippine presidential election, as the superpowers jostle to have the strongest ties with the Southeast Asian nation.Marcos, the son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator, secured more than half of the votes in Monday's poll to win the presidency by a wide margin and cap a remarkable comeback for his family.He and running mate Sara Duterte, who also won the vice-presidential race in a lands

Manila has suspended oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea (SCS), Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said Wednesday, as it tries to strike a deal with Beijing on a joint energy project.Drilling off the Philippines was allowed to resume in October 2020 when Duterte – who has taken a softer approach than his predecessor to Beijing's claims over most of the waterway – lifted a 2014 moratorium.It was hoped that Duterte's decision would fast-track talks with B

The Philippines-China friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation have withstood the test of time.

The annual military exercises between Indonesian and United States (US) armies will include more than a dozen countries this year, officials said Sunday, as tensions with China continue to spike in the region.The "Garuda Shield" joint training will see militaries from 14 countries – including Britain, Australia and Japan – participate in ground drills and beach-landing exercises from 1-14 August in Indonesia's South Sumatra archipelago and the East of Borneo Island, the Indones