Did US missiles in Philippines trigger China's rocket launch?
Philippine province of Palawan has drawn sharp condemnation from Manila, with observers suggesting Beijing may have been sending a geopolitical signal amid growing US missile deployments in the region.
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) confirmed on Monday that China had launched its Long March 12 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan that afternoon, after residents in Palawan's capital, Puerto Princesa, and nearby areas reported hearing loud explosions.
PhilSA said debris from the launch was expected to fall about 21 nautical miles off Puerto Princesa and 18 nautical miles from the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park – areas previously designated as drop zones.
In response, authorities across Palawan monitored the province's eastern waters for debris after sonic booms were heard across the island.
The Philippine Coast Guard has confirmed the monitoring of rocket-related activity in the eastern part of Palawan on Monday. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard
Locals posted photos of smoke and a fiery object falling from the sky on social media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Indian Prime Minister Modi ‘set for first China trip in 7 years' amid Trump tariff row
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China later this month, according to media reports, as the thaw between the two countries gathers pace at a time when New Delhi's relations with the United States have been hit by growing trade tensions. Advertisement Modi will visit between August 31 and September 1 for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the northern city of Tianjin, according to multiple Indian outlets. Ties between the two Asian giants have seen a steady improvement in recent months after a deadly clash along their disputed border in 2020 brought relations to their lowest point in decades. It comes amid growing strains between India and the US – including this week's announcement of 50 per cent tariffs – that have prompted speculation New Delhi may shift its approach towards China. Advertisement The foreign ministries in Beijing and Delhi have been asked for comment.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Sara Duterte's impeachment case ‘archived' by Philippine Senate, returns to Supreme Court
The fate of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio's impeachment once again rests with the Philippine Supreme Court after the Senate voted to 'archive' – but not dismiss – the charges against her, effectively putting the prospect of a trial on hold. Advertisement In a late Wednesday vote of 19-4-1, senators chose to set aside the Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives in February, following a controversial court ruling that deemed the impeachment proceedings unconstitutional. While no trial ever began, the Senate had been expected to act as the impeachment court under the constitution. Legal experts say the trial could still theoretically proceed if the Supreme Court reverses its decision on a pending motion for reconsideration. University of the Philippines law professor Barry Gutierrez said the Senate could then retrieve the articles from the archives and proceed with the trial, though he doubted the high court would risk a 'fiercer storm of criticism' by dismissing the motions as moot. On the other side of the debate, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III had a blunter view, telling This Week in Asia that the trial was now 'buried' and an archived motion was 'a dead motion'. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan cyberattacks ‘below average' but widespread, Beijing political advisor says
Taiwan 's collection of cyberhackers may not be sophisticated, but they are 'diligent' when it comes to executing attacks on various mainland Chinese targets, according to one of the country's top cybersecurity experts. Zhou Hongyi, chairman of cybersecurity company Qihoo 360 and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , China's top political advisory body, said in an interview with Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV that aired on Wednesday that Taiwanese hackers operated at a 'below global-average level'. 'They take advantage of the fact that many of our organisations neglect security and fail to apply patches, so even old vulnerabilities can still work for them,' he told the media outlet during an internet security conference in Beijing. 'Their only real advantage is their diligence. They launch attacks on the mainland very frequently and target a wide range of organisations, which is why we've collected the most evidence against them,' Zhou was quoted as saying on the conference's sidelines. Zhou Hongyi, chairman of China's Qihoo 360, speaks to media in Beijing in March: Qihoo 360 was among several Chinese firms added to the US Entity List in 2020. Companies listed on the trade-restriction register have been deemed by Washington as a threat to US national security or foreign policy. Once on the list, the firms cannot receive American goods and technology without a special licence.
