China urges Philippines to stop provocation in South China Sea
BEIJING, May 23 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Friday urged the Philippines to immediately stop "infringement and provocation" in the South China Sea or face China's "resolute response."
The remarks came a day after Beijing and Manila traded accusations following a confrontation between two of their vessels in contested waters of the South China Sea.
It was legitimate for China to take necessary measures, and the U.S. should not use the Philippines to stir up trouble in the region, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily press conference.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong hit with new charges
Jailed pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been hit with further national security charges, a move rights groups said showed the Hong Kong government was trying to keep dissidents behind bars for as long as possible. Wong, a well-known activist who has been in jail for more than four years either awaiting trial or serving sentences, is accused of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country. He appeared in court on Friday to hear the charge and did not apply for bail. Hong Kong's national security police said in a statement they had arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of the offence, as well as for 'dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence'. According to the charge sheet, viewed by Reuters and Hong Kong Free Press, Wong is accused of conspiring with fellow democracy activist Nathan Law, who is in exile overseas, and others to ask foreign countries, institutions, organisations or individuals outside China to impose sanctions or blockades. He is also accused of conspiring to ask foreign parties to 'seriously disrupt the formulation and implementation of laws and policies' in Hong Kong and China, 'which was likely to cause serious consequences', Hong Kong Free Press reported. The charge comes under Hong Kong's national security law, which was imposed on the city by Beijing in 2020 after the 2019 pro-democracy protests brought the city to a standstill. The law has been criticised by foreign governments and rights groups as overly broad and ill-defined, and easily weaponised to crush the opposition by criminalising even benign acts of dissent. The Hong Kong and central Chinese governments reject the criticism and say the law was needed to restore order to the city. Wong is due to be released in January 2027. He is serving protest-related sentences, including a 56-month term for his role among the so-called 'Hong Kong 47' group of politicians, activists, campaigners and community members who held unofficial pre-election primaries in 2020. The cohort were sentenced in November, at the end of Hong Kong's largest national security trial. Just two of the 47 were acquitted. Human Rights Watch's associate China director, Maya Wong, called the new charges against Wong 'arbitrary, cruel and outrageous'. 'While imprisoned under one trumped-up charge, Joshua Wong has been suddenly slapped with yet another as the authorities appear intent on keeping one of Hong Kong's most influential democracy leaders behind bars,' she said. Amnesty International said the new charges could see him given a life sentence if found guilty. 'Hong Kong's national security law is turning five years old at the end of the month, and these new charges against Joshua Wong show that its capacity to be used by the Hong Kong authorities to threaten human rights in the city is as potent and present as ever,' said the organisation's China director, Sarah Brooks. 'Once again, the vague and sweeping offence of 'collusion with foreign forces' is being weaponised to justify an attack on the freedoms of expression and association. 'This latest charge against him underscores the authorities' fear of prominent dissidents and shows the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible – in so doing, continuing a chilling effect on civic activism in the city.' Reuters contributed to this report
Powys County Times
4 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Lammy seeks to ‘deepen' UK-India ties on New Delhi visit
David Lammy will seek to deepen UK-India economic ties as he visits New Delhi this weekend, saying Britain's recently agreed trade deal with the country is 'just the start of our ambitions'. Trade and migration will be at the top of the agenda for the Foreign Secretary's trip, during which he will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar. The Foreign Office said Mr Lammy would also raise 'the recent escalation in tensions following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and how the welcomed sustained period of peace can be best supported in the interests of stability in the region'. Pakistan and India agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire last month after rising hostilities between the two nuclear-armed rivals followed a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Ahead of the visit, Mr Lammy said: 'Signing a free trade agreement is just the start of our ambitions – we're building a modern partnership with India for a new global era. 'We want to go even further to foster an even closer relationship and co-operate when it comes to delivering growth, fostering innovative technology, tackling the climate crisis and delivering our migration priorities, and providing greater security for our people.' The Foreign Office said talks in New Delhi would aim to 'deepen and diversify the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries'. 'The Foreign Secretary will also welcome progress in our migration partnership, including ongoing work on safeguarding citizens and securing borders in both countries,' it said.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
North Korea internet hit by a major outage, analyst says
SEOUL, June 7 (Reuters) - North Korea's internet is experiencing a major outage on Saturday, said a UK-based researcher, adding that the cause may be may be internal rather than a cyberattack. North Korea's main news web sites and its Foreign Ministry internet site were inaccessible on Saturday morning, according to checks by Reuters. "A major outage is currently occurring on North Korea's internet - affecting all routes whether they come in via China or Russia," said Junade Ali, a U.K.-based researcher who monitors the North Korean internet. North Korea's entire internet infrastructure is not showing up on systems that can monitor internet activities, he said. "Hard to say if this is intentional or accidental - but seems like this is internal rather than an attack," he said. Officials at South Korea's Police cyber terror response centre which monitors North Korea's cyber activities could not be reached for comment.
