Latest news with #ChinaSanctions
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lithuania's defense chief praises Philippine campaign exposing China's aggression
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine campaign aimed at exposing China's aggression in the disputed South China Sea has shattered 'the illusion of China being peaceful and friendly,' Lithuania's defense chief said Wednesday, urging democratic countries to stand united against an emerging axis of authoritarian countries led by China and Russia. Beginning in 2023, the campaign, which Manila calls a 'transparency initiative," includes publicizing images of China's aggressive actions in the disputed waters. 'I believe that, in this case, revealing to the world how China is harassing the Philippine's navy and fishermen of the Philippines in their own waters is very important because it shatters the illusion of China being a peaceful and friendly neighbor,' Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said. 'It's nothing peaceful when you see water cannons being used against peaceful fishermen and there's nothing peaceful about ramming the ships of Philippines in the territorial waters of the Philippines," she added. Šakalienė expressed support to former Filipino senator Francis Tolentino while in the capital for talks aimed at deepening defense ties between the two countries. Tolentino was sanctioned by China on Tuesday for his strong criticisms of Beijing's acts of aggression and for his work on two new laws, which demarcated Philippine territorial zones, including in parts of the South China Sea that Beijing claims. Šakalienė said she and her family had also been sanctioned by China and banned from entering the country for her strong criticisms of China's aggression and human rights record. 'Welcome to the club,' Šakalienė said in an interview with a small group of journalists, including from The Associated Press, in response to China's sanction against Tolentino. 'Talking about China's crimes is what gets you into the blacklist.' "Pressure, coercion and threats is their usual method of operation,' she said. Chinese officials did not immediately comment on Šakalienė's remarks. During President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration, which began in mid-2022, the Philippines invited Filipino and foreign journalists to join its coast guard and navy patrols in the disputed South China Sea. They have witnessed an increasingly alarming spike of confrontations in the waters in recent years, with China using water cannons and dangerous maneuvers to defend its claim to the global trade route. China blames the Philippines for instigating the clashes. A 2016 international arbitration decision invalidated China's claims based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, but Beijing has rejected the ruling and continues to defy it. Šakalienė said that in the Baltic Sea, Chinese ships and crew members have helped suspected Russian fleets damage undersea oil pipelines, and data and electricity cables belonging to rival European nations like Lithuania by dragging steel anchors on the seafloor. She warned that such acts of sabotage could also be carried out in Asia by China and Russia. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also been involved in the long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea but they have not been as vocal against China's aggression as the Philippines. The United States does not lay claim to the disputed waters but has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines — Washington's oldest treaty ally in Asia — if it comes under an armed attack. Šakalienė warned that it's crucial for countries to band together and fight an emerging authoritarian bloc consisting of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea which she said is a threat to democracy. ___ Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila contributed to this report.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Lithuania's defense chief praises Philippine campaign exposing China's aggression
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine campaign aimed at exposing China's aggression in the disputed South China Sea has shattered 'the illusion of China being peaceful and friendly,' Lithuania's defense chief said Wednesday, urging democratic countries to stand united against an emerging axis of authoritarian countries led by China and Russia. Beginning in 2023, the campaign, which Manila calls a 'transparency initiative,' includes publicizing images of China's aggressive actions in the disputed waters. 'I believe that, in this case, revealing to the world how China is harassing the Philippine's navy and fishermen of the Philippines in their own waters is very important because it shatters the illusion of China being a peaceful and friendly neighbor,' Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said. 'It's nothing peaceful when you see water cannons being used against peaceful fishermen and there's nothing peaceful about ramming the ships of Philippines in the territorial waters of the Philippines,' she added. Šakalienė expressed support to former Filipino senator Francis Tolentino while in the capital for talks aimed at deepening defense ties between the two countries. Tolentino was sanctioned by China on Tuesday for his strong criticisms of Beijing's acts of aggression and for his work on two new laws, which demarcated Philippine territorial zones, including in parts of the South China Sea that Beijing claims. Šakalienė said she and her family had also been sanctioned by China and banned from entering the country for her strong criticisms of China's aggression and human rights record. 'Welcome to the club,' Šakalienė said in an interview with a small group of journalists, including from The Associated Press, in response to China's sanction against Tolentino. 'Talking about China's crimes is what gets you into the blacklist.' 'Pressure, coercion and threats is their usual method of operation,' she said. Chinese officials did not immediately comment on Šakalienė's remarks. During President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration, which began in mid-2022, the Philippines invited Filipino and foreign journalists to join its coast guard and navy patrols in the disputed South China Sea. They have witnessed an increasingly alarming spike of confrontations in the waters in recent years, with China using water cannons and dangerous maneuvers to defend its claim to the global trade route. China blames the Philippines for instigating the clashes. A 2016 international arbitration decision invalidated China's claims based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, but Beijing has rejected the ruling and continues to defy it. Šakalienė said that in the Baltic Sea, Chinese ships and crew members have helped suspected Russian fleets damage undersea oil pipelines, and data and electricity cables belonging to rival European nations like Lithuania by dragging steel anchors on the seafloor. She warned that such acts of sabotage could also be carried out in Asia by China and Russia. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also been involved in the long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea but they have not been as vocal against China's aggression as the Philippines. The United States does not lay claim to the disputed waters but has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines — Washington's oldest treaty ally in Asia — if it comes under an armed attack. Šakalienė warned that it's crucial for countries to band together and fight an emerging authoritarian bloc consisting of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea which she said is a threat to democracy. ___ Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
China Sanctions Former Philippine Senator as Tensions Swell
(Bloomberg) -- China has sanctioned former Philippine Senator Francis Tolentino, prohibiting him from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, in a rare move as tensions with Manila rise. Struggling Downtowns Are Looking to Lure New Crowds Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Sao Paulo Pushes Out Favela Residents, Drug Users to Revive Its City Center Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer The move was announced by China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, who accused Tolentino of improper behavior on issues related to China. The former senator called China's sanction 'a badge of honor.' 'No foreign power can silence me or weaken my resolve to uphold our sovereignty,' he said in a statement posted on Facebook. Beijing offered no specific examples but pointed to a pattern of 'malicious' behavior by 'anti-China politicians in the Philippines,' accusing them of undermining Chinese interests and damaging bilateral ties, according to the statement. Tolentino, who lost his reelection bid in the May elections, recently led Senate inquiries on alleged Chinese spying in the Philippines. He also sponsored a legislation establishing Philippine maritime zones in the South China Sea, which was opposed by Beijing. China lays sweeping claims in the resource-rich waterway that were rejected by an international tribunal ruling in 2016. The competing claims between the two nations have led to encounters among their ships in the contested waters. --With assistance from Cliff Venzon, Jing Li and Wenshan Luo. (Adds former senator's statement in third paragraph.) America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House SNAP Cuts in Big Tax Bill Will Hit a Lot of Trump Voters Too Pistachios Are Everywhere Right Now, Not Just in Dubai Chocolate Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
China sanctions former Philippine senator on maritime claims
BEIJING/MANILA (Reuters) -China sanctioned former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday and barred him entry, citing "egregious conduct" on matters such as the disputed South China Sea a day after the end of his six-year term. Tolentino, who lost his bid for a second term in midterm elections, had canvassed on his efforts to bring in laws last year defining the country's sea lanes and maritime zones, which China opposed. A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry accused some Filipino politicians of making "malicious remarks and moves" that hurt ties between the two nations. "The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests," the spokesperson added in a statement. The sanctions prohibit Tolentino from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the ministry said. "No foreign power can silence me or weaken my resolve to uphold our sovereignty," Tolentino said in a statement, calling the sanctions a "badge of honour" and vowing to pursue his fight for "what rightfully belongs" to the Philippines. China's claims in the South China Sea, a conduit for $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce, overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal voided Beijing's sweeping claims as having no basis in international law, a decision China rejects.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
China bans ex-Philippine senator over South China Sea stance, Tolentino calls it a ‘badge of honour'
BEIJING, July 1 — China sanctioned former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday and barred him entry, citing 'egregious conduct' on matters such as the disputed South China Sea a day after the end of his six-year term. Tolentino, who lost his bid for a second term in midterm elections, had canvassed on his efforts to bring in laws last year defining the country's sea lanes and maritime zones, which China opposed. A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry accused some Filipino politicians of making 'malicious remarks and moves' that hurt ties between the two nations. 'The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests,' the spokesperson added in a statement. The sanctions prohibit Tolentino from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the ministry said. 'No foreign power can silence me or weaken my resolve to uphold our sovereignty,' Tolentino said in a statement, calling the sanctions a 'badge of honour' and vowing to pursue his fight for 'what rightfully belongs' to the Philippines. China's claims in the South China Sea, a conduit for US$3 trillion (RM12.6 trillion) in annual ship-borne commerce, overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal voided Beijing's sweeping claims as having no basis in international law, a decision China rejects. — Reuters
