Latest news with #PhilippinesNationalSecurityCouncil
Saudi Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
An island called Hope is standing up to Beijing in the South China Sea
PAGASA ISLAND — At just 37 hectares, the Philippines-controlled island of Pagasa – or "hope" – is barely big enough to live on. There is almost nothing there. The 300 or so inhabitants live in a cluster of small, wooden houses. They fish in the clear, turquoise waters, and grow what vegetables they can in the sandy ground. But they are not alone in these disputed waters: just off shore, to the west, lies an armada of ships. These are all Chinese, from the navy, the coastguard or the so-called maritime militia – large fishing vessels repurposed to maintain Chinese dominance of this sea. As our plane approached the island we counted at least 20. For the past 10 years, China has been expanding its presence in the South China Sea, taking over submerged coral reefs, building three large air bases on them, and deploying hundreds of ships, to reinforce its claim to almost all of the strategic sea lanes running south from the great exporting cities on the Chinese coast. Few of the South East Asian countries which also claim islands in the same sea have dared to push back against China; only Vietnam and the Philippines have done so. The militaries of both countries are much smaller than China's, but they are holding on to a handful of reefs and – also known as Thitu and other names, as it is claimed by several other countries – is the largest of makes it exceptional, though, is the civilian population, found nowhere else on the islands of the South China Sea. From the point of view of the Philippines this, and the fact that Pagasa is solid land, not a partially submerged reef or sandy cay, strengthens its legal claims in the area."Pagasa is very important to us," Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general of the Philippines National Security Council, tells the BBC."It has a runway. It can support life – it has a resident Filipino community, and fishermen living there."And given the size of the island, one of the few that did not need reclaiming from the sea, under international law it generates its own territorial sea of 12 nautical miles."So it is, in a way, a linchpin for the Philippine presence."Reaching Pagasa is a two-to-three-day boat ride from the Philippines island of Palawan, or a one-hour plane ride, but both are at the mercy of frequent stormy they surfaced the runway two years ago, and lengthened it to 1,300m (4,600ft), only small planes could land. Now they can bring in big C130 transport aircraft. Traveling in them, as we did, is a bit like riding a bus in rush has to be brought from the mainland, which is why our plane was packed, floor to ceiling, with mattresses, eggs, bags of rice, a couple of motorbikes and piles of luggage – not to mention lots of military personnel, most of whom had to stand for the entire flight.A lot has changed in recent years. There is a new hangar, big enough to shelter aircraft during storms. They are building a control tower and dredging a small harbor to allow bigger boats to dock. We were driven around the island by some of the Philippines marines who are stationed there, though given its size it hardly seemed necessaryThe Philippines seized Pagasa from Taiwan in 1971, when the Taiwanese garrison left it during a typhoon. It was formally annexed by the Philippines in the government started encouraging civilians to settle there. But they need support to survive on this remote sliver of land. Families get official donations of food, water and other groceries every month. They now have electricity and mobile phone connectivity, but that only came four years from government jobs, fishing is the only viable way to make a living, and since the arrival of the Chinese flotillas even that has become Larry Hugo has lived on the island for 16 years, and has chronicled the increasing Chinese control of the area. He filmed the initial construction on Subi Reef, around 32km (20 miles) from Pagasa, which eventually became a full-size military air base. One of his videos, showing his little wooden boat being nearly rammed by a Chinese coastguard ship in 2021 made him a minor Chinese harassment has forced him to fish in a smaller area closer to home."Their ships are huge compared to ours. They threaten us, coming close and sounding their horns to chase us away. They really scare us. So I no longer go to my old fishing grounds further away. I now have to fish close to the island, but the fish stocks here are falling, and it is much harder to fill our tubs like we used to."Realyn Limbo has been a teacher on the island for 10 years, and seen the school grow from a small hut to full-size school teaching more than 100 pupils, from kindergarten to 18 years old."To me this island is like paradise," she says. "All our basic needs are taken care of. It is clean and peaceful – the children can play basketball or go swimming after school. We don't need shopping malls or all that materialism."Pagasa is really quiet. In the fierce midday heat we found most people snoozing in hammocks, or playing music on their porches. We came across Melania Alojado, a village health worker, rocking a small baby to help it sleep."The biggest challenge for us is when people, especially children, fall ill," she says."If it is serious then we need to evacuate them to the mainland. I am not a registered nurse, so I cannot perform complicated medical tasks. But planes are not always available, and sometimes the weather is too rough to travel."When that happens we just have to care for them as best we can."But she too values the tranquillity of island life. "We are free of many stresses. We get subsidized food, and we can grow some of our own. In the big city everything you do needs money."We saw a few new houses being built, but there really isn't room for Pagasa to accommodate many more people. With very few jobs, young people usually leave the island once they finish school. For all of its sleepy charm, and stunning white-sand beaches, it has the feel of a garrison community, holding the line against the overpowering Chinese presence which is clearly visible just offshore."The Chinese at the airbase on Subi Reef always challenge us when we approach Pagasa," the pilot says. "They always warn us we are entering Chinese territory without permission."Do they ever try to stop you? "No, it's a routine. We tell them this is Philippines territory. We do this every time."Jonathan Malaya says his government has made a formal diplomatic protest every week to the Chinese Embassy over the presence of its ships in what the Philippines views as the territorial waters of Pagasa. This is in marked contrast to the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, which avoided confrontations with China in the hope of getting more investment in the Philippines."I think we will get more respect from China if we hold our ground, and show them we can play this game as well. But the problem of democracies like the Philippines is policies can change with new administrations. China does not have that problem." — BBC
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
An island called Hope is standing up to Beijing in the South China Sea
At just 37 hectares, the Philippines-controlled island of Pagasa – or "hope" - is smaller than Buckingham Palace. There is almost nothing there. The 300 or so inhabitants live in a cluster of small, wooden houses. They fish in the clear, turquoise waters, and grow what vegetables they can in the sandy ground. But they are not alone in these disputed waters: just off shore, to the west, lies an armada of ships. These are all Chinese, from the navy, the coastguard or the so-called maritime militia – large fishing vessels repurposed to maintain Chinese dominance of this sea. As our plane approached the island we counted at least 20. For the past 10 years, China has been expanding its presence in the South China Sea, taking over submerged coral reefs, building three large air bases on them, and deploying hundreds of ships, to reinforce its claim to almost all of the strategic sea lanes running south from the great exporting cities on the Chinese coast. Few of the South East Asian countries which also claim islands in the same sea have dared to push back against China; only Vietnam and the Philippines have done so. The militaries of both countries are much smaller than China's, but they are holding on to a handful of reefs and islands. Pagasa – also known as Thitu and other names, as it is claimed by several other countries – is the largest of these. What makes it exceptional, though, is the civilian population, found nowhere else on the islands of the South China Sea. From the point of view of the Philippines this, and the fact that Pagasa is solid land, not a partially submerged reef or sandy cay, strengthens its legal claims in the area. "Pagasa is very important to us," Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general of the Philippines National Security Council, tells the BBC. "It has a runway. It can support life – it has a resident Filipino community, and fishermen living there. "And given the size of the island, one of the few that did not need reclaiming from the sea, under international law it generates its own territorial sea of 12 nautical miles. "So it is, in a way, a linchpin for the Philippine presence." Reaching Pagasa is a two-to-three-day boat ride from the Philippines island of Palawan, or a one-hour plane ride, but both are at the mercy of frequent stormy weather. Until they surfaced the runway two years ago, and lengthened it to 1,300m (4,600ft), only small planes could land. Now they can bring in big C130 transport aircraft. Travelling in them, as we did, is a bit like riding a bus in rush hour. Everything has to be brought from the mainland, which is why our plane was packed, floor to ceiling, with mattresses, eggs, bags of rice, a couple of motorbikes and piles of luggage – not to mention lots of military personnel, most of whom had to stand for the entire flight. A lot has changed in recent years. There is a new hangar, big enough to shelter aircraft during storms. They are building a control tower and dredging a small harbour to allow bigger boats to dock. We were driven around the island by some of the Philippines marines who are stationed there, though given its size it hardly seemed necessary The Philippines seized Pagasa from Taiwan in 1971, when the Taiwanese garrison left it during a typhoon. It was formally annexed by the Philippines in 1978. Later, the government started encouraging civilians to settle there. But they need support to survive on this remote sliver of land. Families get official donations of food, water and other groceries every month. They now have electricity and mobile phone connectivity, but that only came four years ago. Aside from government jobs, fishing is the only viable way to make a living, and since the arrival of the Chinese flotillas even that has become difficult. Fisherman Larry Hugo has lived on the island for 16 years, and has chronicled the increasing Chinese control of the area. He filmed the initial construction on Subi Reef, around 32km (20 miles) from Pagasa, which eventually became a full-size military air base. One of his videos, showing his little wooden boat being nearly rammed by a Chinese coastguard ship in 2021 made him a minor celebrity. But Chinese harassment has forced him to fish in a smaller area closer to home. "Their ships are huge compared to ours. They threaten us, coming close and sounding their horns to chase us away. They really scare us. So I no longer go to my old fishing grounds further away. I now have to fish close to the island, but the fish stocks here are falling, and it is much harder to fill our tubs like we used to." Realyn Limbo has been a teacher on the island for 10 years, and seen the school grow from a small hut to full-size school teaching more than 100 pupils, from kindergarten to 18 years old. "To me this island is like paradise," she says. "All our basic needs are taken care of. It is clean and peaceful – the children can play basketball or go swimming after school. We don't need shopping malls or all that materialism." Pagasa is really quiet. In the fierce midday heat we found most people snoozing in hammocks, or playing music on their porches. We came across Melania Alojado, a village health worker, rocking a small baby to help it sleep. "The biggest challenge for us is when people, especially children, fall ill," she says. "If it is serious then we need to evacuate them to the mainland. I am not a registered nurse, so I cannot perform complicated medical tasks. But planes are not always available, and sometimes the weather is too rough to travel. "When that happens we just have to care for them as best we can." But she too values the tranquillity of island life. "We are free of many stresses. We get subsidised food, and we can grow some of our own. In the big city everything you do needs money." We saw a few new houses being built, but there really isn't room for Pagasa to accommodate many more people. With very few jobs, young people usually leave the island once they finish school. For all of its sleepy charm, and stunning white-sand beaches, it has the feel of a garrison community, holding the line against the overpowering Chinese presence which is clearly visible just offshore. "The Chinese at the airbase on Subi Reef always challenge us when we approach Pagasa," the pilot says. "They always warn us we are entering Chinese territory without permission." Do they ever try to stop you? "No, it's a routine. We tell them this is Philippines territory. We do this every time." Jonathan Malaya says his government has made a formal diplomatic protest every week to the Chinese Embassy over the presence of its ships in what the Philippines views as the territorial waters of Pagasa. This is in marked contrast to the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, which avoided confrontations with China in the hope of getting more investment in the Philippines. "I think we will get more respect from China if we hold our ground, and show them we can play this game as well. But the problem of democracies like the Philippines is policies can change with new administrations. China does not have that problem." 'Close enough to see their faces': Chased down by China in South China Sea Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea What is the South China Sea dispute? The paradise islands caught in the US-China crosshairs
Mint
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
China, Philippines make rival claims in disputed South China Sea
China and the Philippines have staked rival claims to a spit of land in the South China Sea, moves that could further inflame tensions in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. In recent days, both Chinese and Philippine personnel have planted their national flags on Sandy Cay, a collection of sandbars close to two key military outposts controlled by Beijing and Manila. China's claims to much of the South China Sea—a thoroughfare for about a third of global maritime trade—overlap with those of some of its neighbors, including the Philippines. The dispute threatens to escalate a standoff between the two nations just as the U.S. holds its annual military exercises in the Philippines, an American treaty ally. Sandy Cay has geopolitical significance because parts of it remain above water even at high tide, entitling it to 12 nautical miles of territorial sea under international maritime law. Chinese state media said last week that Chinese coast-guard personnel landed on Sandy Cay, known as Tiexian Reef in Chinese, in mid-April, where they 'enforced maritime management and exercised sovereign jurisdiction." The reports said the coast guard had cleaned up debris, investigated reports of Philippine activity on the island and taken photos of personnel holding a Chinese flag. The permanent occupation of Sandy Cay by either the Philippines or China could have implications for both countries' claims to more important South China Sea features. Located within 12 miles of Sandy Cay is Subi Reef, an artificial island that is one of China's most important military outposts in the disputed waterway. However, it doesn't generate its own territorial sea because its original features are submerged at high tide. The Philippines, meanwhile, controls nearby Thitu Island, where it has garrisoned soldiers and expanded the runway. Jonathan Malaya, the assistant director of the Philippines National Security Council, said Monday that China hadn't seized Sandy Cay. 'We found no evidence of alleged Chinese occupation," he told local broadcaster ABS-CBN. The U.S. and Philippines are currently conducting joint military drills that include some 9,000 American troops and 5,000 personnel from the Philippines, along with smaller contingents from Australia and Japan. On Monday, U.S. and Filipino forces were scheduled to hold an exercise on the Philippine island of Palawan, about 300 miles from Sandy Cay, aimed at countering an attempted landing by enemy forces. Beijing has responded to the exercises, known as Balikatan, or 'shoulder-to-shoulder" in Tagalog, by projecting its force. Last week, it sailed one of its aircraft carriers near the Batanese Islands in the Luzon Strait, the waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines, where U.S. and Philippine personnel are also conducting drills. 'I always see this as a positive when China reacts to us," said Philippine Army Brig. Gen. Michael Logico. 'It only means that we have probably done something worthy of their attention." Sandy Cay was at the center of a previous standoff between the Philippines and China in 2017 after the Philippines started building a shelter for its fishermen on one of the sandbars. China protested, saying the two sides had agreed not to occupy new features in the South China Sea. The Philippines' then-president, Rodrigo Duterte, who maintained a close relationship with Beijing, scrapped the hut building. The Philippines has remained a notable exception to a recent charm offensive by Chinese leader Xi Jinping as he confronts new tariffs from the U.S. He didn't visit the Philippines during a trip to China's Southeast Asian neighbors earlier this month. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the current president of the Philippines, has intensified ties with the U.S. Analysts say the Sandy Cay standoff signals China's increased efforts to assert its claims to the South China Sea. 'This is part of trying to continue to push that narrative, that despite everything the Philippines has done to push back, China's march continues," said Raymond Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University, which tracks Chinese maritime activity. 'We can expect to see China push that forward in ways big and small, usually small enough that it doesn't generate an aggressive U.S. or international backlash, but just enough to keep reminding, especially the Philippines but also all the neighboring countries, that resistance is futile," he said. The tit-for-tat over Sandy Cay appeared to continue after the Philippine teams visited on Sunday. Philippine authorities said their teams had spotted what they called the 'illegal" presence of vessels from the Chinese coast guard and maritime militias nearby. China's coast guard countered that the Philippine personnel had landed 'illegally" despite warnings from the Chinese side. Chinese coast-guard officers subsequently visited the island to investigate, it said. Write to Gabriele Steinhauser at and Austin Ramzy at
Japan Times
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Satellite images show fresh Chinese bomber deployment in South China Sea
China deployed two long-range H-6 bombers around the Scarborough Shoal this week, in Beijing's latest move to assert sovereignty over the hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea, satellite images showed. The deployment, which was not publicized by China, came ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to the Philippines, which also claims the shoal that lies within its exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles. China's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to questions on the scale of the deployment or whether it was timed to coincide with Hegseth's trip. Officials from the Philippines National Security Council and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. During a visit to Manila on Friday, Hegseth reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitment" to its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines, saying China's actions made deterrence necessary in the South China Sea. Monday's images taken by Maxar Technologies show two aircraft east of Scarborough Shoal, which China calls "Huangyan Dao." In recent years, Chinese coast guard vessels have clashed frequently with Philippine fishermen near the mouth of atoll, which China has at times attempted to block since it seized de facto control of the shoal in 2012. Last month, the Philippines coast guard accused the Chinese Navy of performing dangerous flight maneuvers nearby. An international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in 2016 that China's claims had no legal basis, but Beijing rejected that decision. In an email, Maxar said the aircraft in the images were H-6 bombers, adding that "rainbow colors" close to them resulted when satellite images of fast-moving objects were processed. Chinese H-6 bombers fly at the eastern edge of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday. | Maxar Technologies / via REUTERS The timing of the flights was unlikely to be accidental, however, regional security analysts said. Beijing was sending "a signal that China has a sophisticated military," said Peter Layton of Australia's Griffith Asia Institute. "The bombers' second message could be you (the United States) have the potential for long range strike; so do we, and in larger numbers. Clearly not serendipity," he added. Regional military attaches say China has gradually stepped up deployments of H-6 bombers into the South China Sea as its military presence has grown, starting with landings on improved runways in the disputed Paracel islands in 2018. The jet-powered H-6 is based on a Soviet-era design but has been modernized to carry an array of anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles, and some are capable of launching nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. Similar to the U.S. B-52, the basic H-6 design dates back to the 1950s but with improved engines, modern strike weapons and on-board flight systems, it is China's key long-range bomber. The Pentagon's annual report on China's military in December said a more stealthy aircraft was probably in development. The bombers were deployed in war game drills in October around Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, and in late December at Scarborough, as part of broader air and sea operations by the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command. The command, which covers the South China Sea, operates two regiments of the bombers, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies says. The December drills were publicized, with the Defense Ministry saying at the time they were meant to "resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and security, and maintain peace in the South China Sea." The ministry posted images of aircraft above the shoal but satellite images capturing patrols in operation are rare. The altitude at which the H-6s were flying near the shoal is not known. Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claim, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Satellite images show fresh Chinese bomber deployment in South China Sea
By Greg Torode HONG KONG (Reuters) -China deployed two long-range H-6 bombers around the Scarborough Shoal this week, in Beijing's latest move to assert sovereignty over the hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea, satellite images obtained by Reuters showed. The deployment, which was not publicised by China, came ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to the Philippines, which also claims the shoal that lies within its exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles. China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters on the scale of the deployment or whether it was timed to coincide with Hegseth's trip. Officials from the Philippines National Security Council and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. During a visit to Manila on Friday, Hegseth reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitment" to its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines, saying China's actions made deterrence necessary in the South China Sea. Monday's images taken by Maxar Technologies show two aircraft east of Scarborough Shoal, which China calls "Huangyan Dao". In recent years, Chinese coast guard vessels have clashed frequently with Philippine fishermen near the mouth of atoll, which China has at times attempted to block since it seized de facto control of the shoal in 2012. Last month, the Philippines coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing dangerous flight manoeuvres nearby. An international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in 2016 that China's claims had no legal basis, but Beijing rejected that decision. In an email to Reuters, Maxar said the aircraft in the images were H-6 bombers, adding that "rainbow colours" close to them resulted when satellite images of fast-moving objects were processed. The timing of the flights was unlikely to be accidental, however, regional security analysts said. Beijing was sending "a signal that China has a sophisticated military," said Peter Layton of Australia's Griffith Asia Institute. "The bombers' second message could be you (the United States) have the potential for long range strike; so do we, and in larger numbers. Clearly not serendipity," he added. Regional military attaches say China has gradually stepped up deployments of H-6 bombers into the South China Sea as its military presence has grown, starting with landings on improved runways in the disputed Paracel islands in 2018. The jet-powered H-6 is based on a Soviet-era design but has been modernised to carry an array of anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles, and some are capable of launching nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. Similar to the U.S. B-52, the basic H-6 design dates back to the 1950s but with improved engines, modern strike weapons and on-board flight systems, it is China's key long-range bomber. The Pentagon's annual report on China's military in December said a more stealthy aircraft was probably in development. The bombers were deployed in war game drills in October around Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, and in late December at Scarborough, as part of broader air and sea operations by the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command. The command, which covers the South China Sea, operates two regiments of the bombers, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies says. The December drills were publicised, with the defence ministry saying at the time they were meant to "resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and security, and maintain peace in the South China Sea". The ministry posted images of aircraft above the shoal but satellite images capturing patrols in operation are rare. The altitude at which the H-6s were flying near the shoal is not known. Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claim, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
