Latest news with #maritimecooperation
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
South China Sea: Beijing's 4 core principles held up as route to peace in disputed waters
A state-backed think tank has put forward China's 'four core principles' as a constructive framework for addressing disputes in the South China Sea , while blaming regional tensions on external actors who fuel rival claimants' actions and weaken the 'willingness for maritime cooperation'. 'China has long been committed to managing tensions and differences with disputing parties, and exercising great restraint in disputes', Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with state news agency Xinhua, said in a research report released on Sunday. China would uphold its four core principles, 'which have withstood the test of time' to transform the disputed waterway into a region of peace and cooperation, it added. According to the report, these principles are: resolving disputes through consultation on an equal footing, managing differences through rules-based co-management, achieving positive outcomes through mutually beneficial cooperation, and opposing interference from external forces while encouraging them to play a constructive role. China formally presented its blueprint for cooperation in the South China Sea in 2002 through an agreement with Asean. Beijing's expansive claims over the busy, resource-rich waters are contested by several member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, a US treaty ally. Since 2023, face-offs between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed waters have become more frequent, particularly near Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal and, most recently, the Sandy Cay coral reef.
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Philippines, US coast guards join military drills in South China Sea
MANILA, May 21 — The Philippine and US coast guards participated for the first time in joint military drills, Manila's armed forces said today, joining broader exercises held by the two allies in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entire disputed waterway, through which more than 60 per cent of global maritime trade passes, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit. The 'maritime cooperative activity' was held yesterday in waters off Palawan and Occidental Mindoro in the western Philippines. The two countries' coast guards have held joint exercises before, but never as part of combined military drills which Manila's armed forces said reflected a 'growing whole-of-nation approach to maritime cooperation'. The Philippine coast guard deployed its 97m ship BRP Melchora Aquino and 44m ship BRP Malapascua while the US coast guard used the cutter Stratton, the Philippine military said in the statement. The coast guard vessels joined Philippine navy and air force assets and US navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in a series of exercises including communication checks, search and rescue and division tactics. 'As the Philippines continues to navigate evolving maritime challenges, joint activities like the MCA reaffirm the (Philippine military's) commitment to modernising its capabilities and strengthening defence partnerships to secure our national and regional maritime interests,' Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. — AFP
Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
US, Philippine Coast Guards Join Navy Drills Amid China Tensions
The US and the Philippines held a new round of joint sails within Manila's exclusive economic zone, with their coast guards participating for the first time, amid continuing tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The sixth maritime cooperative activity was conducted on Tuesday in the waters of Occidental Mindoro and Palawan that's facing the resource-rich waterway, the Philippine military said in a statement on Wednesday.
