Philippine President Benigno Aquino III told protesters to abort plans to sail yesterday to a disputed South China Sea shoal also claimed by China and Taiwan, the leader of the protesters said.
A group of about 20 people, led by former Philippine Marine officer Nicanor Faeldon and including television crews, was set to depart to the Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island (黃岩島) in Taiwan, from the northern coastal town of Masinloc.
China claims the shoal along with most of the South China Sea, even up to the coasts of its Asian neighbors, while the Philippines says the shoal is well within its 200 nautical mile (370.4km) exclusive economic zone.
Photo: AFP
Cranking up tensions, both countries have had ships posted around the shoal since April 10, after Chinese vessels prevented a Philippine Navy ship from arresting Chinese fishermen.
China and the Philippines have imposed separate fishing bans around the disputed area that came into effect on Wednesday, moves that were seen by some observers as a face-saving way for both claimants to back away from the row.
Aquino’s last-minute telephone call yesterday led to the protesters calling off their trip, Faeldon told reporters after speaking to the president on his mobile phone.
“I received a call from the president requesting the postponement of this voyage ... I consulted the group and we agreed to concur with the wisdom of the government to postpone it,” he added.
Faeldon said earlier that the trip aimed to galvanize global support for the Philippine government’s efforts to bring a peaceful solution to the maritime stand-off with China.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said it did not want the trip to go ahead, but Faeldon initially ignored the call, dismissing fears China would see it as a provocation.
However, as the group started loading their equipment onto two fishing boats for a planned mid-morning launch yesterday, Faeldon said he received a series of telephone calls, one from the coastguard and the last from Aquino.
He said the president told him Philippine government representatives were currently in China to negotiate over the maritime dispute.
“He said that he believed the postponement of this activity may do better for the resolution of this dispute,” Faeldon said.
Philippine Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said on Thursday he expected “modest” economic fallout from the territorial dispute.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source