The Philippines has filed a protest against Beijing’s test flights on an artificial island in the South China Sea, a Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said yesterday, describing the actions as “provocative” and a violation of an existing informal code.
Last week, Beijing landed three flights on Fiery Cross (Yongshu Reef, 永暑礁) in the disputed Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), angering Vietnam and drawing criticism from the US, which expressed deep concern it would exacerbate tension in the region.
“We formally protested on Jan. 8 [Friday] the recent test flights by China to Kagitingan Reef,” Charles Jose said, adding that the ministry summoned China’s embassy official to hand over the protest.
Photo: AP
Jose said the test flights were “provocative actions” that would restrict the freedom of navigation and overflights in the South China Sea.
Every year, more than US$5 trillion of world trade is shipped through the South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, which China claims almost entirely. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have rival claims.
“These actions by China have elevated tensions and anxiety in the region and are in violation of the spirit and letter of the ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of parties in the South China Sea,” he added.
Since 2010, China and the 10-member ASEAN have been negtiating a legally binding code of conduct to replace the informal rules contained in a political declaration made in Phnom Penh in 2002.
In Washington, foreign and defense ministers of both the Philippines and the US held talks on trade and security issues, including the US Navy’s plan to hold more freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea.
US ships and planes are to have more time to patrol the disputed sea, because they were given access to Philippine naval and air bases under a new military deal, which the Philippine Supreme Court allowed in a decision made on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter welcomed the court’s decision as both the Philippine and US military began discussions on a dozen possible locations in its former colony where US ships and planes would have access.
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement would also allow the US to build facilities to store equipment and supplies for humanitarian and maritime security operations.
CONFRONTATION: The water cannon attack was the second this month on the Philippine supply boat ‘Unaizah May 4,’ after an incident on March 5 The China Coast Guard yesterday morning blocked a Philippine supply vessel and damaged it with water cannons near a reef off the Southeast Asian country, the Philippines said. The Philippine military released video of what it said was a nearly hour-long attack off the Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙) in the contested South China Sea, where Chinese ships have unleashed water cannons and collided with Philippine vessels in similar standoffs in the past few months. The China Coast Guard and other vessels “once again harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers” against a routine rotation and resupply mission to
GLOBAL COMBAT AIR PROGRAM: The potential purchasers would be limited to the 15 nations with which Tokyo has signed defense partnership and equipment transfer deals Japan’s Cabinet yesterday approved a plan to sell future next-generation fighter jets that it is developing with the UK and Italy to other nations, in the latest move away from the country’s post-World War II pacifist principles. The contentious decision to allow international arms sales is expected to help secure Japan’s role in the joint fighter jet project, and is part of a move to build up the Japanese arms industry and bolster its role in global security. The Cabinet also endorsed a revision to Japan’s arms equipment and technology transfer guidelines to allow coproduced lethal weapons to be sold to nations
‘POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE’: Leo Varadkar said he was ‘no longer the best person’ to lead the nation and was stepping down for political, as well as personal, reasons Leo Varadkar on Wednesday announced that he was stepping down as Ireland’s prime minister and leader of the Fine Gael party in the governing coalition, citing “personal and political” reasons. Pundits called the surprise move, just 10 weeks before Ireland holds European Parliament and local elections, a “political earthquake.” A general election has to be held within a year. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin, leader of Fianna Fail, the main coalition partner, said Varadkar’s announcement was “unexpected,” but added that he expected the government to run its full term. An emotional Varadkar, who is in his second stint as prime minister and at
Thousands of devotees, some in a state of trance, gathered at a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Bangkok renowned for sacred tattoos known as Sak Yant, paying their respects to a revered monk who mastered the practice and seeking purification. The gathering at Wat Bang Phra Buddhist temple is part of a Thai Wai Khru ritual in which devotees pay homage to Luang Phor Pern, the temple’s formal abbot, who died in 2002. He had a reputation for refining and popularizing the temple’s Sak Yant tattoo style. The idea that tattoos confer magical powers has existed in many parts of Asia