China, Philippines swap protests over Manila-occupied island

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JIM GOMEZ

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines has demanded that China withdraw its ships and fishing vessels from the vicinity of a Philippine-occupied island in the South China Sea, where the Chinese military has asserted its sovereignty and vowed to “unswervingly safeguard” the disputed territory.

The exchange of protests by the Asian neighbors over the island, internationally called Thitu, is the latest flareup in a long simmering territorial feud in the strategic waterway that has escalated in the last two months.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said Saturday it has filed a diplomatic protest against “the incessant deployment, prolonged presence and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels in the vicinity of the Pag-asa islands.” It used the Philippine name for Thitu, which China calls Zhongye Dao.

The department demanded that China withdraw its vessels from near the island, which it said “is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction.”



In this April 27, 2021, photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, its personnel patrol beside ships said to be Chinese militia vessels at Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippine government has protested the Chinese coast guard's harassment of Philippine coast guard ships patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday, May 3. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/manila-philippines-china-business-d23f07a7da9fb57330af62ce111d7bda

[oldsoftie]

1. Its time to stand up against China's constant "expansion"

Its as silly as India claiming everything in the Indian Ocean

[ripcord]

2. China is committing open theft

[Roc2020]

3. Ultimately the philippines beef with china

will become the U.S beef with china

[BlueWavePsych]

4. Duterte's China groveling tells wider story of his economic failures

For a supposed tough guy, Rodrigo Duterte sure does love bending over for China -- again, and again, and again.

The Philippine president assumed the position right out of the gate. In July 2016, less than two weeks into a presidency that can match Donald Trump's for chaos, Manila won a major case against Beijing over contested waters in the South China Sea.

Never mind, tough guy Duterte essentially said. China's largess, starting with aid, loans, and joint oil and gas exploration deals, was just too sweet for the man promising to make the Philippines great again.

This dust-up might seem unrelated to Duterte's economic failures. Yet it is a timely reminder of why the Philippines might be among the region's biggest losers post COVID-19.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Duterte-s-China-groveling-tells-wider-story-of-his-economic-failures

[BlueWavePsych]

5. Duterte bans Philippines cabinet from speaking on South China Sea

Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, has barred his cabinet from publicly discussing the South China Sea dispute after key ministers rebuked Beijing over the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested waterway.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/18/philippines-duterte-issues-gag-order-over-south-china-sea

[soryang]

6. UNCLOS doesn't apply to preexisting territorial disputes.

the decision of the international tribunal in 2016 is void. Taiwan doesn't recognize the so called arbitration either.