Political Security

Title:

 Duterte: I’m not trying to please Chinese leader

Author:

Philip Tubeza

Source:

Inquirer

Date:

August 4, 2017 

Description:

President Duterte has assured that he wasn’t “trying to please” Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the South China Sea row, but admitted Manila has gained from its friendly relations with Beijing. The President recalled that he had insisted on the Philippine claim to the West Philippine Sea before Chinese leaders when he last visited Beijing in May.

Title:

 US donates more guns vs terror

Author:

Dona Z. Pazzibugan

Source:

Inquirer.net

Date:

July 30, 2017

Description:

The United States military has donated more weapons to boost the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ counterterrorism capabilities.

Title:

 Chinese foreign ministry affirms anew ties with PHL under Duterte

Author:

Ian Cigaral

Source:

BusinessWorld Online

Date:

 July 29, 2017

Description:

CHINA’s top diplomat conveyed his “staunch” support for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s decision to chart an independent foreign policy during the two officials’ meeting at Malacañang early this week, Beijing’s foreign ministry said.

Title:

 US-Phl relations: The bigger picture

Author:

Babe Romualdez

Source:

The Philippine Star

Date:

July 23, 2017

Description:

What is really worrisome for the United States, and in fact in this part of the globe as well, is North Korea. This was emphasized by former US State Secretary Madeleine Albright when we met with her at a small private dinner hosted by US Ambassador Sung Kim

Title:

 Del Rosario anti-China ‘think tank’ allied with US lobby group, and backed by Philex Salim/MVP

Author:

Rigoberto Tiglao

Source:

The Manila Times

Date:

 July 21, 2017

Description:

FORMER President Aquino’s foreign affairs secretary, Alberto del Rosario, who pushed for the international suit against China over the South China Sea disputes, is now openly linked to a US think tank and lobby group, the Washington-based Bower Group Asia. Del Rosario in May set up his pompously named “Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies” (ADRI) supposedly to undertake research on “issues affecting the Philippines and East Asia.” So far, it has been Del Rosario’s venue for defending Aquino and his move to pursue the arbitration case against China over the South China Sea issue and to paint China as an expansionist bully in the region.

Title:

 Philippine politicians to learn CPC methods

Author:

Leng Shumei

Source:

Global Times

Date:

July 20, 2017 

Description:

The Philippines' ruling political party is working with the Communist Party of China (CPC) to learn from the latter's experience in training and managing Party members, media reported. The Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is in discussions with the CPC for cooperation on party building, including having the members of PDP-Laban learn the ways and ideology of the CPC, the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper reported Wednesday.

Title:

 China is helping redevelop what was once the US’s largest overseas military base

Author:

Therese Reyes

Source:

Quartz

Date:

July 19, 2017

Description:

It has been 26 years since the US military, prodded by a volcanic eruption, left Clark Air Base in the Philippines. But signs of its stay, which lasted over eight decades, remain. The site follows city planning established by Americans, complete with barn-style houses lining some roads. Still present are old barracks, the parade grounds, and a veterans’ cemetery for US and Filipino soldiers and their families.

Title:

 Filipino fishermen are back in Scarborough Shoal, DFA says

Author:

Kyodo News

Source:

ABS CBN News

Date:

July 13, 2017 

Description:

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday, the first anniversary of the country's sweeping legal victory against China in the South China Sea, that further efforts in resolving Manila's territorial disputes should be done while maintaining good relations with Beijing. Critics of President Rodrigo Duterte's "defeatist" approach to China and the South China Sea used the occasion to warn of the dangers posed by such a non-confrontational stance.

Title:

 Duterte: More arms coming from China, but no military alliance

Author:

Philip C. Tubeza

Source:

Inquirer.net

Date:

July 12, 2017

Description:

China will deliver another shipment of arms and ammunition to the Philippines in September, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Wednesday. He made it clear, however, that the Philippines could not enter into a military alliance with other nations because this would violate the Mutual Defense Treaty signed by the Philippines and the United States in 1951.

Title:

 PH, China dialogue now better a year after UN tribunal ruling—Palace

Author:

Nestor Corrales

Source:

Inquirer

Date:

July 11, 2017 

Description:

Philippines and China’s relations have improved a year after The Hague favored the country’s maritime arbitration case in the South China Sea, Malacañang said on Tuesday. On July 12, 2016, the United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal ruled that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea (in the South China Sea) and that China’s nine-dash line was invalid.

Title:

 Are China-Philippines Military Exercises Under Duterte Coming Soon?

Author:

Prashanth Parameswaran

Source:

The Diplomat

Date:

July 11, 2017

Description:

On June 28, as China handed over military assistance to the Philippines in a high-profile ceremony at a former U.S. airbase, Beijing’s ambassador, Zhao Jianhua, suggested that both sides should also consider starting military exercises in the future (See: “The Truth About China’s New Military Aid to the Philippines”). Though the idea will no doubt need to get past some familiar challenges, it is not surprising that both sides have nonetheless left it on the table for contemplation in the context of a warming Sino-Philippine relationship under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Title:

 China’s navy targets building bases overseas – Pentagon

Author:

Rene Pastor

Source:

Rappler

Date:

July 01, 2017

Description:

NEW YORK, USA – The Chinese navy now numbers over 300 surface ships, and it is working overtime to transform itself into a modern fleet that can potentially challenge the might of the United States navy in the Pacific Ocean, according to the annual report on China’s military capabilities recently released by the Pentagon.

Title:

 Cayetano off to China this week; improving ties seen

Author:

Elena Aben

Source:

Manila Bulletin

Date:

2017-06-27

Description:

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is scheduled to fly to China this week for an official visit.

Title:

 Philippines, China play down Duterte's talk of war in disputed sea

Author:

Reporting by Karen Lema and Martin Petty im MANILA and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Robert Birsel

Source:

Reuters

Date:

2017-05-22

Description:

The Philippines and China played down on Monday a warning by President Rodrigo Duterte that China would go to war if the Philippines drilled for oil in the disputed South China Sea.

Title:

 China slams mention of East, South China Sea in G7 communique

Author:

IANS

Source:

Business Standard

Date:

2017-05-28

Description:

China on Sunday slammed the G7 communique, which had a mention of the disputed East and the South China Sea issue.

<dl class="uk-description-list-horizontal">

<dt><h4><strong>Title:</strong></h4></dt>

<dd><h4><span class="uk-icon uk-icon-external-link"></span> <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/22/17/duterte-renames-benham-rise-to-philippine-rise" target="_blank">Duterte renames 'Benham Rise' to 'Philippine Rise'</a></h4></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Author:</strong></p></dt>

<dd><p>Dharel Placido </p></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Source:</strong></p></dt>

<dd><p>ABS-CBN News</p></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Date:</strong></p></dt>

<dd><p>2017-05-22</p></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Description:</strong></p></dt>

<dd>MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has officially renamed Benham Rise to “Philippine Rise,” in an apparent bid to assert the country’s sovereignty over the resource-rich waters amid alleged incursions by Chinese ships.</dd></dl>

Title:

 Throwing down the gauntlet

Author:

Ana Marie Pamintuan

Source:

The Philippine Star

Date:

May 22, 2017

Description:

For all his professed goodwill toward China, President Duterte, in his heart of hearts, must be angry. This toughie doesn’t take criticism well, and we can bet that more than criticism, he doesn’t like being threatened. Even if the threat was delivered presumably through an interpreter and some nuances might have been lost in translation. But the translation must have been accurate; the leader of China won’t risk being misinterpreted in his discussions with his Philippine counterpart. Especially when the message being delivered is a threat of war.

<dl class="uk-description-list-horizontal">

<dt><h4><strong>Title:</strong></h4></dt>

<dd><h4><span class="uk-icon uk-icon-external-link"></span> <a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/170516-dfa-urged-protest-china-war-threat" target="_blank">DFA urged to file protest over China's war threat</a></h4></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Author:</strong></p></dt>

<dd><p>Rappler.com</p></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Source:</strong></p></dt>

<dd><p>Rappler.com</p></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Date:</strong></p></dt>

<dd><p>2017-05-21</p></dd>

<dt><p><strong>Description:</strong></p></dt>

<dd>MANILA, Philippines – Senator Francis Pangilinan urged newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to file a diplomatic protest against China for threatening war against the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute.</dd></dl>

Title:

 Expert: PH may weaken sea claims by accepting favors from China

Author:

Jodee A. Agoncillo

Source:

Inquirer.net

Date:

 May 21, 2017

Description:

HONOLULU/TOKYO — Asia analysts have warned that by accepting aid from and improving trade with China, the Philippines could weaken its maritime claims in the South China Sea and undermine a multilateral approach to resolving the territorial dispute.

Title:

 Duterte says China's Xi threatened war if Philippines drills for oil

Author:

Manuel Mogato

Source:

Reuters

Date:

 May 19, 2017

Description:

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday Chinese counterpart China Xi Jinping had warned him there would be war if Manila tried to enforce an arbitration ruling and drill for oil in a disputed part of the South China Sea.