Title:

 China a Rising Threat to National Security, Say DOD Leaders

Author:

David Vergun

Source:

US Department of Defense

Date:

March 13, 2019 

Description:

China is building up its military in ways that threaten U.S. and allied interests in the Western Pacific and in the South China Sea in particular, the deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment said today. For example, its DF21 and DF26 missiles are capable of targeting ships in the area and land targets, including Guam, a major resupply location for U.S. forces, Alan R. Shaffer said.

Title:

 Philippines worried it may get involved in ‘war’ at sea for US

Author:

Arab Times

Source:

Press Reader

Date:

March 6, 2019 

Description:

MANILA, Philippines, March 5, (AP): The United States is more likely to be involved in a “shooting war” in the disputed South China Sea than the Philippines but the latter would be embroiled in such a conflict just the same because of its 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington, the Philippine defense chief said Tuesday.

Title:

 Pompeo promises intervention if Philippines is attacked in South China Sea amid rising Chinese militarization

Author:

Regine Cabato and Shibani Mahtani

Source:

Washington Post

Date:

February 28, 2019 

Description:

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that any attack on Philippine aircraft or ships in the South China Sea would trigger a response from the United States under a mutual defense treaty between the two countries, a firm assurance to its longtime ally amid rising Chinese militarization in the contested waters.

Title:

 South China Sea: Indonesia And Vietnam Prove Duterte Wrong

Author:

Panos Mourdoukoutas

Source:

Forbes

Date:

 February 28, 2019

Description:

Indonesia joined Vietnam recently to challenge Duterte’s doctrine in the South China Sea. That’s the notion that any Asian-Pacific country that dares to tame Beijing’s ambitions to control the entire South China Sea will face war with China. This week, Indonesia drew a “red line” in the South China Sea establishing fishing rights in areas where China claims “overlapping” rights, according to BenarNews.

Title:

 China, U.S. make 'substantial progress' in trade talks: Xinhua

Author:

Josh Horwitz

Source:

Reuters

Date:

 February 25, 2019

Description:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The United States and China have made “substantial progress” on specific issues in the latest round of trade talks, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, citing the Chinese delegation to the discussions in Washington.

Title:

 Duterte does not favor deporting illegal Chinese workers

Author:

Aika Rey

Source:

Rappler

Date:

 February 23, 2019

Description:

President Rodrigo Duterte took a tolerant stance on the influx of Chinese workers in the Philippines. In his speech at the PDP-Laban event in Laguna, the President said that the number of illegal Chinese workers in the country "equals" the number of undocumented Filipino workers in China.

Title:

Philippines warns of China threat after US nuclear pact exit

Author:

John Reed in Bangkok and Kathrin Hille in Taipei

Source:

Financial Times

Date:

February 21, 2019 

Description:

The Philippines’ defence minister has said Washington’s withdrawal from a key missile treaty with Russia has “triggered a nuclear arms race” and he fears Beijing might target his country if the US were to use it as a staging post in a future atomic war with China.

Title:

 China rebuffs Germany's call for U.S. missile pact with Russia

Author:

Reuters

Source:

Japan Times

Date:

 February 17, 2019

Description:

China on Saturday rejected German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s appeal to join a Cold War-era arms control treaty that the United States accuses Russia of breaching, saying it would place unfair limits on the Chinese military. Fearing a nuclear arms race between China, Russia and the United States after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which the United States is withdrawing from, Merkel made her call for a global treaty.

Title:

 US angers China after sailing two warships close to disputed South China Sea islands

Author:

The Telegraph

Source:

The Telegraph

Date:

 February 11, 2019

Description:

China's foreign ministry expressed anger on Monday after two US warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the disputed South China Sea. The ships entered the waters without China's permission, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.

Title:

 Human rights an issue in new US funding support to the Philippines

Author:

Charmaine C. Deogracias

Source:

ABS CBN News

Date:

 February 8, 2019

Description:

The Philippines will receive US funding assistance under the newly-signed Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) that aims to promote Washington’s security and other interests in the Indo-Pacific region, but no funds will be given in support of the government’s anti-narcotics campaign unless certain human rights standards are satisfied.

Title:

 Most Asian markets rise ahead of China-US trade talks

Author:

ChannelNews Asia

Source:

ChannelNews Asia

Date:

February 7, 2019 

Description:

HONG KONG: Asian markets mostly rose on Thursday (Feb 7) as regional investors began to return from their Lunar New Year break, though Tokyo edged lower after a negative lead from Wall Street. Most trading floors have re-opened but business remains light, with Hong Kong and Shanghai still closed, while focus turns on the resumption next week of China-US trade talks in Beijing.