China Asks EU to Stop “Provoking Trouble” in South China Sea
Four days after the European Union and the Philippines established a new security and defense dialogue, a Chinese embassy spokesperson demanded that the EU respect China’s sovereignty and stop “provoking trouble” between China and the Philippines (Reuters, Al Jazeera)
Vietnam Calls Out Chinese and Philippine Activities at Sandy Cay
Following China and the Philippines’ respective flag-raising displays last week at Sandy Cay, Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry sent a statement to Beijing and Hanoi, which stated that all involved parties should “respect Vietnam’s sovereignty;” Vietnam claims the sandbank as part of its territory in the South China Sea (RFA)
Japan-Philippines Security Talks
The two countries will launch talks about cross-servicing military supplies and an agreement on security information, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in Manila (NHK)
Last year, they agreed to take steps toward mutual troop visits (Bloomberg)
China Proclaims Sovereignty and Displays Its Flag on Sandy Cay
The sandbank is categorized as a rock, which could give the nation controlling it claim over surrounding waters (BBC)
The Philippines disputed that China had seized Sandy Cay, visiting and displaying their own flag “to uphold the country’s sovereignty” and prove a lack of Chinese presence (Reuters)
China’s move came as the United States and the Philippines prepared to start joint naval drills nearby (FT)
Indonesia and China Agree to Enhance Cooperation in South China Sea
Both parties agreed to increased infrastructure development, minerals cooperation, and joint maritime security, namely through bilateral understanding between coast guards and joint counter-terrorism exercises; boosted cooperation comes despite ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with recent Chinese encroachment on the Natuna Islands, which international law recognizes as Indonesian territory (AP)
U.S. and Philippines Launch Annual Balikatan Military Exercises
Approximately fourteen thousand U.S. and Filipino troops commenced their annual combat drills, the Balikatan military exercises, which simulate “full-scale battle scenarios” including island defense and maritime operations; the exercises include advanced weaponry such as the U.S. Marine anti-ship missile system and aim to bolster joint combat readiness (AP)
Philippines and China Accuse Each Other of Dangerous Maneuvers Near Scarborough Shoal
A Philippine vessel had a tense encounter with a Chinese patrol vessel near the contested Scarborough Shoal; the Philippine Coast Guard said that the Chinese vessel “increased its speed and maneuvered past the port side” of the Philippine ship, “dangerously blocking its navigation route” (SCMP)
The Chinese Coast Guard accused the Philippine ship of dangerously approaching their vessel, alleging an attempt to fabricate a collision (Reuters)
Philippines Voices Concerns Over South China Sea Incidents During ASEAN-China Talks
During talks between ASEAN and China over a code of conduct in the South China Sea, the Philippines voiced concerns about incidents that endangered its vessels and personnel, while reiterating its commitment to resolving disputes peacefully (Reuters)
Philippines Raises South China Sea Concerns During ASEAN-China Talks
The Philippines reiterated that all parties should respect the 2016 arbitration ruling over the South China Sea, which ruled that China’s historical claims to the maritime territory have no legal basis; the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) has sought to accelerate negotiations with China to formalize a code of conduct to resolve outstanding territorial disputes in the South China Sea (Reuters)
China Reports Philippines Sent Supplies to Warship at Disputed Atoll
China’s Coast Guard said the Philippines was allowed to deliver supplies to a warship it claims is “illegally grounded” at the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea; the Philippines maintains that the atoll is within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (Reuters)
China and Cambodia Conduct Joint Military Drills
China and Cambodia held a joint military exercise at Cambodia’s newly expanded Ream Naval Base in the Gulf of Thailand; the United States has expressed concern that the base could serve as a Chinese military outpost (Reuters).
China Claims Discovery of Oilfield in Eastern South China Sea Exceeding One Hundred Million Tons
Chinese state media said that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s offshore oil exploration efforts contributed to the discovery of the new oil field, located just over a hundred miles from the southern city of Shenzhen (Radio Free Asia)
Philippines Favors Squad Expansion
The Philippines’ armed forces chief said at a New Delhi security conference that Manila seeks to add India and likely South Korea to joint Asia Pacific military cooperation with Australia, Japan, and the United States, which is known as the Squad (Reuters)
The informal group has conducted joint exercises to counter China’s actions in the South China Sea for over a year (Economic Times)
Philippine President Talks U.S. Priorities, Typhon Missile
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will aim to see how he can influence U.S. immigration policymaking when he meets with President Donald Trump at an unannounced date, he told reporters (Reuters)
He added that he planned to address the U.S. foreign aid freeze and said that Manila would give a Typhon missile system back to Washington if Beijing stopped its “aggressive and coercive behavior” (Rappler)
Philippine Coast Guard Criticizes Chinese Coast Guard Vessels for Interfering With Philippine Marine Survey
The Philippine Coast Guard said that Chinese vessels also hindered its recovery of a deceased fisherman this past Monday (VOA)
U.S. Conducts First-Ever Ballistic Missile Interception Test From Guam
Yesterday’s successful test underscores the role the U.S. territory, home to Air Force and Navy facilities, could play in any Pacific war; Washington has plans to establish missile defenses at sixteen sites around the island over the next decade, Reuters reported (Reuters)
Taiwan Flags Unusual Large-Scale Chinese Naval Activity
China deployed navy assets in an area running from the southern Japanese islands down into the South China Sea, the largest such activity in decades, Taiwan’s defense ministry said today; China’s military did not immediately comment and had not previously announced exercises (Reuters)
Japan, Philippines Signed Security Assistance Deal Worth Over $10 Million
Japan will provide equipment to boost the Philippines’ maritime surveillance; the two countries have ongoing maritime disputes with China in the East and South China Seas (Reuters)
Chinese Coast Guard, Navy Confront Philippine Vessels Near Scarborough Shoal
The Chinese coast guard ship struck the Philippine boats, blocked them, and sideswiped them while they were protecting Filipino fishermen sixteen nautical miles from the Scarborough Shoal (AP)
United States, Philippines Sign Deal to Share Classified Military Information
The agreement finalized today will allow the countries to share classified defense information in real time; it does not require them to share information deemed sensitive (Philippine Star)
Meanwhile, Australia hosted a trilateral defense ministers’ meeting with officials from the United States and Japan for the first time yesterday; the countries agreed to increase joint military training and surveillance operations (AFP)
Vietnam Publicly Calls on China to Release Fishermen and Ships That China Reportedly Illegally Detained
Vietnam did not specify the details of their detention in the South China Sea; a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson urged Vietnam to improve the “education and management” of its fishermen (Reuters)
U.S.-Philippine Annual Joint Drills Bring in More Allies
The exercises began today and will run until October 25; marines from both countries will be joined by troops from Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom (UK), as well as newcomers France, Indonesia, and Thailand (SCMP)
The drills come on the heels of China kicking off large wartime exercises in the Taiwan Strait earlier this week (Reuters)
Russia and China Reject East Asia Summit Consensus Statement
The primary objection concerned Chinese claims over the South China Sea under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); Russia also voiced worry over the United States and its allies turning the summit statement into a “purely political statement” (Reuters)
United States Expresses Concerns With Chinese Actions in South China Sea
Speaking at the ASEAN annual summit meeting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced U.S. concern over China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities” in the South China Sea; Blinken also reiterated U.S. commitment to Indo-Pacific overflight and navigational freedom in his address (AP)
Philippines Calls for Addressing South China Sea Tensions at China-ASEAN Meeting
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. departed from the typical focus on trade at talks today between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), calling for negotiations to confront maritime tensions in the South China Sea (Nikkei)
He said that economic security could not be separated from political security, an unnamed Southeast Asian diplomat who was at the meeting told reporters(AFP)