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| U.S. Action in the West Philippine Sea; US military action, news and events | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Fri May 9, 2014 11:55 am (479 Views) | |
| Flipzi | Fri May 9, 2014 11:55 am Post #1 |
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![]() Photo: two Chinese warships taken by the MH-60 in South China Sea region on May. 5. (Photo/US Navy) US Navy Warship Confronts 2 Chinese Warships in South China Sea May 8, 2014 The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the Seventh Fleet confronted two PLA Navy warships in the disputed South China Sea region on May. 5 according to the official website of the US Navy. The report said the two Chinese warships were the Hengshui, a Type 054A frigate, and the Lanzhou, a Type 052C destroyer. During the confrontation, an MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 was dispatched from the deck of the USS Blue Ridge to take photos of the two Chinese surface combat vessels, four of which were uploaded on to the US Navy website for download. Designed as one of the US Navy’s two Blue Ridge-class command ships, the USS Blue Ridge began its service with the US Navy back in 1970, it’s primary mission being to provide command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence support to the commander and staff of the Seventh Fleet stationed in the Asia-Pacific region. The ship is currently deployed to the US naval facility at Yokosuka of Japan. With a range of 19,000 kilometers and a speed of 43 km per hour, the USS Blue Ridge plays a very crucial role in President Barack Obama’s Asia Pivot Strategy. In addition to two helicopters, the vessel also carries two Phalanx Close-in weapon systems, four 25 mm Bushmaster cannons, eight .50 caliber machine guns and Mark 36 Super Rapid Blooming Offboard chaff rockets. The USS Blue Ridge is operated by 52 officers and 790 soldiers. Source: http://www.matthewaid.com/post/85108593401/us-navy-warship-confronts-2-chinese-warships-in-south |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Fri May 9, 2014 2:19 pm Post #2 |
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![]() Photo credit: Wikpedia US P8-Poseidon multi-mission aircraft flew over to support the Philippine boat that was being harassed by 2 large Chinese ships last March.
MISSION TO AYUNGIN SHOAL On Board the BRP Sierra Madre http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/specials/sierra-madre Boeing P-8 Poseidon specs The Boeing P-8 Poseidon (formerly the Multimission Maritime Aircraft or MMA) is a military aircraft developed for the United States Navy (USN). The aircraft has been developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800ERX. The P-8 conducts anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction, along with an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) role. This involves carrying torpedoes, depth charges, SLAM-ER missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons. It is able to drop and monitor sonobuoys. It is designed to operate in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle. The aircraft has also been ordered by the Indian Navy as the P-8I Neptune, with the Royal Australian Air Force to place an order. Armament; 5 internal and 6 external stations for AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER, AGM-84 Harpoon, Mark 54 torpedo, missiles, mines, torpedoes, bombs, and a High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_P-8_Poseidon Edited by Flipzi, Fri May 9, 2014 2:25 pm.
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Sun May 18, 2014 10:47 pm Post #3 |
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US should challenge China's territorial claims By Elizabeth Economy and Michael Levi Special to The Washington Post Published: May 18, 2014 The China National Overseas Oil Corporation (CNOOC) began drilling in Vietnamese-claimed waters recently, accompanied by more than 70 vessels, including armed Chinese warships. At first glance, this might look like merely another front in China's quest for natural resources, which has taken Chinese companies to seemingly every corner of the earth. Yet what is happening in the South China Sea is actually far more dangerous than what has come before — and the forces driving it go well beyond pursuit of energy riches. The United States needs to face up to the full magnitude of the Chinese challenge to have any hope of successfully confronting it. This means not only tough talk but also a willingness to take difficult action. There has long been speculation that massive oil and gas deposits are locked beneath the South China Sea — 1.4 million square miles bordered by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam and claimed in part by all of them. According to the Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources, the area might contain as much as 400 billion barrels of oil, surpassing the bounties of the Middle East. Most informed estimates, though, are much smaller. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated in 2010 that the region's undiscovered oil (much of which will never be financially attractive to produce) totals a far smaller 11 billion barrels. It is difficult to believe that China would risk armed conflict for such modest stakes. Two other forces are essential to understanding what is going on. One is nationalism: The drilling is taking place near the Paracel Islands, which sit within a disputed area of the South China Sea, roughly 120 miles from Vietnam's coast and well within Vietnam's 200-mile exclusive economic zone. But China claims the islands based on historical usage and effective exercise of sovereignty, having occupied them since 1974. Backing off from the Paracels would deal a blow to China's prestige, while underlining Chinese control over the islands would strengthen the leadership's legitimacy at home. Chinese leaders are also motivated by a desire to control the sea lanes of the South China Sea. More than $5 trillion of trade passes through the increasingly crowded waters each year. That includes almost one-third of world seaborne oil trade and more than three-quarters of Chinese oil imports (as well as most of the oil destined for Japan, South Korea and Taiwan). The Chinese navy may be too weak to challenge U.S. dominance in key Middle East sea lanes, or even to exercise control over the critical Straits of Malacca, but by operating naval forces across the South China Sea it can gain greater confidence that the United States will not be able to disrupt its supplies. Beyond these two motivations, it does not hurt that Chinese oil companies are eager to operate in the region. By cloaking its military excursion in commercial garb, Beijing might have hoped to defuse some of the inevitable opposition. If so, that gambit has not paid off. China's latest move, which came as a surprise to Vietnam and other nations, undermines Beijing's insistence that strong relations within the region are its top foreign policy priority. It also calls into question China's commitment to its current working-group talks with Vietnam on joint resource development in the South China Sea. The United States has said it won't take a stand on the sovereignty dispute and has called on the two parties to resolve their differences peacefully. This is not enough: The United States ought to call China's bluff and make clear the real stakes. The United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should present a unified front in refusing to recognize unilateral assertions of claims in disputed territories. Even more important, the United States must be prepared to give life to its rhetorical position. Although it does not have a treaty obligation to defend Vietnam, its rebalancing to Asia is premised on its role as the primary guarantor of stability in the Pacific. Chinese actions challenge that. Vietnam has reiterated its commitment to peacefully resolve the dispute. If China does not reciprocate, the United States should be prepared to offer support to Vietnam through an increased naval presence. This would give Washington the ability to assess Chinese capabilities and to help de-escalate the situation. Other options, such as restrictions on CNOOC's activities in the United States, could also be considered. If the United States can't back up its words with actions, its credibility in promising to uphold peace and stability in the region will be gutted. Source: http://www.stripes.com/opinion/us-should-challenge-china-s-territorial-claims-1.283559?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+starsandstripes%2Fgeneral+%28Stars+and+Stripes%29 Edited by Flipzi, Sun May 18, 2014 10:53 pm.
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Thu May 22, 2014 10:40 pm Post #4 |
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![]() photo shared by: https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1.0-9/10246285_638938982856721_6513368461900429981_n.jpg Greenert: Navy ‘Starting to Shape Events’ in volatile South China Sea By: Carlo Muñoz | Published: May 19, 2014 4:18 PM | USNI News The sea service’s expanding presence in the Asia-Pacific is already starting to pay dividends in tamping down tensions between China and U.S allies in the region, the Navy’s top officer said Monday. “It is going to be a long-term effort . . . [but] we are seeing results” of America’s growing maritime footprint in the Pacific, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. “We are starting to shape events” in the region, in the wake of recent Chinese military aggression in areas like the South China Sea, Greenert said. During Wednesday’s speech, Greenert cited several examples of senior commanders with the People’s Liberation Navy (PLAN) intervening on behalf of U.S. warships to diffuse potentially dangerous confrontations with Chinese military and civilian vessels. The Navy chief credited attributed those small successes to the White House’s commitment to the Pentagon’s plan to shift focus from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to potential hot spots in Asia. “We have to manage our way through this” he said regarding the long-term nature of Washington’s strategic shift to the Pacific and the ongoing Chinese response. “We are on a good course . . . and we are going to have to [continue to] lead” that effort in Asia, according to the CNO. That said, Greenert was adamant that recent flare-ups between Beijing and U.S. allies in the region would not throw Navy and Pentagon leaders off that course. “We are not leaving and [the Chinese] know that,” he added. But simmering conflicts over China’s movements in the Asia-Pacific, most recently against The Philippines and Vietnam, are prompting U.S. military leaders to re-examine standing military-to-military agreements between Washington and its allies, Greenert said. “We exercise and interoperate . . . reasonably good” with Manila, Saigon and other regional powers already, the CNO said. But as Chinese aggression continues to threaten stability in the Pacific, Greenert suggested it may be time to re-draft standing status of forces agreements (SOFAs) with the Philippines, Vietnam and others to address Beijing’s actions. “I am waiting to see what we could do more of” in terms of military-to-military cooperation with Pacific allies, he said. Navy leaders are also exploring options as to what U.S. allies in the Pacific could do to back American-led efforts in the region,given the fiscal difficulties the Pentagon is facing stateside, according to Greenert. “There are fiscal realities that are going to affect” the Asia-Pacific strategy, the CNO said, “and that is going to result in us depending more” on US allies in the region. He declined to go into details regarding what more U.S. forces or their allies could do in the years ahead, but Greenert’s comments come less than a month after the White House finalized a landmark defense pact with the Philippines, which will re-open key military bases to U.S. forces for the first time since the 1990s. The defense deal, officially known as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), was made official during President Obama’s visit in April. Greenert did not comment on whether a similar deal should be part of a possible new SOFA deal with Vietnam or with other U.S. allies in Asia. Last Thursday, Manila released aerial surveillance photos of a suspected military outpost located on the on the Johnson South Reef in the hotly-contested international waterway, according to recent reports. Manila lambasted the new base, claiming China was encroaching on international waters. For its part, Beijing said the facility was located in Chinese sovereign waters. Claims of harassment by Chinese warships against Vietnamese military and civilian vessels operating in the South China Sea have sparked violent anti-Chinese demonstrations in Saigon and elsewhere in the country. A number of Chinese nationals were killed during the civil unrest in Vietnam, as protesters continue to target those individuals living and working in the country. On Vietnam specifically, the top Navy commander suggested military planners in Washington, Beijing and Saigon “cool off and move in a deliberate matter” to de-escalate tensions, he said. Source: http://news.usni.org/2014/05/19/greenert-navy-starting-shape-events-volatile-south-china-sea |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Sat May 24, 2014 1:44 am Post #5 |
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![]() PHOTO: Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of the United States Pacific Command. US to bring 'very best' forces in Southeast Asia amid sea row By Camille Diola (philstar.com) | Updated February 12, 2014 - 4:20pm MANILA, Philippines - As part of the Obama administration's rebalancing strategy, the United States will position its top armed forces capabilities in the Asia Pacific, a ranking military official said. US Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Locklear said that American forces are working to have a "huge impact" in the region's security. "We're also gonna ensure that the forces that we have forwarded are the very best of what we could produce, that US can produce," Locklear said in a recent video by East Asia and Pacific Media Hub. "We'll put our very best destroyers here, our very best ballistic missile offense here, our very best airplanes here, our very best people here," he elaborated. He said this amid China's increasing assertiveness in claiming 80 percent of South China Sea, opposing exclusive economic zones of its neighbors including the Philippines. Alongside such maritime tension, the US' Asian allies including the Philippines, will also have a boost in their military strength in the coming years, Locklear said. "You'll see more US capability. But you'll also see more capability in the security of our allies as well. So this is isn't just about the United States. It's about how we collectively ensure security in this part of the world, how we build an environment for continued prosperity for our children," he added. Moreover, the US will assist Southeast Asian nations in terms of their security capabilities and will be more present diplomatically, economically and socially. "We will try to provide support to them as they grow in all aspects of what an ASEAN does but security as well. We were looking at assisting in exercises, that type of thing," he said. "We're on the good path. You'll see us out and about more," the official added. General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of the US Pacific Air Forces, meanwhile said that the US and the Philippines are discussing a strategy to anticipate future moves by military powers in the region such as China, North Korea and Russia. "We have many, many of those strategy discussions within the joint force under Admiral Locklear and his family of plans that he has developed," Carlisle said. He admitted, however, that the ongoing dialogue considers the Philippines' bilateral relationship with China in other aspects besides the territorial row. "They have a trade with China. They have an economic relationship with China and cultural [ties] ... It requires a lot of discussion on what we can do in peace time to better relationships," he said. http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/02/12/1289558/us-bring-very-best-forces-southeast-asia-amid-sea-row |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Sun May 25, 2014 1:30 pm Post #6 |
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US forming new security alliance in Asia-Pacific Amid a warning from China against military alliances in the region, the United States is working out a new “security architecture” in the Asia-Pacific with its strategic partners and treaty allies including the Philippines, official sources said. The new security arrangement is being forged as regional tensions rise over China’s increasingly aggressive moves to stake its territorial claim over waters around it, including nearly the entire South China Sea. New US bases, considered too expensive by Washington, are out, according to the sources. Instead, the United States will be working with “spokes” in the new security architecture as part of the pivot or rebalancing of US forces in the region. The sources told The STAR that aside from the Philippines, the “spokes” would include Australia and Japan, and possibly Singapore and Thailand. Washington is also wooing Malaysia as a strategic partner. Singapore allows US naval and air force troops to use the Sembawang military base under an agreement concluded in 1992. US forces also hold joint exercises with Thai troops, although US aid has been suspended following the recent military coup in Bangkok. Last Friday at a session on security during the World Economic Forum on East Asia, Admiral William Locklear III, commander of US Pacific forces, noted the “rapid growth of military equipment” in the Asia-Pacific which, “if improperly used,” would mean “we have a big problem.” With economies growing rapidly, he observed, the region has become “the most militarized” in the world. “For business to go on, there has to be some kind of security architecture,” Locklear said. He explored this new “architecture” at a subsequent closed-door WEF meeting with Philippine officials and experts on security in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. At the earlier session, Locklear emphasized that the US has maintained a strong security presence in the Asia-Pacific for 70 years and “the US military position is to welcome China as a partner.” “The US position is not to contain China,” Locklear said as he pointed out that the two countries’ interests “converge” on about 80 percent of issues. But much of the issues outside that 80 percent, he said, “happen to be here.” Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a veiled warning last Wednesday against forging regional military alliances aimed at his country. Xi issued the warning as Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam find common cause against aggressive Chinese moves to stake its territorial claim in the East China Sea and the so-called Nine-Dash Line in the South China Sea. At the WEF session, Locklear described the Nine-Dash Line as “rather ambiguous” as he called for a “baseline” and maintenance of the status quo in disputed waters. He also said a “winner-take-all” attitude could not work in the region. Told that Russia has its own “pivot” to Asia, Locklear commented, “Whether Russia has the capability to become a significant Asia-Pacific power I think has yet to be determined… but it certainly is something that has to be thought about.” Official sources said Russia’s incursion into Ukraine has raised concern in Washington that China may try something similar in staking its territorial claims, in the guise of protecting its citizens overseas. US President Barack Obama, in his visit to Asia last month, assured Japan that Washington is committed to come to its defense in case of an attack on its territory, including the Senkaku Islands that China is also claiming. The US administered the Senkakus after World War II and later turned them over to Tokyo. There was no such reassurance from Obama on shoals and reefs in the West Philippine Sea, within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone, that China is also claiming. Chinese forces have used water cannons to prevent the delivery of supplies to Philippine forces stationed on an old Navy ship grounded on Ayungin Shoal in the Spratlys. Beijing has declared an Air Defense Identification Zone that Manila fears may be extended to the entire South China Sea. The Philippines has brought the dispute to the United Nations for arbitration and delineation of its maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea – a move that has infuriated Beijing. Vietnam is said to be considering a similar move. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario, who was at the WEF meeting, explained to the audience that seeking arbitration “is not a matter of us going against China but rather for us to get some clarity.” Manila and Washington are still fine-tuning the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was signed during Obama’s visit in Manila last month. The EDCA provides the framework for increased rotational presence of US troops in the Philippines. http://digitaledition.philstar.com/newspaper/showArticle/55950/share/US-forming-new-security-alliance-in-AsiaPacific/?utm_content=buffer0faad&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Mon May 26, 2014 11:57 pm Post #7 |
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![]() Photo: Sailors man the rails as USS George Washington (CVN 73) departs Yokosuka, May 24. (U.S Navy/MC3 Paolo Bayas) George Washington Strike Group Departs for Western Pacific Patrol By MC3 Chris Cavagnaro | Posted May 24, 2014 | CPF YOKOSUKA, Japan – The U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) departed its forward-operating location of Fleet Activities Yokosuka, May 24, to patrol the Indo-Asia-Pacific as the flagship of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWCSG). George Washington has spent the last few months in port conducting its Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) after returning from its 2013 patrol in December. "I am extremely proud of how successful the maintenance professionals of Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard, Ship's Repair Facility Yokosuka and our crew have been to prepare the ship for its 2014 patrol," said Capt. Greg Fenton, George Washington's commanding officer. "We've completed numerous evolutions and certifications during our in port period, and we hope to continue that high level of dedication toward mission readiness as we patrol the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations." George Washington recently completed Crew Certification, Sea Trials and an at-sea ammunition on-load in preparation to return to sea. "George Washington did a fantastic job completing the SRA and wrapping up a complex testing program to prepare the ship for sea," said Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, commander, Battle Force Seventh Fleet. "No other aircraft carrier can do what the forward-deployed aircraft carrier can do, which is take a ship from a fast cruise completion to a deployment 96 hours later. It speaks volumes to the leadership of the ship, and the strength of the crew of George Washington that we're able to pull the ship through this challenging sustainment phase and get right into operations." The GWCSG, along with regional allies and partners, will provide security and stability throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific. "It's a great opportunity for us to conduct exercises and operations with our partners, and to conduct meaningful theater security cooperation engagements throughout the Western Pacific," said Montgomery. "We'll also prepare for our major exercise scheduled later this year, and we'll continue to build our warfighting readiness across all the surface ships and aircraft in Battle Force 7th Fleet." Joining GWCSG will be guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Lake Erie (CG 70), guided-missile destroyers USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) and USS Kidd (DDG 100); and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, which consists of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27; VFA 102; VFA 115; VFA 195; Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136; Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 115; Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30, Detachment 5; Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77; and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12. Source: http://www.cpf.navy.mil/news.aspx/030400#.U4MiiYBbJvQ.facebook |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Thu May 29, 2014 2:05 am Post #8 |
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PH open to new regional security architecture ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 05/25/2014 1:48 PM | Updated as of 05/26/2014 11:26 AM MANILA - The Philippines is willing to listen to the United States following reports a new security alliance is being planned with other Asia Pacific nations. In an interview with radio dzRB, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said “we are ready to listen to whatever plan that the US has.” He said the new plan, if there ever is one, has yet to be coursed through the proper diplomatic channels. He said Malacanang has yet to hear from the US. “If it reaches that point, we will ensure it will be studied carefully,” he said. He said the country’s national interest will be paramount if that time comes. A Philippine Star report said the US is working out a new “security architecture” in the region amid continued aggression from China. The report, quoting sources, said the US will be working with “spokes” in the new security architecture, which is part of its Asian pivot plan. “The sources told The STAR that aside from the Philippines, the ‘spokes’ would include Australia and Japan, and possibly Singapore and Thailand. Washington is also wooing Malaysia as a strategic partner,” the report said. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/25/14/ph-open-new-regional-security-architecture |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Sat May 31, 2014 1:23 am Post #9 |
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Hagel to raise China disputes in Beijing meeting By Lolita C. Baldor (Associated Press) | Updated May 30, 2014 - 3:20pm ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, days after the U.S. and China traded new accusations of cyberspying, says he will press the same issues in a face-to-face meeting with a top military officer from Beijing this weekend. Hagel said Thursday he also plans to raise many of the territorial disputes that have raised tempers in the Asia Pacific region and talk about "where we think China is overplaying its hand and presenting new challenges and new tensions to this area." His meeting with Lt. Gen. Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the General Staff, is slated for Saturday. It comes during a national security conference in Singapore, where other Asian nations are also likely to air complaints about the escalating clashes in the region over disputed islands, colliding ships and China's placement of an oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam. Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hagel said the only way to deal with the differences "is to be upfront" about them. He also said that despite the disputes, the U.S. and China continue to try to improve their military relations to assure the region that the two powerful nations "have some sense of each other's intentions, we have some ability to communicate when tensions rise, we have mechanisms, bridges, to deal with those before they get beyond our ability to deal with them." One topic of discussion will probably be the U.S. move less than two weeks ago to charge five Chinese military officers with hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets. The Chinese fired back this week, saying a monthslong investigation concluded that the U.S. is conducting unscrupulous cyber espionage and that China is a major target. The usually cool relationship between Washington and Beijing has been particularly frosty lately, as they have sparred over the cyberattacks, China's military buildup and its aggressive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas. In China for meetings with senior leaders last month, Hagel at one point wagged his finger saying that Beijing has no right to establish unilaterally an air defense zone over disputed island in the region with no consultation with other nations. This week, U.S. officials expressed concern about dangerous conduct and intimidation by Chinese ships when a wooden Vietnamese fishing boat sank after a clash with a Chinese vessel in the South China Sea. Beijing's recent declaration of an air defense zone over a large swath of the East China Sea, including disputed islands controlled by Japan, has raised complaints from the U.S., deepening concerns that it could spark a confrontation. Washington has refused to recognize the zone or follow China's demands that its aircraft file flight plans with Beijing's Defense Ministry and heed Chinese instructions. China has warned of unspecified retaliatory measures against aircraft that do not comply, but so far it has taken no action. This is Hagel's fifth trip to Asia in a little more than a year and it's aimed at furthering U.S. efforts to focus more on the Pacific region. The Pentagon has added more troops and rotational deployments to the region, increased the ships assigned to the Pacific and laid out plans to beef up missile defense systems aimed largely at protecting the area and the U.S. from any provocative actions by the North Koreans. http://www.philstar.com/world/2014/05/30/1329114/hagel-raise-china-disputes-beijing-meeting Obama calls on US Senate to ratify UNCLOS http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/05/30/1329020/obama-calls-us-senate-ratify-unclos Edited by Flipzi, Sat May 31, 2014 1:25 am.
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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| Flipzi | Wed Jun 4, 2014 9:03 pm Post #10 |
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US: China tensions bad for Asia business By Teresa Cerojano (Associated Press) | Updated June 4, 2014 - 6:01pm MANILA, Philippines — A senior U.S. official said Wednesday that Washington wants to expand its economic ties with Asia, the world's fastest growing region, but warned that China's provocative conduct in the South China Sea raises tensions that are bad for business. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker told American and Filipino business groups that the United States has overinvested its diplomatic, economic and strategic resources in other parts of the world. She said it was committed to policies "to correct the imbalance and to deepen U.S. engagement" with Asia. Pritzker's swing through Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar is mainly focused on the economic elements of President Barack Obama's policy of refocusing U.S. foreign policy on Asia. At the same time, Obama has been in Europe reassuring U.S. allies about its security commitments to the region after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula raised tensions. Asia and the Pacific are expected to be home to 54 percent of the world's middle class by 2022 and will import nearly $10 trillion worth of goods and services by then, more than double the level today, Pritzker said. Through 2020, more than $1 trillion of infrastructure investment is needed in the 10-member countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations to meet the demands of a growing population. She told reporters that American companies are optimistic about the region. But China's deployment last month of an oil rig accompanied by government vessels in South China Sea waters also claimed by Vietnam and its incursions into areas claimed by the Philippines "are provocative and they raise tensions." "We're very concerned about that," she said. "Actions like these create uncertainty, which is not good for the business environment." China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan have overlapping claims across the South China Sea, one the world's busiest shipping lanes. Beijing says it has sovereignty over virtually all of the resource-rich waters since ancient times. Pritzker said the United States has a national interest in maintaining peace, unimpeded lawful commerce, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. It supports diplomatic and legal means to resolve the dispute, including the Philippines' decision to seek arbitration from an international tribunal in The Hague. __ AP Writer Oliver Teves contributed to this report. http://www.philstar.com/business/2014/06/04/1331016/us-china-tensions-bad-asia-business |
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Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan Manila, Philippines getflipzi@yahoo.com http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!" " People don't care what we know until they know we care." | |
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8:41 AM Jul 11