WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

Two Chinese fighter jets were observed orbiting a Philippine aircraft during patrols with Australia in the South China Sea. The Philippines and Australia conducted a second day of sea and air exercises in the region, following patrols with the US. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for over $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis.

China, under Xi Jinping's leadership, continues to test global resolve through assertive actions, contradicting diplomatic assurances. Recent dangerous activities by China's naval and law enforcement agencies challenge its diplomatic rhetoric. Despite Xi's claim of not seeking hegemony, his regime's coercion in the South China Sea and aggressive encounters raise doubts. Western leaders, like President Biden, accurately labeling Xi as a "dictator," counter China's orchestrated image.

Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted growing tensions in the South China Sea due to China's escalating presence near Filipino territories. Speaking in Hawaii after a regional summit, Marcos emphasized the worsening situation and vowed to protect Philippine sovereignty. He underscored the US as a vital ally amid rising concerns about China's militarization of islands. The visit, significant for Marcos personally due to his father's exile in Hawaii, signals a shift in Philippine foreign policy, strengthening ties with allies like the US while navigating territorial disputes with China alongside other nations.

The two countries have had numerous run-ins in areas of the South China Sea in recent months, especially the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands.

The world is developing an appetite for seaweed, a climate-friendly plant that can replace plastics & has uses in fuel, food and pharma sectors. With a large coastline, India can become a major cultivator if the government can address the technical and policy gaps.

Beijing warned Manila on Tuesday not to "stir up trouble" after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipinos from the traditional fishing ground. China, which seized the disputed reef from the Philippines in 2012, deploys coast guard and other vessels to patrol the fishing ground.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has initiated its first joint naval exercise, called ASEAN Solidarity Exercise, amid growing concerns over China's assertiveness in the region. The exercises, taking place in Indonesia's Natuna waters, aim to strengthen military ties among ASEAN nations and enhance interoperability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for an Indo-Pacific region where international law applies to all countries, freedom of navigation and commerce is ensured, and the interests of non-participating countries are considered. He also addressed the need for an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that complies with UNCLOS. Modi's comments came in response to China's territorial claims over the South China Sea. He unveiled a 12-point plan at the India-Asean Summit, emphasizing connectivity, digital infrastructure, and counter-terrorism.

China's Ministry of Natural Resources has published a new map that asserts its territorial claims, angering neighboring countries. Five ASEAN nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have denounced China's "creative cartography" in the South China Sea. The map shows an expanded version of China's controversial Nine-Dash Line, now with ten dashes, and claims territories including the Natuna Islands of Indonesia and the eastern part of Taiwan.

The governments of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan have all rejected China's new national map, accusing Beijing of claiming their territory. China published the map to correct what it claims are "problematic maps" that misrepresent its territorial borders. India also protested against the map, asserting that it only complicates the resolution of the boundary question.

A crumbling World War II-era Philippine navy vessel stranded on a submerged reef in the South China Sea has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing in their territorial dispute over the waters. AFP looks at how a rusting hulk named after a Philippine mountain range ended up at the centre of the latest diplomatic spat over the South China Sea.

At least 26 people have died and 40 others have been rescued after a small Philippine ferry was capsized on Laguna de Bay in Rizal province. Reports found the M/B Princess Aya was overloaded and investigators are looking into whether passengers were wearing life vests, as required by safety regulations. Coastguard and police said search and rescue efforts have resumed after a pause Thursday night.

China's navy is sending a destroyer and a frigate to participate in Indonesia's 2023 Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK), which will run from June 4 to 8 off the coast of Makassar. The event will also host North Korea, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. China and the US are escalating military diplomacy in the region by organising frequent war games with allies and partners around Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the west Pacific amidst rising tension in the Asia-Pacific arena.

The coast guard protested and released a video of the incident, which sparked alarm in the Philippines, the United States and some other Western countries. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned China's ambassador to Manila and later said the Philippine military has shifted its focus from fighting Muslim and communist insurgents and other internal threats to external defense amid long-seething South China Sea territorial disputes.

The president's first visit to Japan since taking office came after he recently granted the United States access to additional military bases in the Philippines under a VFA, a move that China said undermined regional stability and raised tensions. The VFA provides rules for the rotation of thousands of U.S. troops in and out of the Philippines for exercises.

Thursday's announcement comes as tensions between China and Taiwan have risen. China claims the self-ruled island as its own territory - to be taken by force if necessary - and Beijing has sent warships, bombers, fighter jets and support aircraft into airspace near Taiwan on a near-daily basis, sparking concerns of a potential blockade or military action.

The Philippines and the United States on February 1 announced their joint plans to accelerate the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

China has deployed its distant-water fishing fleet in the EEZs of Vietnam and the Philippines. According to data reported by IJ-Reportika, China has fished for over a million hours last year through its Long-liners, Tuna purse seines, Squid jiggers and Trawlers.

NATO is a leading intergovernmental military grouping of 30 member nations that was established in the aftermath of World War II. The grouping functions under the framework of collective security. The headquarters of NATO is in Brussels.

While the Indian Navy deployed its guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay and guided missile corvette INS Kora in the exercise, the Philippine Navy was represented by its frigate BRP Antonio Luna, officials said.

“While we acknowledge that China's military capability is more advanced than ours, this does not prevent us from defending our national interests and our dignity as a people with all that we have,” Lorenzana said in a video message late Sunday,

The Philippine coastguard and fisheries bureau started maritime exercises last month, having boosted its presence in the area to counter the "threatening" presence of Chinese boats.