KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Philippines on Sunday urged the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to take immediate steps to halt land reclamation by China in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, warning that failure to do so will see Beijing take “de facto control’’ of the area. Philippine Foreign Secretary […]
In US-Japan talks, China’s leader a factor
By Jim Kuhnhenn and Matthew Lee Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met last Tuesday, a major subtext of their discussions was the world leader not in the room — Chinese President Xi Jinping. China’s rise underlies both the economic and security discussions that will highlight […]
No news is good news — On Carter’s first Asia trip as Pentagon chief, calm prevails
HONOLULU (AP)—No news is good news. That might have been the bumper sticker for Ash Carter’s first tour of Asia as secretary of defense. It was mostly quiet on the Eastern front. Carter consulted with Japanese and South Korean leaders, gave pep talks to American troops, stressed the U.S. military’s stabilizing influence in the region […]
Britain applies to join Chinese-led Asian bank
By Joe McDonald AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Britain has become the first major Western government to apply for membership in a proposed Chinese-led Asian regional bank that Washington worries will undercut institutions such as the World Bank. The British Treasury said Thursday it will join talks this month on the Asian Infrastructure Investment […]
US Marine charged in Filipino transgender slaying
By Jim Gomez Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine government prosecutors charged a U.S. Marine with murder Monday in the killing of a Filipino, saying the suspect acknowledged attacking the victim after he found out she was a transgender woman.
Panel predicts China will keep confronting US
By Matthew Pennington Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Tensions between the U.S. and China have deepened during the rule of China’s president, Xi Jinping, and the risk of an inadvertent military clash in the Asia-Pacific is growing, a congressional advisory panel said Thursday.
Filipino protesters denounce China’s “bullying”
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — About 100 Filipinos carrying mock missiles marched Thursday to the Chinese consulate in Manila to protest China’s actions in asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Filipino activists call for end to U.S. defense pact
By Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Protesters clashed on July 4 with police near the U.S. Embassy in Manila, where about 100 of them marched to mark Philippine-American Friendship day with a call to junk a new defense pact allowing thousands of U.S. troops to be temporarily based in the country.
Vietnam allows anti-China protest over oil rig in Paracel Islands
By Chris Brummitt Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – Vietnam allowed several hundred demonstrators to stage a noisy rally outside the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi on May 11 against Beijing’s deployment of an oil rig in the contested South China Sea that has triggered a tense standoff and raised fears of confrontation.
US ups security aid to SE Asia, criticizes China
By Matthew Lee and Matthew Pennington Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry offered harsh words for China and new maritime security assistance for Southeast Asia on Dec. 16 to bolster countries facing growing Chinese assertiveness in a region where the two world powers are jockeying for influence.