By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau  @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/731954/us-china-engaging-shadow-boxing-fvr WASHINGTON – “Shadow boxing” between the United States and China has taken a serious turn over the latter’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea  or South China Sea to the Chinese  and the East China Sea, according to former President Fidel Ramos. Beijing and Washington are […]

By Jose Katigbak STAR Washington Bureau (The Philippine Star) @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/02/07/905848/chinas-use-non-military-vessels-disrupting-regional-security WASHINGTON – China’s use of non-military maritime vessels to advance its sovereignty claims in the East and South China Seas is disrupting regional security in ways that could very well lead to conflict, the Center for New American Security said. A CNAS article by Zachary […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau (The Philippine Star)  @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/08/30/843482/us-asean-come-unified-position-south-china-sea-issue WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will press the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to come up with a unified position on the South China Sea controversy when she visits Asia again this week, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday. At […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington bureau (The Philippine Star) @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/07/21/829913/chinese-exec-wants-arm-fishermen WASHINGTON – A leading Chinese fishery official has urged Beijing to provide arms and military training for 100,000 fishermen and let them roam the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea to defeat the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries in the region challenging China’s sweeping […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau (The Philippine Star) @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/06/22/820108/unclos-wont-resolve-sea-row WASHINGTON – US accession to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) will not resolve conflicting claims by a number of countries including the Philippines and China to barren islands, reefs, shoals and coral outcrops in the South China Sea, said […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau (The Philippine Star) @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/06/09/815219/p-noy-wont-drag-us-military-west-phl-sea-dispute WASHINGTON – President Aquino assured Americans he would not drag the United States in any military intervention in the West Philippine Sea crisis and said he was committed to defusing the tension in Panatag Shoal where Chinese and Philippine vessels have been locked in […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau  @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/803844/talks-endanger-china-claims-study WASHINGTON – Multilateral negotiations over disputed islands, rocks and reefs in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) will most likely result in China losing part of its claimed territory and maritime rights, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) said. Also, China’s full acceptance of […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau  @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/803405/phl-needs-48-fighter-jets-6-mini-submarines-report WASHINGTON – The Philippines needs up to four squadrons (48) of upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets, more well-armed frigates and corvette-size, fast to surface combatant vessels and minesweepers and four to six mini submarines, possibly obtained from Russia, to build a credible defense force in the […]

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington Bureau @ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/775425/us-government-hand-over-second-ship-philippines WASHINGTON – The US government will hand over a second Coast Guard cutter to the Philippines with the aim of improving the country’s maritime security in light of heightened tension in the South China Sea, a congressional hearing was told. Republican Rep. Ed Royce told a House […]