Chinese leader Xi Jinping has urged former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to continue promoting relations between their countries amid the Philippines’ growing ties with the United States. Mr. Duterte, whose six-year presidential term ended in June 2022, made a surprise visit to Beijing on July 17 for talks with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader….

The United States on Tuesday urged China to stop interfering with the freedoms in the South China Sea and end its “routine harassment” of claimant state vessels operating in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ). State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal that…

France and Germany have voiced concern over the recent incidents in the South China Sea and affirmed support for a 2016 arbitrary ruling on the sea dispute, which upheld the Philippines’ territorial claims. The French embassy called for respect for international law and resolving disputes through dialogue after reports of Philippine coast guard ships being…

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday that two Chinese coast guard vessels had “followed, harassed, and obstructed” its ships on a support mission in the disputed South China Sea on June 30. PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said the PCG vessels—BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua—were assisting a naval operation in the Ayungin Shoal when…

The United States, Japan, and the Philippines have pledged to bolster their trilateral defense capabilities, including holding multilateral joint naval drills in the Indo-Pacific waters where tensions have risen. National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Japanese and Philippine counterparts for the first time in Tokyo, Japan, on June 15 to discuss enhancing trilateral…

The Philippines said on May 16 that it would retake control of a power grid company that is partly owned by China if deemed necessary amid security concerns over China’s alleged control of the nation’s power grid. Philippines Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, discussed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recent power…

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Friday that she had “irrevocably” resigned from the country’s ruling party, where she served as the chairperson, lamenting “execrable political powerplay.” Her resignation from the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) Party took effect on the same day. In her statement, Duterte did not explicitly state the reason behind her decision…

The Philippines on Monday warned of “serious repercussions” if China removes navigational buoys installed within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) installed five navigational buoys last week to mark its sovereignty over the country’s EEZ in the South China Sea—which Manila refers to as…

Former Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, a vocal critic of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, was acquitted Friday in the second drug-related charge against her after serving six years in jail. De Lima, 63, was arrested in 2017 on drug-related charges after she launched a senate investigation into violations committed during Duterte’s “war on drugs,”…

The United States and the Philippines reaffirmed the need for peace across the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement issued Monday amid Beijing’s intimidating actions against the self-ruled island. President Joe Biden met with his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at the White House and issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to deepen the…