Rappler's latest stories on paracel islands
Pentagon: China military exercises will 'further destabilize' South China Sea
Washington rejects Beijing's territorial claim to much of the South China Sea, including the Paracels
Beijing names islands in disputed South China Sea
The notice lists the Chinese names and coordinates of 80 islands, reefs, seamounts, shoals and ridges, 55 of them submerged in water
PH raises 'trust' issues with China after it sank Vietnam ship in South China Sea
The Philippines expresses solidarity with Vietnam, nearly a year after Vietnamese fishermen rescued Filipinos sunk and abandoned by a Chinese ship in Recto Bank
China condemns U.S. navy sail-by in disputed South China Sea
The US Navy says the USS Gabrielle Giffords littoral combat ship sailed near Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, and the USS Wayne E. Meyer guided-missile destroyer passed the Paracel Islands
China says U.S. aims to 'stir up trouble' with naval sail-by
The guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance and USS Preble sail near the Beijing-claimed Spratly Islands earlier Monday, February 11, as part of what Washington calls 'freedom of navigation operations'
Why Philippines should protest vs China bombers in Paracels
Former DFA chief Albert del Rosario says a protest by the Philippines will 'galvanize the support of countries' opposing the militarization of the South China Sea
Mattis accuses China of 'intimidation and coercion' in South China Sea
(UPDATED) Speaking at a high-profile security summit in Singapore, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis also says the US military continues to support diplomats pushing for the 'complete, verifiable and irreversible' denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Cayetano says PH can't file protest vs China bombers
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano says it is 'ridiculous' to protest about an action beyond Philippine shores. 'Paano tayo magpo-protest sa hindi natin territory?'
U.S. to keep confronting Beijing in South China Sea – Mattis
'We are going out of our way to cooperate with Pacific nations, that's the way we do business in the world, but we are also going to confront what we believe is out of step with international law,' US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says
Beijing protests U.S. warship operation in South China Sea
China's foreign ministry issues a statement expressing 'resolute opposition' to the US sail-by of the territory in the disputed Paracel Island chain
China deploys new weapons systems to Paracel Islands
Nearby, the Philippines begins 'long-delayed repairs' to its runway on the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, says the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
More than 1,600 Chinese structures in South China Sea
From basketball courts to buildings with radar equipment, nearly 800 of these Chinese structures can be found in the West Philippine Sea
Carpio, Del Rosario urge PH to protest Chinese bombers
Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio warns the Duterte administration against 'handing over to China on a silver platter the West Philippine Sea'
Robredo alarmed over Chinese bombers in South China Sea
Vice President Leni Robredo, however, erroneously says the Chinese bombers landed on Philippine territory. The Philippines is not claiming ownership of the Paracel Islands, where the bombers landed.
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Unlike Philippines, Vietnam condemns Chinese bombers
Vietnam 'demands that China stop these activities' and 'cease militarization' of the South China Sea, even as Manila won't publicly condemn Beijing
Beijing denies 'militarization' of South China Sea
'The South China Sea islands are Chinese territories,' says China foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang, adding this is 'part of the normal training for the Chinese military'
[OPINION] On the South China Sea: Let us help our President
'As we had previously said, we are opposed to war – as we should be. But if threatened by the use of force, we should be ready to inflict, at the very least, a bloody nose on any attacker who is out to harm us.'
PH to raise Chinese bombers during next talks with China
Malacañang, however, says President Rodrigo Duterte still does not consider China a threat
DFA won't publicly condemn China over bombers
Instead of publicizing a diplomatic protest, the Philippines says it is 'closely monitoring developments in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea'
DFA silent on Chinese bombers in South China Sea
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon condemns 'this creeping invasion' while Senator Risa Hontiveros tells government 'to end their subservience to China'
Chinese bombers land on South China Sea island
'Nearly all of the Philippines falls within the radius of the bombers, including Manila and all 5 Philippine military bases earmarked for development under the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,' says the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Vietnam slams China over military drills in disputed sea
UPDATED Hanoi condemns Beijing s latest military drills in the Paracel Islands a contentious archipelago claimed by both sides
U.S. warship sails close to South China Sea island occupied by Beijing
UPDATED The USS Stethem passes less than 12 nautical miles from Triton Island a move likely to provoke China
China slams 'provocative' US sail-by in South China Sea
The ship s entrance into China s territorial waters is a serious illegal act and a deliberately provocative act says China s defense ministry
US destroyer sails close to contested islands in South China Sea
The USS Decatur conducted this transit in a routine lawful manner without ship escorts and without incident says the Pentagon
China to hold drills in disputed waters ahead of court ruling
The drills will be held in waters around the Paracel Islands from July 5 to 11 with other ships prohibited from entering the waters during that time
China eyeing air defense zone over South China Sea – report
The trigger for an announcement would be if the United States continues making provocative moves that would challenge China in the region the South China Morning Post reports
Beijing: South China Sea defenses 'absolutely necessary'
China s defense ministry speaks out as tensions rise between the US and China over reports that Beijing has deployed surface to air missiles fighter jets and radar installations in the contested region
China deploys fighter jets to contested island
UPDATED The Chinese Foreign Ministry neither confirms nor denies this but says its activities are within its sovereign territory
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China confirms 'weapons' on disputed island
China attempts to downplay the deployment saying recent reports are an example of Western media playing the same old tune about a China threat
Kerry slams Beijing's increased 'militarization' in South China Sea
Tensions in the sea are mounting in recent months since China transformed contested reefs in the Spratly islands further south into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities
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Beijing deploys missiles on disputed island – Taiwan
UPDATED The report comes as US President Barack Obama called for tangible steps to reduce tensions in the region
US warship sailed in waters off island claimed by China – Pentagon
The Pentagon says the freedom of navigation operation was carried out to challenge excessive maritime claims of parties that claim the Paracel Islands
Vietnam fishermen 'attacked by Chinese boats'
One of the 13 man crew is knocked over and breaks his leg during the altercation according to the crew
Vietnam joins Philippines in case vs China
Vietnam submits its position on the Philippine arbitration case against China the first time another South China Sea claimant legally challenged China s claims
China builds military airstrip on disputed island – Xinhua
The runway is Beijing s latest physical assertion of control in the area two years after it declared a city named Sansha centered on Woody Island – known as Yongxing in Chinese – to administer vast swathes of the South China Sea
China blames Vietnam for ramming ships again
To pin down China however Vietnam releases images of the latest ramming incident between Hanoi and Beijing in the disputed South China Sea
Q and A: 'Brave, patriotic' Vietnam challenges China
We don t fear anything the Vietnamese ambassador tells Rappler as he slams China s dream to claim the entire South China Sea
China: Vietnam rammed our ships 1,400 times
China claims Vietnam – an economic dwarf compared to Beijing – provoked the Asian giant first in the South China Sea
China defends oil rig in dispute with Vietnam
China says the drilling operations are within China s jurisdiction and accuses Vietnamese vessels of illegally and forcefully disrupting work there
Vietnam airs video of Chinese ship ramming fishing boat
Vietnamese officials say 10 fishermen on board were rescued by nearby vessels after the incident which occurred about 12 nautical miles southwest of the oil rig
China fires water cannon at another Vietnam ship
The Vietnamese ship was severely damaged reports the state run China National Radio while Chinese Internet users applaud how Beijing has dealt with Hanoi
Vietnam mulls 'legal actions' against China
Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also tells Reuters that Vietnam is considering various defense options
ASEAN raises 'serious concerns' about China
The foreign ministers urge all parties concerned to exercise self restraint and avoid actions which could undermine peace and stability in the area
Will Vietnam follow PH and file case vs China?
If China continues its current activities in the Paracels without let up it is providing a pretext for key countries in Southeast Asia to unite in pushing harder for the immediate conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea
China blames Vietnam for ship collisions in disputed waters
Foreign ministry official Yi Xianliang said Vietnamese ships had rammed Chinese vessels 171 times since May 3 – in sharp contrast to Vietnam s claim that its own patrol vessels were repeatedly rammed by Chinese ships protecting a deep water drilling rig near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea
US: China's oil rig near Paracels 'provocative'
US state department spokesperson Jen Psaki says China s action undermines peace and stability in the region
