BEIJING: China’s top newspaper, decrying Washington as a trouble-maker, said on Monday US moves in the South China Sea like last week’s freedom of navigation operation will only cause China to strengthen its deployments in the disputed waterway.
China’s foreign ministry said the USS Hopper destroyer came within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan island, which is better known as the Scarborough Shoal and is subject to a rival claim by the Philippines, a historic ally of the United States.
It was the latest US naval operation challenging extensive Chinese claims in the South China Sea and came even as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks Chinese cooperation in dealing with North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.
The ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily said in a commentary that, with the situation generally improving in the South China Sea, it was clear that the United States was the one militarising the region.
“Against this backdrop of peace and cooperation, a US ship wantonly provoking trouble is singleminded to the point of recklessness,” the paper said.
“If the relevant party once more makes trouble out of nothing and causes tensions, then it will only cause China to reach this conclusion: in order to earnestly protect peace in the South China Sea, China must strengthen and speed up the building of its abilities there,” it said.
The commentary was published under the pen name “Zhong Sheng,” meaning “Voice of China,” which is often used to give the paper’s view on foreign policy issues.
The Scarborough Shoal is located within the Philippines’ 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone but an international tribunal in 2016 ruled that it is a traditional fishing ground that no one country has sole rights to exploit.
The US military says it carries out “freedom of navigation” operations throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations.
The Pentagon has not commented directly on the latest patrol but said such operations are routine.
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US forcing Beijing to accelerate South China Sea deployments, People’s Daily says
US forcing Beijing to accelerate South China Sea deployments, People’s Daily says
Philippine Vice President Duterte will seek presidency in 2028 but faces impeachment bids
- Her bid would have to withstand new impeachment attempts and criminal complaints that could ban her from public office if convicted
MANILA: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday she would seek the presidency in the 2028 elections — a bid that would have to withstand new impeachment attempts in Congress and criminal complaints that could ban her from public office if convicted.
She made the announcement in a televised speech where she renewed allegations of corruption and misrule against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. They were running mates in a whirlwind alliance in the 2022 election but have since had a bitter falling out.
She and her family have blamed Marcos for the detention of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces a potential trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, which ordered his arrest and detention in the Netherlands last year over his deadly anti-drugs crackdown.
Sara Duterte accused Marcos of reneging on his campaign promises and of misrule. She repeatedly asked for public forgiveness for problems such as government corruption, law-and-order issues and inflation.
“Politicians often avoid announcing their plans early so they wouldn’t be the target of attacks,” Duterte said. “But this administration has long destroyed my name.”
She then announced her presidential bid and left a news conference without taking any questions.
Marcos, who is limited to a single, six-year term, did not immediately react to the vice president’s presidential bid and her allegations. A presidential spokesperson, Claire Castro, said Duterte should apologize to the public for the many irregularities and corruption allegations she’s facing along with her frequent personal trips abroad.
“She should ask forgiveness for focusing on destroying reputations of other people instead of doing her work and helping the government,” Castro said.
Most of the allegations against Duterte had been included in an impeachment complaint she survived on a technicality last year.
The House of Representatives had voted to impeach her and sent the case to the Senate for trial. The Supreme Court, however, later ruled that the lower chamber violated a constitutional rule that only one impeachment case could be processed by it in a single year against an impeachable official.
The impeachment complaints filed this month centered on her alleged illegal use and mishandling of $10.3 million in confidential funds from the vice president’s office and from her time as education secretary under Marcos.
Another complaint accused her of having unexplained wealth, including in personal bank accounts. An anti-graft prosecutor has said his agency was trying to gain access to those accounts as part of a separate criminal investigation.
The vice president’s threat during an online news conference in 2024 to have the president, his wife and House of Representatives speaker killed if she herself was assassinated was cited in one of the impeachment complaints.
During the House’s original investigation into the allegations, Duterte refused to respond in detail to questions and skipped some of the televised hearings.
The vice president’s lawyer, Michael Poa, has said Duterte was prepared to confront these allegations and was confident “that a fair and impartial review will demonstrate that the accusations are devoid of both factual and legal basis.”
Rodrigo Duterte aligned himself closely with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his stormy presidency, which ended in 2022. He was succeeded by Marcos, who has deepened defense and military ties with Washington to confront an increasingly assertive Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.
Sara Duterte has been criticized for failing to publicly call out China for its aggressive actions against the Philippines in the disputed waters.
“Let’s be cautious and analytical. Somebody who is seeking your vote maybe a Manchurian candidate,” Castro said.
She made the announcement in a televised speech where she renewed allegations of corruption and misrule against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. They were running mates in a whirlwind alliance in the 2022 election but have since had a bitter falling out.
She and her family have blamed Marcos for the detention of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces a potential trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, which ordered his arrest and detention in the Netherlands last year over his deadly anti-drugs crackdown.
Sara Duterte accused Marcos of reneging on his campaign promises and of misrule. She repeatedly asked for public forgiveness for problems such as government corruption, law-and-order issues and inflation.
“Politicians often avoid announcing their plans early so they wouldn’t be the target of attacks,” Duterte said. “But this administration has long destroyed my name.”
She then announced her presidential bid and left a news conference without taking any questions.
Marcos, who is limited to a single, six-year term, did not immediately react to the vice president’s presidential bid and her allegations. A presidential spokesperson, Claire Castro, said Duterte should apologize to the public for the many irregularities and corruption allegations she’s facing along with her frequent personal trips abroad.
“She should ask forgiveness for focusing on destroying reputations of other people instead of doing her work and helping the government,” Castro said.
Most of the allegations against Duterte had been included in an impeachment complaint she survived on a technicality last year.
The House of Representatives had voted to impeach her and sent the case to the Senate for trial. The Supreme Court, however, later ruled that the lower chamber violated a constitutional rule that only one impeachment case could be processed by it in a single year against an impeachable official.
The impeachment complaints filed this month centered on her alleged illegal use and mishandling of $10.3 million in confidential funds from the vice president’s office and from her time as education secretary under Marcos.
Another complaint accused her of having unexplained wealth, including in personal bank accounts. An anti-graft prosecutor has said his agency was trying to gain access to those accounts as part of a separate criminal investigation.
The vice president’s threat during an online news conference in 2024 to have the president, his wife and House of Representatives speaker killed if she herself was assassinated was cited in one of the impeachment complaints.
During the House’s original investigation into the allegations, Duterte refused to respond in detail to questions and skipped some of the televised hearings.
The vice president’s lawyer, Michael Poa, has said Duterte was prepared to confront these allegations and was confident “that a fair and impartial review will demonstrate that the accusations are devoid of both factual and legal basis.”
Rodrigo Duterte aligned himself closely with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his stormy presidency, which ended in 2022. He was succeeded by Marcos, who has deepened defense and military ties with Washington to confront an increasingly assertive Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.
Sara Duterte has been criticized for failing to publicly call out China for its aggressive actions against the Philippines in the disputed waters.
“Let’s be cautious and analytical. Somebody who is seeking your vote maybe a Manchurian candidate,” Castro said.
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