PH says China’s territory subject to Unclos

 News
Jan 222014
 
PH says China’s territory subject to Unclos

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 10:02 pm | Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014 DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines insisted on Wednesday that under international law, China could not project its power beyond its boundaries, following Beijing’s announcement of fresh sea patrols in disputed parts of the South China Sea. In a statement, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Raul Hernandez invoked the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) to remind China of the limits of its territory. “Under international law, including Unclos, China’s [exclusive economic zone] cannot extend beyond [370 kilometers] measured from the Chinese mainland and Hainan island. Coastal states have sovereign rights over their EEZ,” Hernandez said. Hernandez insisted that China might not project its sovereign rights in the high seas, as provided under international law. “Also under international law there is a high seas area in the South China Sea over which no state can exercise sovereignty,” he said. China announced earlier this week that a 5,000-ton civilian vessel will begin regular patrols in the South China sea to “safeguard national sovereign rights and benefits, develop at-sea assistance, ensure navigational safety.” The announcement followed China’s implementation of a fisheries law requiring foreign vessels to seek approval of Chinese authorities to fish and explore in the South China Sea. The Philippines, which calls the waters within its EEZ West Philippine Sea, is protesting the regulation. Vietnam, which has territorial claims in part of the South China Sea that it Read More …

Get your Wuchang on

 Entertainment
Jan 192014
 
Get your Wuchang on

Jackie Chan stars in 1911 Revolution, part of the 8th Spring Film Festival from Jan. 24 to Feb. 6. Jackie Chan’s in the house. Well, not in the flesh, but in the premiere feature of the 8th Spring Film Festival, with eight movies being shown at Shangri-la Plaza Cineplex from Jan. 4 to Feb. 22 to promote Chinese culture locally. Chan takes the role of Huang Xing, a revolutionary during China’s homegrown rebellion from Imperial forces in 1911 Revolution. Does he get to use his celebrated martial arts skills in at least one scene against Imperial guards? He does. At the preview showing of 1911 Revolution, Sidney Bata, director of the Ricardo Leong Center of Chinese Studies, told the media, “Yes, we’re bringing Jackie Chan to Manila… to cinema screens, that is.” (But he hinted Chan might attend next year’s event in Manila.) 1911 Revolution traces the roots of the Wuchang Uprising, a provincial revolt headed by rebellious soldiers against corrupt military leaders and the government of the Qing Dynasty. It’s a sweeping historical tale that shows how Empress Dowager Cixi tried, and failed, to use bank loans from European and US leaders to buy arms and crush the rebellion, and how scholar and doctor Sun Yat-sen eventually became the first president of the Republic of China. It’s one of eight films that cover historical drama, suspense, romantic comedy and action. There’s Aftershock, which focuses on a devastating earthquake in Tangshan in 1976 that killed 240,000 people, and how a Read More …

PH to proceed with UN arbitration even without China

 News
Jan 182014
 
PH to proceed with UN arbitration even without China

OVER SEA ROW By Kristine Angeli SabilloINQUIRER.net 2:27 pm | Saturday, January 18th, 2014 DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday reiterated that it would proceed with arbitration procedures on the disputed areas of the South China Sea with or without China. However, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said it wants China, as much as possible, to join the arbitration. “To this end, we reiterate our invitation to China to join us in arbitration as we intend to proceed with or without China for a final disposition,” Hernandez said in a text message to media. It followed the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement that it wants to meet the Philippines “halfway.” Hernandez also pointed out that the Hainan provincial government’s new fishing policy is only one of the several measures imposed by China on other countries. “Hainan fisheries law is only one of the unilateral measures by China to force a change in the regional status quo in order to advance its 9-dash line position of undisputed  sovereignty over nearly the entire [South China Sea],” Hernandez said in a text message. He said the 9-dash line claim is a “gross violation of international law” that should be “fully addressed.” “In 2011, we had proposed to China that we should proceed with moving forward with our major bilateral agenda while abstracting the contentious issues and dealing with them separately. This became the content of a signed declaration between the Philippines and China’s presidents then. Read More …

AFP gradually boosting territorial defense

 News
Jan 062014
 
AFP gradually boosting territorial defense

By Frances MangosingPhilippine Daily Inquirer 9:06 pm | Monday, January 6th, 2014 Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The military is in “gradual transition” of its operations to territorial defense this 2014. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista, however, emphasized that they will continue to address internal security threats even it starts its transition to territorial defense. “We will continue to address- it’s part of our mandate- internal security issues until appropriate agencies of government are capable,” he told reporters on Monday. By 2016, the military targets the completion of its anti-insurgency Internal Peace Security Plan Bayanihan. This campaign is a multi-sectoral approach in ending insurgency problem in the country that is anchored on “winning the peace.” “We will sustain Bayanihan, [but also we] appeal to our people that internal conflicts be put to an end because there are more pressing concerns, urgent concerns that we need to address. We are witness to Yolanda, climate change. We are witness to our problems in the West Philippine Sea and many more,” he added. Communist rebels are estimated to be around 4,000. As for the military’s territorial defense, where the Philippines faces external conflict with China, Bautista also highlighted its “peaceful” approach but is also prepared for other scenarios. “We would like to resolve conflicts in the most peaceful manner, it applies internally and also externally. We will continue to pursue that national policy, without Read More …

Global tech spending seen slipping 1 pct in 2014

 Economy
Jan 052014
 
Global tech spending seen slipping 1 pct in 2014

LAS VEGAS — The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that global spending on technology will slip 1 percent this year to $1.06 trillion as the lower average selling price of smartphones and tablets offsets unit growth in markets like China. The decline is off the peak of $1.07 trillion estimated this year. Steve Koenig, the association’s director of industry analysis, issued the forecast at the opening of the annual International CES gadget show on Sunday. The retreat doesn’t reflect less consumer appetite for what Koenig called the “dynamic duo” of tech gadgets. Spending on smartphones and tablets is still expected to account for some 43 cents of every dollar spent on technology this year. But the average price of smartphones, for example, will fall from $444 in 2010 to an estimated $297 this year.

China to reorganize military defense setup

 News
Jan 022014
 
China to reorganize military defense setup

In this Dec. 26, 2013 photo, Chinese People’s Liberation Army navy personnel salute in front of a new Type 052C guided missile destroyer Zhengzhou during its commission ceremony in Zhoushan, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. China is considering reorganizing its seven military regions into five to respond more swiftly to a crisis, the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported. AP PHOTO TOKYO—China is considering reorganizing its seven military regions into five to respond more swiftly to a crisis, the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported. The news comes amid rising tensions over Beijing’s territorial claims in the region, with China and Japan squaring off over a chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Each of the new military regions will create a joint operations command that controls the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as a strategic missile unit, the daily said, citing senior Chinese military officials. The revamp would mark a shift from the current defense-oriented military that relies mainly on the Army to one that ensures more mobile and integrated management of the Army, Navy, Air Force and strategic missile units, Yomiuri said. “It is a proactive measure with eyes on counteracting the Japan-US alliance,” the daily quoted one of the officials as saying. Tokyo and Beijing are locked in a territorial row over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus. The United States, while insisting it does not take sides on sovereignty disputes, has said the Read More …

Two and a half years!

 Economy
Jan 022014
 
Two and a half years!

That’s right… P-Noy only has two and a half years left in his term. But in practical terms, he has less time than that. He only has this year and the first half of 2015 to get any thing worthwhile done… one and a half years to go. Election fever will afflict the country starting the second half of next year and through the first half of 2016. Based on past experience, nothing much for the good of the country gets done during an election year. P-Noy started off his term on a very high note. There was hope that finally the country’s economy has a good chance to become a tiger like its neighbors in Asean. And things started well as P-Noy was seen as the exact opposite of the immediate past president, Gloria Arroyo on that long festering problem of corruption. P-Noy’s credibility in the good governance arena was enough to gain the confidence of the foreign economic and political analysts. Even if the Daang Matuwid battle cry has not produced palpable results beyond the Presidential pronouncements, folks were ready to take P-Noy at his word. Indeed, we found ourselves among those considered as a most promising emerging economy in no time. It was as if everyone had always recognized the outstanding economic potential of the Philippines and it was only the sheer corruption of its governing politicians that is holding us back. We got successive credit rating upgrades. Foreign investors looking for alternatives to the developed world’s equity markets Read More …

Thousands rally on New Year’s Day for Hong Kong democracy

 News
Jan 012014
 
Thousands rally on New Year’s Day for Hong Kong democracy

Thousands of protesters march during a demonstration demanding universal suffrage for the people of Hong Kong on New Year’s Day in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. The white banner, right, reads “Real universal suffrage, No filtering.” (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG – Thousands marched in Hong Kong Wednesday to demand a greater say in how their future leaders will be chosen, expressing fears that China will limit long-awaited political reforms. “Democracy will prevail” read some banners as protesters sang and shouted slogans against the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese city, less than one month after the start of an official public consultation on a future electoral system. “Because we are Hong Kong citizens, we must vote,” said Sharon Tang, a 49-year-old trading company employee, adding that residents of the former British colony have the intelligence to choose their leaders. Mainland Chinese tourists took pictures of the march as protesters chanted “End one-party rule!” China, which took back Hong Kong in 1997, has promised that its people will be able to vote in 2017 for their next chief executive. Currently the leader is elected by a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee. But many fear that China will control the choice of candidates to secure the election of a sympathetic official. “Hong Kong people have been on the streets over the years to strive for what we deserve, and what the Chinese government has not given us,” Charles Tam, 25, told AFP. One protester had red tape wrapped around her arms and covering Read More …

Business Highlights: Hollywood struggles against new film meccas

 Economy
Dec 272013
 
Business Highlights: Hollywood struggles against new film meccas

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new filmmaking diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand. Fueled by politicians doling out generous tax breaks, filmmaking talent is migrating to where the money is. The result is an incentives arms race that pits California against governments around the world and allows powerful studios —with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal— to cherry-pick the best deals. The most recent iteration of the phenomenon came earlier this month when James Cameron announced plans to shoot and produce the next three “Avatar” sequels largely in New Zealand. What Cameron gets out of the deal is a 25 percent rebate on production costs, as long as his company spends at least $413 million on the three films. ___ Hollywood poised for best-ever box-office year LOS ANGELES (AP) — Despite a string of summertime flops, Hollywood is expected to have a banner year at the domestic box office, coming in just shy of $11 billion, the largest annual take ever. But because of higher ticket prices, actual attendance at North American theaters remained flat after a decade of decline. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 With the current domestic box-office tally nearly 1 percent ahead of last year at this time, 2013 could surpass 2012’s overall haul of $10.8 billion by more than $100 million, according Read More …

Del Rosario bids Chinese Ambassador Ma ‘fond’ farewell

 News
Dec 272013
 
Del Rosario bids Chinese Ambassador Ma ‘fond’ farewell

Chinese Ambassador to Manila, Ma Keqing. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Despite the frayed ties between the Philippines and China over unresolved territorial disputes, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario gave outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Manila Ma Keqing a cordial farewell on Monday. As Ma prepared to end her two-year Manila posting, Del Rosario hosted a farewell lunch before the Christmas break, describing her as “our dear friend.” Del Rosario said he hoped Ma would share with the Chinese people her experience of the “kindness, warmth and courage of the Filipino people.” “Our farewell exchange was friendly and positive,” Del Rosario told the Inquirer of his last meeting with Ma at a Manila hotel. In his toast, Del Rosario acknowledged how “challenges” have marked the relations between the Philippines and China, an indirect reference to disputes over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). “Your posting here has been marked by challenges. Notwithstanding, Ambassador, you have experienced the kindness, warmth and courage of the Filipino people. You were able to know more of how the Filipinos feel, think and act to uphold what we believe is right,” said Del Rosario in his remarks, a copy of which was furnished the Inquirer. “Our friendship is historic and deep, and we hope this bond will enable us to surmount the challenges so that our two countries can flourish in the spirit of deep mutual respect,” said the Philippines’ top diplomat. Recounting Ma’s response, Del Rosario said the outgoing envoy also acknowledged the challenges and Read More …

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