China retaliates, accuses Japan of stirring up trouble in sea row

 News
Dec 122013
 
China retaliates, accuses Japan of stirring up trouble in sea row

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 7:04 pm | Thursday, December 12th, 2013 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei PHOTO FROM CHINA-EMBASSY.ORG MANILA, Philippines – It’s now China’s turn to point a finger at Japan saying that it was the one stirring up trouble in the East China Sea and that it has “ulterior political motives” in making a big issue out of the Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). “The one who stirs up troubles and changes the status quo on the Diaoyu (Senkaku) islands and in the East China Sea is no other than Japan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei said in a press conference in China Wednesday, the transcript of which was posted on its website. “Japan makes irresponsible accusation of China’s normal maritime and air activities and hypes up ‘China threat’ since it has ulterior political motives,” he said. The Diaoyu or Sankaku Islands are several disputed islands in the East China Sea being claimed by China but currently under the control of Japan. China’s recently established ADIZ covers the airspace above the disputed islands. Japan and the United States (US) previously criticized China for the ADIZ saying that it unilaterally changes the status quo in the East China Sea. Japan, US, and South Korea defied the ADIZ by sending airplanes into the zone and not identifying themselves with China. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a previous statement that the ADIZ “increases tensions in the region and create risks of an incident.” Lei reiterated that China Read More …

Japan seeks int’l action against China air zone

 News
Dec 082013
 
Japan seeks int’l action against China air zone

Associated Press 3:56 am | Monday, December 9th, 2013 Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, center, waves as he arrives at the airport in Tacloban City on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, to look at the magnitude of the disaster for additional Japanese aid. Onodera called on the international community on Sunday to oppose China’s recently declared maritime air defense zone over the East China Sea and possibly over the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). AP PHOTO/AARON FAVILA TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Japan’s defense minister called on the international community on Sunday to oppose China’s recently declared maritime air defense zone over the East China Sea and possibly over the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera discussed Japan’s concern over China’s action separately with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Australian Foreign Minister Julia Bishop. Onodera and Bishop separately visited Tacloban City, which was devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: “Haiyan”) last month. In his meeting with Bishop, Onodera said he mentioned that the international community “should meet to deal with this matter together” and that any unilateral action by coercive means should be opposed. “If any country would establish a similar air zone in the South China Sea, that would bring up tension in the region and I mentioned that should be stopped,” he told reporters in Tacloban, where he visited a school serving as a shelter for villagers who lost their homes in the Nov. 8 typhoon. Onodera said the issue should be resolved by dialogue. Read More …

China ships sail through disputed waters as tensions simmer

 News
Dec 082013
 
China ships sail through disputed waters as tensions simmer

Agence France-Presse 2:29 pm | Sunday, December 8th, 2013 In this Sept. 2, 2012 file photo, the survey ship Koyo Maru, left, chartered by Tokyo city officials, sails around Minamikojima, foreground, Kitakojima, middle right, and Uotsuri, background, the tiny islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. AP FILE PHOTO TOKYO – Three Chinese ships entered disputed waters off Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea on Sunday, the Japanese coastguard said, the first such incident since Beijing announced an air defense zone in the area last month. The vessels entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters at about 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) off one of the Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus, the Japan Coast Guard said. They left the area shortly after noon. It was the first time that Chinese coastguard ships had been spotted sailing through the waters since Beijing raised regional tensions with its declaration of an Air Defense Identification Zone in November. Chinese vessels have sailed in and out of contiguous waters around the islands but stayed away from entering territorial waters since November 22, a Japanese coastguard official said. Japan’s conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed no compromise on sovereignty of the islands and stepped up defence spending, believing that China is trying to change the status quo through growing sea incursions. Chinese state-owned ships and aircraft have approached the Senkakus on and off to demonstrate Beijing’s territorial claims, especially after Japan nationalised some of Read More …

US envoy Goldberg vows ‘Yolanda’ aid to continue

 News
Dec 022013
 
US envoy Goldberg vows ‘Yolanda’ aid to continue

New US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg: Continuing aid. AFP FILE PHOTO New US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg on Monday met with President Aquino, expressing condolences for the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” and vowing that his country would continue to help the Philippines in its rehabilitation efforts. “I first want to say that we’re all still saddened and want to send our condolences to the people of the Eastern Visayas, with all the people of the Philippines after Typhoon Yolanda,” Goldberg told reporters in Malacañang after presenting his credentials to the President. “I had a chance to make the same kind of expression to President Aquino that the United States will remain with the Philippines as you move from the relief period into reconstruction. And the United States will take the lead of the Philippine government in areas that are most urgent for rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he said. But Goldberg also took the opportunity to make a pitch for an agreement that would allow “increased rotational presence” of US troops and access to their former military bases in the Philippines. “In the security area, but also in the cooperation that we have undertaken to work on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, we want to further that effort and be able to help even more as we move toward a framework agreement where the United States and the Philippines can move to the next level of [their] relationship,” he said. Goldberg, however, could not say when Manila and Read More …

Taiwan lawmakers denounce China air defense zone

 News
Nov 292013
 
Taiwan lawmakers denounce China air defense zone

Associated Press 9:36 pm | Friday, November 29th, 2013 TAIPEI — Taiwan’s legislature attacked China’s newly declared air defense zone on Friday, with lawmakers demanding in an unusual joint statement that President Ma Ying-jeou’s government lodge a “stern protest” with Beijing. They admonished Ma’s government for its cautious response to China’s announcement last Saturday, including agreeing to supply China with flight plans for planes entering the zone. The statement, signed by caucus leaders of the ruling Nationalists and pro-independence opposition parties, said Taiwan should work together with Japan, the U.S. and other “friendly states in the region” in multilateral negotiations with China. The government said later Friday it will communicate its “stern position” to Beijing. China said all aircraft must notify Chinese authorities before entering the zone, which includes islands controlled by Japan but claimed by Beijing. The U.S., Japan and South Korea have sent flights through the airspace in defiance of China’s rules. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: air defense zone , airspace , China , Diplomacy , Global Nation , Taiwan Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Read More …

16 foreign armed forces helping PH

 News
Nov 212013
 
16 foreign armed forces helping PH

A FIRST FOR SINO SHIP Peace Ark, a Chinese Navy hospital ship, leaves a base in Zhoushan, east of Shanghai, for a relief mission to the typhoon-devastated Philippines. It is considered the first Chinese Navy ship to enter Philippine waters with Manila’s “consent” since the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea between the two countries ensued. AP/EUGENE HOSHIKO Friends in good times and bad. This was how the Australian defense attaché summed up Thursday the Multinational Coordinating Council (MNCC) of the Philippine government and the armed forces of 16 countries working together for faster and more efficient distribution of relief to the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the Eastern Visayas. “Our shared histories with the Philippines go a long way back. Friendship is not just about the good times. Friendship is also about the bad times, too,” Lt. Col. Paul Barta told the Inquirer. The 16 countries on the council are the Philippines, Australia, United States, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Sweden, Vietnam, South Korea, New Zealand, Spain, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. “Our friendship has been long term. Our commitment remains long term and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of the Philippines. After a formal request from the government of the Philippines, the United States arrived and ready to help along with other nations,” said Tina Malone, spokesperson for the US Embassy. “Our role was to amplify the government of the Philippines’ response by providing extra help in a time Read More …

PHL accepts China’s offer to send hospital ship

 News
Nov 212013
 
PHL accepts China’s offer to send hospital ship

The Philippines has accepted China’s offer to send its naval hospital ship to aid distressed survivors of Typhoon Yolanda that devastated many areas in the Visayas nearly two weeks ago. “We are thankful for the offer of China to send the Peace Ark Hospital Ship to support the relief operations,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told a press briefing Thursday. China’s Peace Ark Hospital, reports said, is already bound for the badly-hit Visayas region to provide relief assistance to the victims. “The schedule and other details related to its deployment are now being coordinated with the concerned agencies,” Hernandez said. China’s increased assistance came amid criticisms of its initial paltry donation of $100,000 to the Philippines, a United States ally and Beijing’s rival claimant in the South China Sea territories. Tensions spiked anew between Manila and Beijing this year when the Philippine government sued China before an arbitral tribunal to question the legality of its massive territorial claim. Amid mounting pressure to increase aid, China, the world’s second largest economy, pledged P73 million more. Asked if the US would still push through with an initial plan to deploy its USNS Mercy hospital ship, Hernandez said: “There is an agreement in principle between the Philippines and the US that the USNS Mercy will be deployed at a time when it is needed most based upon the assessment of the needs of the Philippines.” Nevertheless, he said the Philippines is “grateful” for the continued assistance provided by the US in the aftermath Read More …

China hospital ship heads for typhoon-hit Philippines

 News
Nov 212013
 
China hospital ship heads for typhoon-hit Philippines

Members of the medical crew stand at the inpatient room inside their Chinese Navy hospital ship Peace Ark before its departure from a navy base in Zhoushan, east of Shanghai, China, on a relief mission to the Philippines, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced by Typhoon Haiyan, which tore across several islands in the eastern Philippines on Nov. 8. AP ZHOUSHAN, China—A Chinese hospital ship set sail for the typhoon-ravaged Philippines Thursday, with foreign media given unprecedented access to a navy base as Beijing seeks to promote its aid effort nearly two weeks after the disaster. The Peace Ark, a 300-bed floating navy medical facility, sounded its horn as it set off from a People’s Liberation Army base on Zhoushan island, off the eastern province of Zhejiang. It is expected to take three or four days to reach the Philippines, which is embroiled in a territorial row with China. “With our efforts, we will make great contributions to the relationship between the Chinese people and the Philippine people,” Shen Hao, deputy chief of staff of the East China Sea Fleet and commander of the mission, told reporters allowed on board the vessel before it left. “We will do our utmost to make contributions to the Philippine side.” The deployment of the ship, which was featured on the front page of China’s state-run Global Times newspaper on Thursday, comes as the world’s second-largest economy seeks to counter international criticism of its relief effort. After an initial Read More …

Quality Gionee phones

 Economy
Nov 192013
 
Quality Gionee phones

MANILA, Philippines – Top mobile phone manufacturer Gionee Equipment Co. Ltd. Gives special focus on research and development (R&D) and innovation which has enabled it to ensure the high quality of its smartphones and maintain their competitive edge. Company officials said Gionee’s R&D system consists of six professional entities: Application R&D Institute, Smartphone R&D Institute, Overseas BU R&D Institute, CDMA R&D Institute, GOSO R&D Institute, and AORA R&D Institute. “Gionee’s focus on R&D and innovation is in keeping with its promise to customers to produce the best mobile phone products that are affordable and packed with useful features so they can do more with less,” Gionee Mobile Philippines head Katrin Salanga-Gregorio said. Gionee is one of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers in China after its Gionee Industrial Park went into production in 2006. It aims to become the top mobile phone manufacturer in China after it completes construction of industrial park facility. The Gionee P2 and GN708, sources said, are selling briskly in the Philippines. For inquiries, you may call 470-63-75, or through its official FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/GioneeSmartPhonePh.

China ready to send rescue teams to PHL

 News
Nov 172013
 
China ready to send rescue teams to PHL

BEIJING — China said Sunday it is ready to send rescue and medical teams to the Philippines, in a belated offer coming more than a week after a devastating typhoon struck the island nation. The proposal made in a statement on the Foreign Ministry’s website follows an extremely modest pledge of less than $2 million in disaster assistance made last week. The small offering has been attributed to spite over a festering dispute with Manila over South China Sea islands claimed by both sides. China, which has the world’s second largest economy, claims the entire sea and its island groups and has been enraged by Manila’s robust defense of what it says has long been Philippine territory. Views expressed on the Chinese Internet have argued strongly against aiding the Philippines, despite the potential damage to China’s hopes of being regarded as a responsible regional and possibly global leader. In the statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying Saturday that China was monitoring conditions in the Philippines and the emergency teams would depart for the hardest hit areas “should conditions permit.” There was no immediate indication whether the aid teams were preparing to depart or whether the Philippine government had accepted the Chinese offer. — AP

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