Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. looks on as he meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Philippines has been chosen to host the board of the “Loss and Damage” fund created by U.N. talks, marking another step towards providing financial help for countries to recover and rebuild from the impact of global warming.

Last month, the World Bank’s board approved a plan for the bank to act as interim host of the fund for four years.

Some countries, however, voiced concern that allowing the World Bank to host would give donors, including the United States that appoints the World Bank’s president, too much influence.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced his country’s election from a pool of seven contenders in a post on X on Tuesday.

Hosting the board, Marcos said, “reinforces our dedication to inclusivity and our leadership role in ensuring that the voices of those most affected by climate change shape the future of international climate policies”.

The Philippines must enact legislation before it can become host and Marcos did not say when it would take on its role.

An archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, the Philippines, which also has a seat on the fund’s board, is frequently hit by typhoons and other climate-change induced disasters.

As host, Manila could focus attention on the Asia-Pacific region, where many countries struggle with limited resources, hindering their ability to respond to the effects of climate change.

Who pays for loss and damage has been among the most intractable issues at U.N. climate talks, as developed countries blamed for producing the most emissions historically have been nervous about how much of the bill for redressing damage they might face.

COP27 in Egypt in 2022 however managed to establish a U.N. “loss and damage” fund dedicated to addressing irreparable climate-driven damage from drought, floods and rising sea levels, but did not decide on detail.

Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), said it was up to the Philippines to demonstrate political leadership.

They should demand developed countries “fulfil their historical, legal, and moral obligation to provide reparations for climate devastation,” Nacpil said in a statement.

In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, left, and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong shake hands during the Philippines and China 9th Meeting of their Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in Manila, Philippines, on July 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

China and the Philippines held a crucial meeting on July 2 to try and ease escalating tensions following their worst confrontation in the disputed South China Sea that sparked fears of a wider conflict that could involve Manila’s ally, the United States.

There was no mention of any major agreement to try to prevent a repeat of the chaotic June 17 clash at Second Thomas Shoal that caused injuries to Filipino navy personnel and damaged two military boats.

Also read | In South China Sea dispute, a bolder Philippines tests Beijing’s resolve

The shoal off the northwestern Philippines has emerged as the most dangerous flashpoint in the disputed waters, which China claims virtually in its entirety. Chinese naval and civilian vessels have surrounded the Philippine marines aboard a grounded ship, tried to prevent their resupply and demanded the Philippines pull out.

The Chinese and Philippine delegations “affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement late on Tuesday. “There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain.”

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro told her Chinese counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, “that the Philippines will be relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction” in the South China Sea, according to the Philippine side.

An agreement was signed to improve communications during emergencies at sea and both sides agreed to continue talks on enhancing ties between their coast guards but no details were provided. There was also another confidence-building plan to convene an academic forum among scientists and academics to improve marine scientific cooperation.

Ahead of the meeting, the Philippines planned to formally ask China’s delegation to return at least seven rifles that Chinese coast guard personnel seized during the June 17 faceoff at the shoal and pay for damage, a Philippine official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for lack of authority to discuss the sensitive matter publicly.

The Asian neighbors agreed to hold what they call the Bicameral Consultative Mechanism meetings, first held in 2017, to peacefully manage their conflicts. But the high-sea confrontations have persisted especially under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who, unlike his predecessor, has nurtured closer military and defense ties with the United States as a counterweight to China.

Apart from the Philippines and China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also lay overlapping claims to the strategic sea, which has rich fishing areas and potentially more deposits of gas than what has been found mostly in the fringes by a few coastal states so far.

Sporadic confrontations have flared between Chinese forces and those of Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia in the past but the Southeast Asian nations have resisted aggressively confronting China for fear of destabilizing their substantial economic ties.

Under Marcos, who took office in 2022, the Philippines launched a campaign to expose aggressive Chinese actions by making public videos and photographs and allowing journalists to join coast guard patrol ships, which have figured in dangerous faceoffs with Beijing’s forces.

The U.S. has no claims to the contested waters, but it has deployed warships and fighter jets for patrols that it says aim to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and to reassure allies like the Philippines and Japan, which also has territorial disputes with China over islands in the East China Sea.

After last month’s confrontation in Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese forces were caught on video brandishing machetes, an axe and improvised spears, Washington renewed a warning that it’s obligated to help defend the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty if Filipino forces, including the coast guard, come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

Marcos said the Chinese actions would not activate the treaty because no shots were fired.

New Delhi:

India on Friday said it opposes unilateral actions seeking to change the status quo by force in South China Sea amid concerns over China’s escalatory moves against the Philippines’ maritime operations in the region.

Tensions between China and the Philippines escalated following a violent clash between their maritime security personnel a few days ago in the South China Sea.

“We have always emphasised on adherence to international law, respect for the rules-based order, and resolution of disputes in a peaceful manner,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“Other than that, we also believe that there should not be any incident or approach that destabilises the region,” he said.

Mr Jaiswal also underlined India’s long-held position that the disputes must be resolved peacefully.

“We oppose destabilising or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion as well. And we underline the need for peaceful settlement of disputes,” he said.

There have been growing global concerns over China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims.

India and many other democratic countries have been pressing for peaceful settlement of the disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea).

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to his Filipino counterpart Eduardo M Ano this week following the fresh tensions in the South China Sea.

Mr Sullivan and Mr Ano discussed shared concerns over China’s “dangerous and escalatory actions against the Philippines’ lawful maritime operations near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, a White House readout said.

“Mr Sullivan reiterated ironclad US commitment to the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty, which extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft — to include those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea,” it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing knives, an axe and other weapons clashed with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed.

The clash took place Monday as Philippine forces attempted to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship, the Sierra Madre, deliberately grounded atop the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, Manila said.

It was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area.

Fresh footage of the confrontation released late Wednesday by the Philippine military showed small boats crewed by Chinese sailors shouting, waving knives and using sticks to hit an inflatable boat as a siren blares.

The Philippines military said the axe-wielding sailor had “threatened to injure” a Filipino soldier, while others were “explicitly threatening to harm” Filipino troops.

A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the incident, which saw the Chinese coast guard confiscate or destroy Philippine equipment including guns, according to the Philippine military.

Manila’s footage of the clash stands in stark contrast to photos released by Beijing’s state media on Wednesday, which did not show Chinese forces wielding weapons.

Beijing has insisted that its coast guard behaved in a “professional and restrained” way during the confrontation and claimed “no direct measures” were taken against Filipino personnel.

But in a clip shared by Manila, a Chinese sailor standing on the deck of one of the boats can be clearly seen waving an axe.

Another clip shows a Chinese coast guard sailor violently striking the inflatable boat with a stick. A second man can also be seen stabbing the boat with a knife.

“The (Chinese coast guard) personnel then began hurling rocks and other objects at our personnel,” Manila said.

“They also slashed the (inflatable boats), rendering them inoperable.”

The Filipino sailors, clad in brown camouflage with helmets and vests, are not carrying weapons in the clips.

“Amidst this violent confrontation, the CCG (Chinese coast guard) also deployed tear gas, intensifying the chaos and confusion, while continuously blaring sirens to further disrupt communication,” the caption said.

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said Wednesday the outnumbered Filipino crew had been unarmed and had fought with their “bare hands”.

In one clip, a voice speaking Tagalog can be heard saying someone had “lost a finger”.

Manila has accused Beijing of an “act of piracy” against its forces.

It has demanded the return of items “looted” by the Chinese side, including seven guns, and reparations for the damaged equipment.

‘Perilous’ situation

Analysts say Beijing is escalating confrontations with the Philippines in a bid to push it out of the South China Sea.

The US has said that “an armed attack” against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces and coastguard anywhere in the South China Sea would invoke a mutual defense treaty between the two countries.

In a call Wednesday with Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “emphasized that the (China’s) actions undermine regional peace and stability”, according to the State Department.

They also “underscored the United States’ ironclad commitments to the Philippines under our Mutual Defense Treaty”, Blinken said.

And one analyst told AFP this week’s clashes “brought us perilously close” to a situation in which that treaty would be invoked.

“The Philippines will likely need to continue resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, one way or another,” Duan Dang, a Vietnam-based maritime security analyst, said.

“Backing down and accepting Beijing’s terms regarding these operations would mean relinquishing sovereign rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone,” he added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Image used for representative purpose only
| Photo Credit: AP

The Philippines said on May 24 it had opened a coast guard post in the country’s far north to boost security following China’s “military build-up” near Taiwan over the past two years.

The outpost “shall gather essential maritime data and intelligence, enabling the (Philippine Coast Guard) to respond effectively to threats such as illicit trade, trafficking, piracy, and foreign intrusions”, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement.

“In 2022, the area around Itbayat witnessed a military build-up as China responded to political developments between Taiwan and the United States,” Ano said, announcing the opening of the station on the Philippines’ northernmost inhabited island.

Itbayat is located around 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Taiwan’s south coast.

“Securing peace, stability, and freedom of navigation along the Luzon Strait is crucial for ensuring Philippine national security and economic prosperity,” Ano said.

Ano added he sees the Luzon Strait, which lies between the Philippines and Taiwan, both as a “vital international waterway” and “a potential flashpoint for regional and international conflicts”.

Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for South China Sea issues, said the Itbayat station “will enable effective monitoring of vessels passing through” the strait.

“Notably, there have been instances of People’s Republic of China vessels being observed in this maritime area as they cross to the Philippines’ eastern seaboard,” Tarriela said in a statement.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The waters off the north coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon were the focus earlier this month of major annual joint military exercises between Manila and its longtime ally the United States.

These included using missiles and artillery to repel an imaginary sea-borne invasion force.

Last year, the Philippine government also granted the US military use of a navy base on Luzon’s north coast and a nearby airport as part of a defence cooperation agreement.

Beijing and Manila are in a bitter diplomatic dispute over rival claims to parts of the South China Sea.

China has built artificial islands and military installations in waters close to the Philippines.

Its efforts to enforce its claims have in recent years included water cannon attacks by China Coast Guard vessels that damaged Philippine government boats and injured several crew members.

Itbayat is just outside the area designated by a vaguely defined map of dashes that China uses to claim most of the South China Sea.

Ano made no reference to war games that China began on Thursday in which it encircled Taiwan with warplanes and naval vessels.

A Philippine Coast Guard personnel looks through a binocular while conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea. File
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Philippines said on Saturday it has deployed ships to a disputed area in the South China Sea, where it accused China of building “an artificial island” in an escalating maritime row.

The coast guard sent a ship “to monitor the supposed illegal activities of China, creating ‘an artificial island’,” the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said in a statement, adding two other vessels were in rotational deployment in the area.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela told a forum there had been “small-scale reclamation” of the Sabina Shoal, which Manila calls Escoda, and that China was “the most probable actor”.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Philippine assertions, which could deepen the bilateral rift.

The Philippine national security adviser called on Friday for expelling Chinese diplomats over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral about the maritime dispute.

Beijing and Manila have been embroiled for a year in heated stand-offs over their competing claims in the South China Sea, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually.

China claims almost all of the vital waterway, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s claims had no basis under international law.

China has carried out extensive land reclamation on some islands in the South China Sea, building air force and other military facilities, causing concern in Washington and around the region.

A Philippine vessel has been anchored at the Sabina Shoal to “catch and document the dumping of crushed corals over the sandbars”, Tarriela said, citing the “alarming” presence of dozens of Chinese ships, including research and navy vessels.

Tarriela said the presence of Chinese vessels at the atoll 124 miles (200 km) from the Philippine province of Palawan coincided with the coast guard’s discovery of piles of dead and crushed coral.

The coast guard will take marine scientists to the areas to determine whether the coral piles were a natural occurrence or caused by human intervention, he said.

He added it intends to have a “prolonged presence” at Sabina Shoal, a rendezvous point for Philippine vessels carrying out resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed on a grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila and China have had frequent maritime run-ins.

Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah on May 4 as it made its way to the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Philippines’ national security adviser called on May 10 for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral, in a significant escalation of a bitter row over the South China Sea.

China’s embassy in Manila had orchestrated “repeated acts of engaging and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation”, with the objective of sowing discord, division and disunity, Eduardo Ano said in a statement.

Those actions “should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned without serious penalty”, he said.

China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call to expel diplomats. The office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The two countries have been embroiled in a series of heated standoffs this past year in disputed areas of the South China Sea as the Philippines, emboldened by support from the United States and other allies, steps up activities in waters patrolled by China’s coast guard.

China has accused the Philippines of trespassing and of treachery, while Manila has scolded Beijing for what it says is a policy of aggression and dangerous manoeuvring.

The expelling of diplomats could intensify a row that has so far seen heated exchanges, diplomatic protests and the ramming and water-cannoning of Philippine ships at two disputed shoals in the South China Sea.

Mr. Ano was referring to a news report this week of an alleged leak of a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Filipino admiral discussing a dispute over the South China Sea, which carried a transcript that showed the admiral agreeing to concessions with China.

According to the transcript published by the Manila Times, a Philippine admiral had agreed to China’s proposal of a “new model”, where the Philippines would use fewer vessels in resupply missions to troops at the Second Thomas Shoal, and notify Beijing about missions in advance.

Reuters has not heard the reported phone conversation and could not verify the contents of the published transcript. The report said the conversation had taken place in January and the transcript was provided by a “ranking Chinese official”, which it did not name.

Interference Operations

Mr. Ano said he backed the defence minister’s call for the foreign ministry to take appropriate action against embassy officials, who he said claimed to have recorded an alleged phone conversation in violation of Philippine laws, including its anti-wire tapping act, as well as serious breaches of diplomatic protocols.

“Those individuals in the Chinese embassy … and those responsible for these malign influence and interference operations must be removed from the country immediately,” he said.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on May 8 the embassy in Manila had released details about “relevant communications” between the two countries on managing the situation at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines has for stations troops at a grounded warship.

Mr. Jian did not elaborate on what details or communications were released, but said “facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied.”

“The Philippines has insisted on denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community,” Mr. Jian added.

China has long been vexed by the Philippines’ stationing of a small group of marines at the Second Thomas Shoal aboard a warship that it intentionally grounded 25 years ago.

Beijing has repeatedly said the Philippines had agreed to tow that ship away, which Manila has rejected.

New Delhi:

Adani Group firm APSEZ is eyeing the Philippines’ Bataan province to develop a port, a statement issued by the office of the president of the Philippines said.

APSEZ Managing Director Karan Adani met the Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr at Malacanang on May 2 in a courtesy call to discuss Adani Group’s plans for the port.

APSEZ is planning to open a port in the Philippines due to the nation’s stable leadership and environment, the statement quoted Mr Adani as saying.

He said APSEZ plans to develop a 25-meter deep port that can accommodate Panamax vessels. The Adani Group, on the other hand, is planning to invest in ports, airports, power, and defence.

According to the statement, Marcos welcomed APSEZ expansion plans in the Philippines, suggesting it may focus on ports handling agricultural products to enable the Philippines eventually compete globally.

He suggested that the company should start regionally and the ports could also cater to local or domestic shipping before shifting to international market.

Marcos said the government is developing its gateways for tourists and business travellers and for the country’s agriculture products to be moved around affordably and reliably.

APSEZ, a part of the globally diversified Adani Group, is the largest port developer and operator in India.

It has seven strategically located ports and terminals on the west coast and eight on the east coast of India. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

Manila:

An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 rocked Leyte province in the central Philippines, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute said on Friday that the quake, which occurred at 6:16 p.m. local time, hit at a depth of 8 km, about 32 km southeast of Dulag, a coastal town, Xinhua news agency reported.

The institute added that the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks and cause damage. The tremor was also felt in some parts of the province.

The archipelagic Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In this image made from video provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard vessel, BRP BAGACAY (MRRV-4410) is water cannoned by Chinese Coast Guards as it tried to approach the waters near Scarborough Shoal locally known as Bajo De Masinloc at the South China Sea on April 30, 2024
| Photo Credit: AP

Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels on April 30 near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing minor damage to one vessel, in the latest flareup in an increasingly tense territorial conflict.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in the incident off Scarborough Shoal, one of two hotly disputed areas where confrontations between China and the Philippines have flared on and off since last year.

Also read: South China Sea | Asia’s disputed waters

A Philippine coast guard ship and an accompanying fisheries vessel were patrolling the waters off Scarborough Shoal when four Chinese coast guard ships, backed by six suspected militia ships, executed dangerous blocking maneuvers, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

A Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon against the fisheries vessel, the BRP Bankaw, and two other Chinese coast guard ships hit the Philippine coast guard ship, the BRP Bagacay, simultaneously from both sides, damaging part of its deck railing and a canopy, Tarriela said.

Chinese officials did not immediately issue any comment. They have repeatedly insisted on China’s sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea, a key global trade route, and warned they would defend their territory at any cost.

The Philippine vessels pressed on with their patrol despite the Chinese coast guard’s actions, Tarriela said,

“They were not deterred and will persist in carrying out their legitimate operations to support Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety,” Tarriela said in a statement. He said the Philippine ships were deployed to distribute fuel and food to Filipino fishermen on the high seas.

The Chinese coast guard has also re-installed a floating barrier across the entrance to the shoal’s vast fishing lagoon, he said. The Philippine coast guard removed a similar barrier in the past to allow Filipinos to fish in the lagoon.

In addition to the Philippines and China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also been involved in the territorial disputes.

The increasing frequency of the skirmishes between the Philippines and China, which have injured Filipino navy personnel and damaged supply boats in the past, has sparked fears the territorial conflict could degenerate into an armed confrontation that could put China and the United States on a collision course.

The U.S. lays no claims to the South China Sea but has warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, a longtime treaty ally, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack including in the contested waters.