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Philippines-China WPS Dispute
Topic Started: Jul 15 2012, 02:28 PM (105,202 Views)
moonski
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hehehe.. ano ba yan.. kung ganun man lang ung pinag usapan nila eh parang useless ung meeting nila. does not make sense. :dunno:
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Ayoshi
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Phl, China move to normalize ties
ph.news.yahoo.com

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and China agreed yesterday to get relations back on track as Chinese officials led by Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Fu Ying paid a courtesy call on President Aquino after meeting with senior Philippine officials.

Continuing dialogue

In a separate statement, the DFA said the two countries affirmed the commitment of their respective governments to promote the comprehensive development of bilateral relations between the Philippines and China.
The 18th FMC covered trade, tourism, science and technology, judicial and law enforcement, culture, people-to-people exchanges and other issues of mutual concern.

Both sides also discussed issues of concern and agreed to continue the dialogue.
The 18th FMC reviewed the status of bilateral relations in general, and in particular, the implementation in the past ten months of projects identified by the last FMC, the DFA said.

Prior to the FMC, Fu called on Del Rosario and expressed confidence that the Philippine and Chinese delegations to the FMC would forge a common path towards normalizing and moving forward the bilateral relations and implement the consensus reached between Aquino and Hu during the former’s state visit to China last year.

The Philippines and China last April got locked in a standoff over Panatag Shoal when Chinese authorities refused to have their fishermen arrested by Philippine maritime officials for poaching in the country’s territory.

Valte refused to confirm whether Fu was the one who met with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who volunteered to do backchannel talks with China to ease the tension over Panatag.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who also met with Fu on Thursday, accused Trillanes of working for the Chinese side instead of pushing Philippine interests.

Full Article
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lionking66
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BHP Billiton to drill for oil in northwest Palawan

BHP Billiton has committed to conduct drilling works in an offshore natural gas field in northwest Palawan, Energy Undersecretart Jose Layug Jr. said yesterday.

The Department of
Energy (DOE) is looking at Service Contract (SC) 55 as the potential next big gas field after the Malampaya gas-to-power project.

“While we have been looking at Recto Bank as the next Malampaya, one of the SCs we are very positive about is SC 55,” said Layug.

Layug said the exploratory drilling of the Cinco well is expected in the first quarter of 2013.

The petroleum unit of BHP Billiton, which is the largest mining firm in the world, has a 60-percent stake in SC 55. Other stakeholders are Australia’s Otto Energy Ltd. (33.18 percent) and Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. (6.82 percent) of the Phinma Group.

While the market for drill rigs is getting tighter amid numerous exploration projects worldwide, BHP Billiton is already conducting negotiations for two rigs, Layug said.

High prices of fossil fuel have encouraged foreign and local firms to invest in oil and gas exploration.

Layug said the potential resource in SC 55 is trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas, slightly lower than Malampaya’s 2.7 TCF.

SC 55 covers an area of 9,000 square kilometers and is located in offshore Palawan. It is located on a regional oil and gas fairway that extends from the productive Borneo offshore region in the southwest to the offshore Philippines production assets northwest of Palawan

“We are hoping that Cinco will be the gas reserve that can backfill Malampaya as we look for potential resource of natural gas,” Layug said.

The Malampaya project fuels three natural gas projects that that supplies up to 45 percent of Luzon’s power generation requirements.

The license for SC 38 that allows the exploration of the Malampaya gas field in northwest Palawan will expire in 2024, with production expected to decline starting in 2015

- FROM Bantay SPRATLY : News Update Pilipinas

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Note that the area cited is VERY close to Half Moon Shoal (Remember the chinese frigate grounded a few months back?). Even before any drilling activity from our side is started, we should endeavor to guard zealously the area even if it takes to delay the drydocking of Humabon for several months by deploying it there! If only to show our firm resolve that it is in our EEZ.
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Parastriker
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lionking66
Oct 21 2012, 10:56 AM
Posted Image

BHP Billiton to drill for oil in northwest Palawan

BHP Billiton has committed to conduct drilling works in an offshore natural gas field in northwest Palawan, Energy Undersecretart Jose Layug Jr. said yesterday.

The Department of
Energy (DOE) is looking at Service Contract (SC) 55 as the potential next big gas field after the Malampaya gas-to-power project.

“While we have been looking at Recto Bank as the next Malampaya, one of the SCs we are very positive about is SC 55,” said Layug.

Layug said the exploratory drilling of the Cinco well is expected in the first quarter of 2013.

The petroleum unit of BHP Billiton, which is the largest mining firm in the world, has a 60-percent stake in SC 55. Other stakeholders are Australia’s Otto Energy Ltd. (33.18 percent) and Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. (6.82 percent) of the Phinma Group.

While the market for drill rigs is getting tighter amid numerous exploration projects worldwide, BHP Billiton is already conducting negotiations for two rigs, Layug said.

High prices of fossil fuel have encouraged foreign and local firms to invest in oil and gas exploration.

Layug said the potential resource in SC 55 is trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas, slightly lower than Malampaya’s 2.7 TCF.

SC 55 covers an area of 9,000 square kilometers and is located in offshore Palawan. It is located on a regional oil and gas fairway that extends from the productive Borneo offshore region in the southwest to the offshore Philippines production assets northwest of Palawan

“We are hoping that Cinco will be the gas reserve that can backfill Malampaya as we look for potential resource of natural gas,” Layug said.

The Malampaya project fuels three natural gas projects that that supplies up to 45 percent of Luzon’s power generation requirements.

The license for SC 38 that allows the exploration of the Malampaya gas field in northwest Palawan will expire in 2024, with production expected to decline starting in 2015

- FROM Bantay SPRATLY : News Update Pilipinas

. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Note that the area cited is VERY close to Half Moon Shoal (Remember the chinese frigate grounded a few months back?). Even before any drilling activity from our side is started, we should endeavor to guard zealously the area even if it takes to delay the drydocking of Humabon for several months by deploying it there! If only to show our firm resolve that it is in our EEZ.
It would be better for the Humabon to take a drydock rest; better retreat and go arm yourself with a gun rather than go straight to battle with just a utility knife.

Although, if we could get Monching early, we have to make sure to send her right away to this area.
Success through information, victory through disinformation.

"Good leaders make efficient followers. Great leaders make good followers. But true leaders make leaders out of mere followers."

"Measuring the intelligence of a common internet user is as easy as looking at his/her grammar."
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matrix
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China must learn that size only gets you so far

Published : 2012-10-22 19:20
Updated : 2012-10-22 19:20


For more than three decades, China has been courting its neighbors to the south. Enticing the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations into closer cooperation has been a top goal of Chinese foreign policy since the days of Deng Xiaoping, and it has brought great rewards.

In 2010 the two sides entered into a free-trade agreement that created one of the world’s largest integrated markets. But now, with its aggressive attitude on demarcation lines in the South China Sea, China risks throwing it all away. Why?

Up to about two years ago, everything, including diplomatic affairs and trade, seemed to be developing swimmingly between China and its southern neighbors. Even with Vietnam, China’s opponent in a brief border-war in 1979, relations had improved markedly. Leaders in Hanoi were looking to Beijing both for advice on how to run a one-party Communist state and on how to reform its economy into a market-driven engine of growth. Some Southeast Asian countries with large Chinese minorities were, for the first time, beginning to see these groups as an opportunity in dealing with China, rather than as a threat.

Then things changed markedly. At a 2010 regional forum in Hanoi, the usually equipoised Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi fumed at his Southeast Asian hosts for their mutual solidarity and their perceived attempts to enlist U.S. support in their long-brewing disagreements over who had sovereignty over portions of the South China Sea.

“There is one basic difference among us,” Yang is supposed to have said. “China is a big state and you are smaller countries.” He infuriated not only the Vietnamese, but the truly big countries that were present, such as Indonesia. I met with a senior Indonesian policy maker in Jakarta soon afterward. “We are a serious country,” he bristled. “We will not be treated like this.”

Since then, China’s relations with Southeast Asia have been sinking fast. There have been clashes at sea between China and two other South China Sea claimants, Vietnam and the Philippines. Some countries are looking again at the content of the free-trade agreement, feeling that it gives China too much influence. Chinese attempts to use its power within the weaker ASEAN countries ― Cambodia and Burma ― to prevent a united front within the organization have backfired badly. The bigger countries now suspect that China is out to break up ASEAN (if given half a chance). In spite of recent Chinese restraint (at least verbally), relations seem to go from bad to worse.

What is at stake is not only a settlement of the disputed claims to zones of maritime control in the South China Sea (and the rights to exploit the resources that lie beneath them). It is the whole future relationship between China and the region. Even as the U.S. is encouraging negotiations and peaceful settlements, it is strengthening its regional role. Every big ASEAN country has drawn considerably closer to Washington over the past year or so. China’s policy has therefore been almost entirely self-defeating in terms of its long-term interests.

Why is China acting the way it does? The underwater resources at stake are deemed to be considerable and crucial to China’s future development.

Nationalist public opinion in China demands a tough stance on territorial issues, as the conflict with Japan over the East China Sea islands has also recently shown. There is genuine anger in Beijing about ASEAN’s efforts to seek U.S. support and about what is seen as an unwillingness to negotiate based on China’s demands. Some Chinese naval officers are bucking to test China’s newly gained capabilities for offshore naval deployment.

But at the root of the problem lies exactly what Yang alluded to in Hanoi. Because of a heritage that goes back to the deeper past, China regards its position within the region as unique. It is the big country and other countries must treat it as such. This does not preclude meaningful negotiations or a respect for the sovereignty of others. But it does imply a position for China that puts its views and its claims in a different category than those of other states. Especially in the long run, it is an attitude that will not serve China well.

China’s approach to ASEAN on the South China Sea disputes points to a country whose diplomacy is still remarkably immature and not ready to take on a regional leadership role. It does not slowly integrate its neighbors and putative partners into a cooperative constellation of states that may serve China’s interests and that also demonstrably serves the interests of others. This is what the U.S. did with its main allies after World War II. Instead, the PRC’s leaders seem hell-bound on looking after its own interests and challenging those of its neighbors, from Korea to Myanmar. This policy will not win China its much coveted regional role, not to mention a position as a global great power.

China’s demands on the South China Sea are not even clear. Officially the country claims “historical rights” over a vaguely defined section of ocean that covers most of the maritime regions to its south. That claim is often symbolized by a nine- dashed line on maritime maps, which would ― in effect ― recognize almost all of the South China Sea as Chinese. This is, to put it mildly, a nonsensical position that will not stand under international law. Most serious Chinese diplomats know this (though I am sometimes shocked by how many do not).

The best thing that China could do now would be to define its actual demands. This would include coming to terms with the fact that the country, at best, can only lay claim to a 12-nautical-mile zone around the islets. According to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, small islands that cannot sustain human habitation do not have the right to a 200 mile exclusive economic zone. So instead of the “right” to all of the South China Sea, which many Chinese think they claim, the real maximum demand will be much more modest. This should sober minds in Beijing and elsewhere.

In the meantime, China and the other countries should adopt the new Indonesian proposal for an interim international code of conduct in the South China Sea. It calls for concrete confidence building and conflict prevention measures, including a reduction of military activity in the region. For the time being, that may be as close to calm as we can get within these troubled waters. 

By Odd Arne Westad

Odd Arne Westad is a professor of history at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the author of the just-published “Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750.” ― Ed.

http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20121022000879
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Tsukiyomi
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Perhaps it is time for the USA to take on China now. Break it's back and bring it to it's knees.

Once done, break china back up into its pre-china pieces when these territories were what they were before the Chinese took over. Free Tibet, Free Xinjiang and more. I am sure the southern parts of China would love to be free of the northern government control. Once you have China back into the pre-china pieces, begin allowing...support efforts at teaching these people what their histories were before the dynasties took away their heritage.

Perhaps then Asia will have neighbors that understand mutual respect rather than respect by size and the barrel of a gun.
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lionking66
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Why Are China and Japan Sparring Over Eight Tiny, Uninhabited Islands?

In 2008, after much skirmishing over the Chunxiao gas field, Japan and China actually forged a pact to cooperate on energy exploration in the East China Sea. (Related: "Amid U.S.-China Energy Tension, "Clean Coal" Spurs Teamwork") But they've never been able to agree on how to execute the plan. It was a lost opportunity, in Sheila Smith's view. "Joint energy development, largely funded by Japan, could have made both Japan and China content with a more cooperative approach to their maritime boundary," she says. "The precedent of energy cooperation could have changed the equation in the East China Sea." Perhaps it's not too late.

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source: http://www.facebook.com/bantayspratly

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Gents, while the literature does not literally fall under the title 'Phil-China Dispute'. I would like to underscore that so many things apply similarly. Readers are enjoined to read the whole article to appreciate its significance! The concluding paragraph explains why Japan is hesitant, rather indignant on the point of joint exploration and development. Greed and deception breed mistrust for any peaceful resolution to the conflict, deeper than nationalism or sovereignty. They started right initially with the joint venture until. . . . .
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Mckoyzzz
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Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est
PDFF Mod Group
EU, EC, Norway favor multilateral response to West Phl Sea dispute
PATRICIA DENISE CHIU, GMA News November 5, 2012

President Aquino championed the benefits of a multilateral approach to resolving conflicts in the West Philippine Sea to the three foreign leaders he met with at the sidelines of the 9th Asia Europe Meeting in Vientiane, Laos on Monday.

For their part, the leaders of Norway, the European Council of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission (EC) all agreed that a multilateral approach is "logical."

"The three panels noted the importance of maritime security in the West Philippine Sea, and agreed that it is a matter of international interest," Communication Secretary Sonny Coloma said in a briefing with Philippine media in Laos aired over state-run dzRB Monday afternoon.

The Philippines has an ongoing territorial dispute with China over several resources-rich areas in the sea. China is also locked in disputes with four other ASEAN countries and Japan over other parts of the area, with all states claiming all or part of the disputed territories.

At the sidelines of the 9th ASEM, the first one he is attending since being elected president, Aquino met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at 10 a.m. (Philippine time) for a bilateral meeting. He then met with European Council president Herman van Rompuy and EC president Jose Manuel Barros at 11:20 am. Laos is an hour behind Manila.

In a briefing in Manila, Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte updated reporters on the issues tackled at the meetings.

According to Valte, areas of interest during the meeting with Stoltenberg were the recent signing of the landmark framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as well as the issue of maritime safety.

"For the bilateral with Norway, the President [updated] them on what had happened to the signing of the framework between the government and the MILF. Maritime relations was also a topic that was said to be discussed, economic cooperation, as well as the entry of Filipino workers in Norway--just four of the topics that were up for discussion," Valte said.

Meanwhile, Valte said the meeting with EU and European Commission leaders will center around the Philippine-EU partnership, and other projects.

"The EU ban on Philippine air carriers was said to be discussed; of course, also the peace process, the Philippine-EU partnership and cooperation agreement and the European assessment of the Philippines' compliance to the STCW Convention. Those are the topics that were said to be discussed," Valte said.

The STCW Convention seeks to establish a baseline standard for the training and education of seafarers throughout the world by placing an emphasis on quality control and competence-based training, according to the International Maritime Organization's website.

Valte also said that economic and financial issues were on the agenda at the first plenary session held at 4:20 pm, Manila time.

"When it comes to the Euro-zone financial crisis, there will be a dialogue on the sharing of experiences from the different heads of state on what particular measures that their countries had to put in place in order to cope with the financial crisis," Valte said.

She also noted that the first panel will be dedicated to dialogue for economic and financial restructuring in light of the crisis. "There will also be an opportunity to discuss a green economy, apart from the usual intra-regional connectivity and trade and investment facilitation and liberation," Valte added. -- BM, GMA News
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Santi Kampilan
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matrix
Oct 23 2012, 12:16 AM
China must learn that size only gets you so far


The best thing that China could do now would be to define its actual demands. This would include coming to terms with the fact that the country, at best, can only lay claim to a 12-nautical-mile zone around the islets. According to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, small islands that cannot sustain human habitation do not have the right to a 200 mile exclusive economic zone. So instead of the “right” to all of the South China Sea, which many Chinese think they claim, the real maximum demand will be much more modest. This should sober minds in Beijing and elsewhere.



Once the Chicoms do this they will literally shoot themselves in the foot. All their bullying in Paracel, Spratly's and Scarborough will be futile. They have to continue doing their intimidation, hoping the other breaks and make a mistake. They have dug themselves in a hole they could not get out.
Hopefully the incoming leadership will have a different tack, more sober as you said. But they are a proud nation and will not be the same as before wherein they have to swallow their pride. It will be an impasse for awhile.
Edited by Santi Kampilan, Nov 6 2012, 01:24 AM.
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lionking66
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‘Ochoa sits on DFA bid to take China to court’

AN official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday accused Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa of sitting on the department’s recommendations regarding the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute.

The source, a senior official of the DFA who requested not to be named, claimed that the documents submitted to Malacañang in July h
as not been acted upon.

He said that the documents contained recommendations that would allow the government to file cases against China for its aggressive stance in the West Philippine Sea.

“Someone should remind the Executive Secretary to look into the recommendations,” the source said, adding that those recommendations were submitted shortly after the Philippine government decided to pull out its ships from the (Panatag Scarborough) Shoal, where a standoff between Chinese and Filipino naval forces lasted for more than a month.

The recommendations consisted of a three-track approach, which the department espouses to be used to strengthen the cases against what it believes is China’s aggressiveness in laying claims over the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) and the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

The approach includes political, diplomatic and legal tracks.

Both the political and the diplomatic approaches are already on track with the Philippines discussing with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) the implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct (DOC), the drafting of the binding Code of Conduct (COC) and the establishment of the Zone of Peace, Friendships, Freedom and Cooperation (ZoPFF/C), which will segregate disputed from the non-disputed islands.

There have also been continuous discussions with Beijing, which is under the diplomatic track.

The legal track, which includes a dispute settlement mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), has yet to be approved.

The source said that the DFA recommended the hiring of an international law firm to represent and fight for the maritime rights of the country before an international arbitration court. It was also recommended that the Philippine government consider hiring American-Dutch lawyers since they are considered experts in maritime issues.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez denied knowledge of the recommendations pending on Ochoa’s desk.

Hernandez admitted that he is not aware that the DFA submitted recommendations for the settlement of the West Philippines Sea dispute.

However, he confirmed that the DFA is still studying how to go about the legal approach.

Beijing and Manila have been embroiled in a bitter territorial dispute over the land and water features of the West Philippine Sea since April when Chinese maritime surveillance ships prevented Philippine authorities from arresting eight Chinese fishermen caught illegally poaching in the Scarborough Shoal.

The shoal, which sits 124 nautical miles from Luzon, is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone. China, on the other hand, has been claiming virtually the entire West Philippine Sea on the basis of its nine-dash line.

The Philippines earlier proposed for a multilateral track, but China was adamant that it will only negotiate through bilateral means.

The West Philippine Sea, which composes of resource-rich Spratly Islands, Pratas Islands, Paracel Islands and Macclesfield Bank, is also being claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam. Hanoi has also filed diplomatic protests against China’s actions in the region.

Link - Bantay SPRATLY:News Update

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I cannot really believe this news item but when a senior DFA official is quoted, there might be some truth to it! But if this is true, My GOD this guy is a fraud... quoting JPE! This is the highest form of TREASON. Or perhaps the guy does not know what to do. Even we give him all the benefit of doubt, it is still an act of omission! No wonder nothing-NADA has come out from the UN or ITCLOS.
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Edited by lionking66, Nov 22 2012, 05:07 PM.
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