Author: Nectar Gan

Philippines calls on China to comply with 2016 arbitral ruling over South China Sea
23Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Philippines calls on China to comply with 2016 arbitral ruling over South China Sea

President Rodrigo Duterte’s government in Philippines has called on China to comply with 2016 arbitral ruling which had ruled that China has no ‘historic rights over the waters of South China Sea’.“Compliance in good faith with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) to which both parties are signatories,” Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a statement.The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands had ruled that China has no ‘historic rights’ over the waters of the South China Sea. It also said that China has interfered with traditional Philippine fishing rights at Scarborough Shoal, even as Beijing claimed historic rights to the water
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China pushing territorial claims during pandemic, alleges Japan
23Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Conflict

China pushing territorial claims during pandemic, alleges Japan

In its annual defense review, Japan has accused China of Taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and push its territorial claims in the East China Sea.China “is continuing to attempt to alter the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea,” Japan said in the defense white paper approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government on July 14.The report further said that there have been "relentless" intrusions in the areas around the Senkaku islands as called by Japan or Diaoyu in China.Besides, in recent days, China has been asserting its claims in the South China Sea by establishing administrative districts around disputed islands while the neighbouring countries have been busy with dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.Chinese intrusions in the South China Sea have not only be
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Despite wolf warrior diplomacy, China fails to secure ‘expansionism’ beyond Pakistan, N.Korea
20Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Despite wolf warrior diplomacy, China fails to secure ‘expansionism’ beyond Pakistan, N.Korea

A former Lt Governor of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands has said that China appears to have failed to secure its "expansionism" beyond Pakistan and North Korea, “neither of which has a viable alternative”."Yet today as the world stares at the inevitable and punishing price of Covid, the Chinese state has still not let go of its expansionist impulse, and there is renewed pushback even from its 'beneficiaries'. Is the Dragon running out of tricks?" questioned Lt General Bhopinder Singh.Singh said a 'wolf warrior diplomacy' – “an unashamedly expansionist, combative, and possessing hegemonic instincts”, is the new form of statecraft that has made China proactive, as opposed to reactive.He asserted that Chinese President Xi Jinping's advanced his hawkish expansionism through ensnaring proje
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US sanctions Chinese government officials over treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang
19Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

US sanctions Chinese government officials over treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang

The United States has imposed sanctions on three senior Chinese officials it deems responsible for human rights abuses targeting ethnic and religious minorities in the western part of the country.The sanctions specifically name XUAR party secretary Chen Quanguo and three other top officials of the region’s leadership, as well as other unidentified people.Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a statement: “The United States will not stand idly by as the Chinese Communist party carries out human rights abuses targeting Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang, to include forced labor, arbitrary mass detention, and forced population control, and attempts to erase their culture and Muslim faith.”Pompeo said the sanctions were authorized by a 2017 executive orde
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Hong Kong Journalists’ Association get slammed by Beijing for inciting sedition
19Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Conflict

Hong Kong Journalists’ Association get slammed by Beijing for inciting sedition

The Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) has been slammed for supporting "violence, terrorist attacks and inciting sedition" by the Beijing authorities shortly after it released its annual press freedom report titled 'Freedom in Danger'."The law itself has overriding power so that means in the name of national security... virtually all protections to free speech and free press are meaningless...I think the present situation now is that you're OK until you're not OK. When they think you're not OK, then you'll be in trouble," the HKJA was quoted saying during the launch of the report. Stanley Ng Chau-pei, deputy to the National People's Congress in Beijing and President of the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, in his Facebook account said, "For the past year, HKJA has su
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Indian government should make Tibet one of the key issues in its policies on China: Lobsang Sangay
15Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Indian government should make Tibet one of the key issues in its policies on China: Lobsang Sangay

In view of the current situation between India and China, President of the Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay has said that the Indian government should make Tibet one of the core issues in its policies due to its “historical, geopolitical, cultural and ecological” significance.“The issue of Tibet is at the core of ongoing India’s border tensions with China. It was only after Chinese illegal occupation of Tibet in 1959 that India and China came to share the now-disputed border,” said Sangay while explaining the significance of Tibet in the Sino-Indian boundary dispute.He further explained Chairman Mao Zedong’s expansionist strategy from the 1950s and said that   China’s aggression along the border in 2020 “is the continuation of its strategy from Mao Zedong’s time to occupy Tibet a
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Philippines warns China of ‘severest response’ over drills in South China Sea
14Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Philippines warns China of ‘severest response’ over drills in South China Sea

Philippines has warned of “the severest response” if ongoing Chinese military exercises in the disputed South China Sea spill over into Philippine territory.Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said, “China’s People’s Liberation Army has been staging exercises off the Paracel Islands since July 1 and Chinese maritime officials have prohibited all vessels from navigating within the area of the maneuvers.”After checking the coordinates of the Chinese-declared no-entry zone where the maneuvers were being staged, Locsin said the waters off the Paracels, which are also claimed by Vietnam, “do not impinge on Philippine territory” but it was still a concern.“Should the exercises spill over to Philippine territory, then China is forewarned that it will be met with the severest response, diplomatic
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Xi Jinping laughed off threats of economic retaliation for Ladakh, now TikTok faces $6 bn loss: US strategist
14Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Xi Jinping laughed off threats of economic retaliation for Ladakh, now TikTok faces $6 bn loss: US strategist

According to reports, TikTok's mother company, China-based ByteDance, could face a loss of $6 Billion following Indian government's decision to ban 59 Chinese apps including hugely popular TikTok.As per China’s Caixinglobal.com, the amount is likely more than the combined losses for all the other Chinese apps banned by India.Following the reports, U.S. Strategist and Military Historian Edward N Luttwak in a social media post called out the naiveté of Chinese President Xi Jinping for thinking there will be no economic retaliation from India for its intrusion into the Indian Territory in Ladakh.“In Beijing, Xi Jinping's minions laughed off threats of economic retaliation for the Ladakh attack: "India is very poor, who cares?" Yesterday the owner of Tik Tok the most profitable of the 58 Chine
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India continuing to show it won’t back down from China’s aggression: Nikki Haley
13Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

India continuing to show it won’t back down from China’s aggression: Nikki Haley

After India took a strict stand against Chinese aggression on its border and banned 59 Chinese applications from the country, former US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley hailed the Indian governments’ decision to ban apps linked to Chinese firms including Tik Tok and said New Delhi is continuing to show it will not back down from China's aggression."Good to see India banning 59 popular apps owned by Chinese firms, including TikTok, which counts India as one of its largest markets. India is continuing to show it won't back down from China's aggression," Haley said in a Twitter post.In a press release, the Indian government had said that the banned applications are engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of state and public order.”
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China’s stance along India-China border is part of larger pattern of its aggression: US
13Jul By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

China’s stance along India-China border is part of larger pattern of its aggression: US

The United States on July 1 said that China's aggressive stance along the India-China border is part of Beijing's aggression into other parts of the world and that Washington is closely monitoring the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)."With regard to India and China, we are closely monitoring the situation. Both India and China have expressed a desire to de-escalate. We support a peaceful resolution of current situation," said Kayleigh McEnany, White House press secretary, during a press briefing.She added: "Donald Trump has said that China's aggressive stance along India-China border fits with a larger pattern of Chinese aggression in other parts of the world. These actions only confirm true nature of the Chinese Communist Party."Meanwhile, the US welcomed the Indian govern...
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