Beijing and Philippines trade blame in latest collision of ships
China accused a Philippines coast guard ship of deliberately colliding with a Chinese vessel on Saturday in the latest flareup of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.
In a statement posted on social media, Chinese coastguard spokesperson Liu Dejun said that the Philippine ship, with hull number 9701, collided with the Chinese ship, 5205, just after 12.06pm (04.06GMT) Saturday.
As the Philippine ship maneuvered, it “deliberately collided” with the Chinese coastguard ship “in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision”, Mr Liu said, adding the standard claim that the Chinese ship was operating within regulations, without giving any details.
China is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea which is crucial to international trade. The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, whose security the US is treaty-bound to ensure. The longtime territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of Beijing‘s historically-based claims in the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command said the US military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters amid the spike in hostilities. Adm. Samuel Paparo’s remarks provided a glimpse of the mindset of one of the highest American military commanders outside the US mainland on a prospective operation that would risk putting US Navy ships in direct collisions with those of China.
Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries. As these clashes grow increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.
The latest incident came days after Chinese and Philippine coastguard ships collided near Sabina Shoal, a disputed atoll. At least two vessels were reported to be damaged in Monday’s collision but there were no reports of injuries.
Sabina Shoal lies about 140km (85miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognized exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
The atoll is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces. Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.
Also Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via China’s embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters, the latest incident fueling unease among Japanese defense officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.
On Monday, Tokyo also protested a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japan’s southwestern airspace. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had “no intention” to violate any country’s airspace.
Search called off for woman who disappeared into pit in Kuala Lumpur
The search and rescue operation for an Indian tourist who vanished into a sinkhole a week ago has been officially called off.
“After nine days of search and rescue and consideration from the cabinet as well as experts including the police, the search team, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, geologists and more, we’ve decided to halt the search efforts today,” Zaliha Mustafa, a minister in the prime minister’s department (federal territories) told reporters at the location of the sinkhole.
“There are various factors for halting the operation, which include the safety and health of the rescue personnel.
“The family of the victim has been informed, and we are in constant contact with them and the Indian High Commission,” she added.
Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, 48, fell into the 8m-deep sinkhole at 8.22am on 23 August while walking to a nearby temple in Kuala Lumpur’s Masjid India district. The search had been on for a week and the rescuers had found nothing.
Dr Mustafa said that the next steps to be taken were to be determined by the Malaysian police and that efforts to locate Ms Gali would continue under different agencies, reported Malay Mail.
“The Kuala Lumpur City Council will also map the utilities and conduct a soil structure study throughout Kuala Lumpur and proceed with the rebuilding and recovery of Jalan Masjid India,” she added.
The operation was concentrated around two manholes in the Jalan Masjid India neighbourhood and was extremely challenging due to heavy rains and debris in the sinkhole.
The search team had been using high-pressure jets of water to cut through debris to find the victim.
While the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had placed over 100 sandbags around the exposed sewer lines to protect them from the disruptive flow of rainwater, the existing issues were dangerous enough already for the divers.
“In that hole, there is a sewage drain and other drains; it’s really deep,” fire operation officer Alimaddia Bukri was quoted as saying by The Straits Times. He added that the rescuers had been diving deep into the sewer amid strong currents and zero visibility.
“It is pitch black in that pipe,” a diver told The Straits Times.
“You don’t want to know what’s in there. It’s full of human waste and other garbage. We decontaminate immediately after each dive.”
Ms Gali and her family were due to return to India last week, but their visas have been extended by the Malaysian government and they were also provided with counselling. The family members “do not expect anything and would only want to ‘see her face’”.
Kuala Lumpur’s mayor reassured the public of the city’s safety, stating that daily routines should continue unless evidence suggests otherwise. A task force has been established to assess the safety of structures around the sinkhole area.
“In my view, Kuala Lumpur remains safe,” the mayor said last week. Maimunah Mohd Sharif was speaking in defence of the city’s safety after a 2015 social media post went viral calling it “the most unsafe place” in Malaysia with a possibility of a “giant sinkhole” opening at any time.
“We will only consider it unsafe if there are studies that provide evidence to the contrary, especially given the alarming media reports.”
Ukraine calls for Putin’s arrest when he visits Mongolia next week
Ukraine urged Mongolia to arrest Russian president Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes when he visited the country on 3 September.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in March last year accusing Mr Putin of the war crime of unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin responded saying it was “not worried”.
“The Ukrainian side hopes that the government of Mongolia is aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Telegram.
“We call on the Mongolian authorities to comply with the mandatory international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.”
The ICC confirmed to the BBC that Mongolian officials “have the obligation to cooperate in accordance with the Chapter IX of the Rome Statute” to arrest Mr Putin, but it did not necessarily mean an arrest had to take place.
All 124 member states of the ICC, including Mongolia, are obliged to arrest Mr Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Russia dismissed the accusations and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov at the time said Russia does not recognise the ICC and considers its decisions “legally void”.
Mr Peskov responded to Ukraine’s request, saying: “No, no worries about this. We have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia.”
Asked to clarify if the ICC warrant was discussed, he said: “Obviously the visit, all of the aspects of the visit have been thoroughly discussed.”
Human rights groups have estimated that more than 19,000 children were deported and placed with Russian families.
Last year, Mr Putin cancelled a visit to a two-day summit to South Africa, an ICC member, allowing the hosts to avoid a decision whether or not to arrest the Russian leader.
Court documents at the time showed South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa had sought permission from the ICC not to follow through with the arrest, saying it would amount to a “declaration of war”.
“South Africa has obvious problems with executing a request to arrest and surrender President Putin,” he said in an affidavit. “Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting president would be a declaration of war. It would be inconsistent with our constitution to risk engaging in war with Russia.”
Japan lodges formal protest over Chinese survey ship entering its territorial waters
Japan lodged a formal protest via China‘s embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters Saturday, the Japanese foreign ministry said.
The ministry expressed “strong concern” after the ship was spotted near Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, early in the morning.
The Chinese ship, confirmed in territorial waters at 6 a.m. local time, left shortly before 8 a.m., according to Japan’s Defense Ministry, adding it was monitored by a Japanese military vessel and plane.
Recently, China’s increasingly assertive activity around Japanese waters and airspace has caused unease among Japanese defense officials, also concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.
This follows Tokyo’s protest after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entered Japan’ssouthwestern airspace on Monday. It was the first time the Japanese Self Defense Force detected a Chinese military aircraft in Japan’s airspace.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had “no intention” to violate any country’s airspace.
Bilateral business ties between the two countries, as well as exchanges among scholars and business people among others, remain strong.
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Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama
Vietnamese helping victims of Agent Orange used by US troops in Vietnam War among Magsaysay winners
A Vietnamese doctor who has helped seek justice for victims of the powerful defoliant dioxin “Agent Orange” used by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War is among this year’s winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards — regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel Prizes.
The other winners announced on Saturday were a group of doctors who struggled to secure adequate healthcare for Thailand’s rural poor, an Indonesian environmental defender, a Japanese animator who tackles complex issues for children and a Bhutanese academician promoting his country’s cultural heritage to help current predicaments.
First given in 1958, the annual awards are named after a Philippine president who died in a 1957 plane crash, and honor “greatness of spirit” in selfless service to people across Asia.
“The award has celebrated those who challenge the status quo with integrity by courageously confronting systemic injustices, transform critical sectors through groundbreaking solutions that drive societal progress, and address pressing global issues with unwavering resilience,” said Susanna B. Afan, president of the award foundation.
Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong carried out extensive research into the devastating and long-term effects of Agent Orange which she said she first encountered in the late 1960s as a medical intern when she helped deliver babies with severe birth defects as a result of the lingering effect of highly toxic chemical, according to the awards body.
“Her work serves as a dire warning for the world to avoid war at all costs as its tragic repercussions can reach far into the future,” the Magsaysay foundation said. “She offers proof that it can never be too late to right the wrongs of war and gain justice and relief for its hapless victims.”
American forces used Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to defoliate Vietnamese jungles and to destroy crops for the Vietnamese Communists, or Viet Cong, who fought against South Vietnam and the United States.
Between 1962 and 1971, the U.S. military sprayed roughly 11 million gallons of the chemical agent dioxin used in Agent Orange across large swaths of southern Vietnam. Dioxin stays in the soil and in the sediment of lakes and rivers for generations. It can enter the food supply through the fat of fish and other animals.
Vietnam says as many as 4 million citizens were exposed to the herbicide and as many as 3 million have suffered illnesses from it, including the children of people exposed during the war.
Indonesian Farwiza Farhan won the award for helping lead a group protect the Leuser Ecosystem, a 2.6-million-hectare forest on Sumatra Island in his country’s Aceh province where some of the world’s most highly endangered species have managed to survive, the foundation said.
Her group helped win a court verdict that led to $26 million in fines against a palm oil company that burned forests and stopped a hydroelectric dam that would have threatened the elephant’s habitat, the foundation said.
Miyazaki Hayao, a popular animator in Japan, was cited by the awards body as a co-founder in 1985 of Studio Ghibli, a leading proponent of animated films for children. Three Ghibli productions were among Japan’s ten top-grossing films.
“He tackles complicated issues, using his art to make them comprehensible to children, whether it be about protecting the environment, advocating for peace or championing the rights and roles of women in society,” the foundation said.
The Rural Doctors Movement, a group of Thai physicians, won the award for their “decades of struggle…to secure adequate and affordable healthcare for their people, especially the rural poor,” the foundation said.
“By championing the rural poor, the movement made sure to leave no one behind as the nation marches forward to greater economic prosperity and modernization,” it said.
Karma Phuntsho from Bhutan, a former Buddhist monk and an Oxford-educated scholar, was cited by the awards body for his academic works in the field of Buddhism and Bhutan’s rich history and cultural heritage that were being harnessed to address current and future problems in his country, including unemployment and access to high-quality education.
The winners will be presented with their awards and a cash prize on Nov. 16 at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
UN will continue to engage the Taliban in Afghanistan despite new laws restricting women
The United Nations will continue to engage all stakeholders in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, a U.N. spokesman said, even though Afghanistan’s rulers issued a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public and severed ties with the U.N. mission after it criticized them.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York defended the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, and its head Roza Otunbayeva, who said that the new laws provided a “distressing vision” for Afghanistan’s future.
She said last week the laws extend the ” already intolerable restrictions ” on the rights of women and girls, with “even the sound of a female voice” outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation.
The laws were issued after they were approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The Taliban had set up a ministry for the ” propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice” after seizing power in 2021. They say the laws are based on their interpretation of Sharia law.
The ministry called on international organizations, countries and individuals to respect the religious values of Muslims. It announced on Friday that it will no longer cooperate with UNAMA because of its criticism of the laws.
“We have been very vocal on the decision to further make women’s presence almost disappear in Afghanistan. In terms of the contacts with the de facto authorities, I mean, we will continue to engage with all stakeholders in Afghanistan, including the Taliban,” Dujarric said at a news conference.
“We have always done so following our mandate and I would say impartially and in good faith, always upholding the norms of the U.N., pushing the messages of human rights and equality. And we will continue our work as mandated by the Security Council.”
Surprise Beijing meeting raises hopes of Biden-Xi talks
Xi Jinping has held a surprise meeting with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the culmination of a three-day Beijing visit designed to lay the groundwork for direct talks between the Chinese leader and outgoing US president Joe Biden.
Meeting the top Biden administration official in the Great Hall of the People, Mr Xi said China expects the US to take the “right” view of Beijing’s development as an “opportunity rather than a challenge”.
The US readout of the Xi-Sullivan meeting said the two sides welcomed “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication, including planning for a call between President Biden and President Xi in the coming weeks”.
Mr Sullivan’s trip also included a rare meeting with Mr Xi’s most senior military adviser, the first of its kind in eight years, as well as with foreign minister Wang Yi.
And it concluded with generally positive signalling in statements from both sides as they aim to improve on the current frosty state of relations between the world’s two largest economies. Mr Xi and Mr Biden have not spoken face to face since a summit in November, and last spoke on a phone call in April.
Mr Sullivan said President Biden was “committed to responsibly managing this consequential relationship to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict.”
The Chinese president said the foremost issue between the two countries was a question of perception, asking for find an answer to the question: “Are China and the United States rivals or partners?”
Mr Xi said China’s “commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged”.
He also expressed “hope that the US side will work in the same direction with China, view China and its development in a positive and rational light, see each other’s development as an opportunity rather than a challenge,” the readout said.
Danny Russel, a vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, said the meeting between Mr Sullivan and Mr Xi was “particularly important” because Mr Sullivan was seen by the Chinese leadership as “a direct extension” of the US president.
He said Mr Sullivan‘s messaging was viewed as “coming straight from Biden”.
The issue of Taiwan loomed large in all Mr Sullivan’s different meetings with the Chinese leaders.
A Chinese foreign ministry readout said that Mr Sullivan told Mr Wang that the US “does not support ‘Taiwan independence’, and it does not seek conflict with China”.
“The one-China policy of the United States has not changed, and it has no intention to use Taiwan as a tool to contain China,” it added.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, an island off the mainland that has been democratically self-governed since a civil war in the 1940s. The US has for decades maintained a policy that only officially recognises the government of China, while at the same time enjoying strong unofficial relations and trade links with the island.
The US is also treaty-bound to support Taiwan in the event that China tries to take control of the island by force. What that support would look like in practice is kept
Before meeting Mr Xi, Mr Sullivan met Zhang Youxia, the vice-chair of China’s central military commission. The general is the highest-ranking military official to have met with anyone from the Biden administration.
Mr Sullivan said “it is rare that we have the opportunity to have this kind of exchange” and underscored “the need for us to responsibly manage US-China relations.”
General Zhang opened his statement by saying: “Your request to meet with me shows the value you attach to military security and the relationship between our militaries.”
He also, however, accused the US of “collusion” with Taiwan’s government.
Mr Wang told the visiting US official that, in China’s view, Taiwan’s independence presented the greatest threat to stability in the immediate region.
“China demands that the United States stop military collusion between the US and Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan and stop spreading false narratives about Taiwan,” the Chinese defence ministry statement said.
But the meeting with the general led to an agreement for bilateral military talks at the theatre command level “in the near future” and the two sides had held “regular military-military communications over the past 10 months”, a White House statement said.
Mr Sullivan said he stressed the “importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
Charles ‘profoundly saddened’ as New Zealand’s Maori King dies aged 69
New Zealand‘s Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died on Friday morning surrounded by his wife and three children. He was 69.
The monarch was admitted to a hospital, where he underwent heart surgery just days after the 18th anniversary of his coronation.
“The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Maoridom and the entire nation,” spokesperson Rahui Papa said in a statement.
King Charles III said he was “profoundly saddened” by the death of the decades-long friend to the British royal family. Charles said news of King Tuheitia’s death “is a particular shock”, with the two having shared a long friendship.
The king was born Tuheitia Paki in 1955 and succeeded his mother, Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu, in 2006. “I believe the future is a new horizon where Maori take the lead,” he said at the celebration of his coronation anniversary earlier this month.
“Let’s keep pushing forward while we are currently facing a storm, there’s no need to worry. In this storm we are strong. Together. The wind in our sails is unity, and with that we will reach our destination,” he added.
The Maori king is considered the paramount chief of several tribes, or iwi, but is not affiliated with all of them. The monarch’s role has no judicial or legal authority in New Zealand and is largely ceremonial.
The King Movement, or Kiingitanga, originated in 1858 in an attempt to unite the indigenous tribes of New Zealand under a single leader to strengthen their resistance to colonialism.
The role of the monarch is not necessarily hereditary and the new leader will be appointed by heads of tribes associated with the King Movement on the day of King Tuheitia’s funeral but before he is buried, according to Radio New Zealand.
Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand, in a post on X said: “Today, we mourn the loss of Kiingi Tuheitia.
“His unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to uphold the values and traditions of the Kiingitanga have left an indelible mark on our nation.
“I will remember his dedication to Aotearoa New Zealand, his commitment to mokopuna (Maori for grandson), his passion for te ao Maori (the Maori language), and his vision for a future where all people are treated with dignity and respect.”
King Charles said he would look back on his friendship with Tuheitia with “immense fondness”, having visited New Zealand in 2015, where he and Queen Camilla visited the town of Ngaruawahia with the king and his wife, Makau Ariki.
“He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Maori and Aotearoa New Zealand founded upon culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion,” Charles said.
“His death is a particular shock in view of the fact that I had only very recently spoken to Kiingi on the telephone at the beginning of August.”
Former New Zealand prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern described him as “an advocate for Maori, for fairness, justice and prosperity”.
She told ABC King Tuheitia “worked tirelessly on building understanding and knowledge of our shared history and in doing so, strengthening Aotearoa”.