 Anti-China group sails to Philippine-held island Manila (AFP) Dec 27, 2015 - Almost 50 young Filipinos are camping on a remote Philippine-held island in the South China Sea in a symbolic stand against China's claim to most of the waterway, officials said Sunday. Organisers of the group, calling itself Kalayaan Atin Ito (Kalayaan This Is Ours), said 47 of them arrived Saturday on the island of Pag-asa, also known as Thitu, in the Spratlys chain. "Kalayaan", the Filipino word for freedom, is also the name of the township established by the Philippines in the Spratlys to assert its claim to part of the island chain. The government had opposed the landing, initiated by a former navy officer. But President Benigno Aquino's spokesman Herminio Coloma said Sunday it understood the group's intentions. "We recognise the patriotism of these youths that made them venture out," he told reporters. But he also reiterated that they should seek "alternative ways" to show their support, expressing concern for their safety in travelling the 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan to the tiny island of Pag-asa. Photographs and messages from the group posted on their website showed them posing on a beach. A message on a Facebook page also urged Aquino to "inform the people correctly without sugar coating the truth about Chinese invasion of our Exclusive Economic Zone". Members of the group had previously accused the government of not doing enough to stand up to China. A coordinator of the group, Joy Ban-eg, told AFP the 47 men and women had arrived on Saturday on a chartered launch and would depart on Monday. She said China had not attempted to block them from reaching the island, adding that they would consult the local residents and the military detachment. But she stressed that their voyage itself was an act of defiance against China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea despite conflicting claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. She cited the international arbitration case now pending in the Hague where the Philippines is challenging China's territorial claims. China has refused to recognise the proceedings. Despite having one of the weakest militaries in the region, the Philippines has been the most vocal in challenging China's claims to the South China Sea. |
Japan has confirmed Chinese authorities have arrested a third Japanese citizen and detained another on suspicion of spying.
The series of arrests and detentions could strain already tense ties between Asia's two largest economies.
Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Friday that a Japanese woman, who had been detained in Shanghai in June, was formally arrested in November.
He also said a Japanese man has been under criminal detention after being held in Beijing in June.
In September, China said it had arrested two Japanese citizens for suspected spying.
A total of four Japanese are now being held by Chinese authorities on suspicion of espionage.
"Japan does not engage in such (spying) activities in any countries," Suga told reporters, without elaborating.
Japan and China have taken steps over the past year to improve ties but relations remain shaky.
Tokyo is particularly wary as Beijing becomes increasingly aggressive in pressing its various sovereignty claims, including a dispute with Japan over ownership of a group of islands.
'Armed' China ship near disputed isles: Japan
Tokyo (AFP) Dec 26, 2015 - A Chinese coast guard ship which appeared to be armed with several cannon Saturday entered what Tokyo regards as its territorial waters near disputed islands, the Japan Coast Guard said.
Japan and China routinely butt heads over ownership of the uninhabited East China Sea islets, as Chinese ships -- mostly coast guard vessels -- and aircraft have sometimes approached them to back up Beijing's claims and test Japan's response.
It was however the first time an apparently armed Chinese coast guard vessel had "entered the territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands", the Japan Coast Guard said.
Japan administers the uninhabited islands under that name but China also claims them and calls them the Diaoyus.
On Tuesday Japan said it had spotted the armed Chinese coast guard ship for the first time in the contiguous waters near the islands.
"The ship is seen carrying four pieces of equipment, two at the front and another set of two at the rear, which each seem to have something similar to a cannon," a coastguard spokeswoman had said at the time.
The same ship entered what Tokyo considers its territorial waters, with two other Chinese coast guard vessels without such equipment, at around 9:30 am (0030 GMT) Saturday and stayed for about an hour, the Japan Coast Guard said in statements.
In November, Japan said it spotted a Chinese naval intelligence ship operating near the disputed islands for the first time.
Relations between Japan and China hit a low after Tokyo in September 2012 moved to increase its formal control by nationalising some of the islands.
But the countries -- Asia's two biggest economies -- have taken steps over the past year to improve ties.
They issued carefully worded statements on the dispute ahead of a summit in November last year in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The two sides acknowledged they had different views on tensions emanating from the issue but agreed on the need to keep them under control.
Distrust, however, remains high as China is wary of moves by Abe to raise Japan's military profile while Tokyo frets about Beijing's increasing regional and global assertiveness.
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