China now selling a tour to the Panatag Shoal of the Philippines

 Nothing like a leisurely trip to a geopolitical flashpoint to spice up the weekend.

Perhaps most tourists wouldn't think so, but more than 50,000 Chinese netizens responded to a lottery posted over the weekend by group-buying site Meituan for a trip to the Scarborough Shoal, according to a local media report. The area, also known in Chinese as Huangyan Island, has been at the center of a growing dispute between China and the Philippines, with each side confronting the other over the contested territory.

A listing of the contest on another website, showed a picturesque tropical island, and advertised, "A dream come true, Meituan takes you to Panatag Shoal or Huangyan Island for a day."

A link to the original Meituan offer redirected visitors to the company's main website. Contacted about the post, a Meituan representative said "the offer has already finished." But Chinese group buying websites often cross-post offers, and a web search turned up the advertisement on a number of web sites.

The Meituan representative didn't respond to inquiries about whether or how the trip would be carried out. Those could be salient questions. According to an article in China's Oriental Morning Post, an official with Hainan's Sanya city said such a trip would carry "enormous risk," adding that the possibility of reaching the islands would be "incredibly small." The article added that currently only naval ships and approved fishing vessels are allowed to sail to Panatag Shoal.

According to the article, industry experts dumped even more cold water on the plans. Though the purported itinerary for the trip has tourists hopping a speedboat from Hainan — first to the Paracels in six to eight hours, and then to Panatag Shoal (Huangyan Island) in another three to four hours — experts said that a normal journey to Panatag (Huangyan) by sea would take 30 hours from Hainan. And perhaps of greater risk to tourists than any naval confrontation, the article points out typhoon season is just starting up in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

Given that the original ad has been taken down, the chance for Chinese tourists to go see what their country is beefing about with the Philippines seems slim. But given the likely practical impediments, and the lack of answers about who was making the offer, it's unclear any winner would ever have the chance to collect.

Read in It's More Fun in the Philippines website  

China Maintains Tough Line on Philippines

Anti-China demonstrations in Manila that had alarmed Beijing largely fizzled on Friday, but China continued its rhetoric against the Philippines over a standoff in the South China Sea.

Analysts say that China's tough line is being fueled by domestic politics, and the longer the standoff between Manila and Beijing over disputed islands continues, the more challenging it becomes for both sides to negotiate a face-saving resolution. China's ruling Communist Party is particularly nervous about being seen as weak ahead of its sensitive once-a-decade leadership transition beginning late this year, the analysts say.

Filipinos chanted anti-China slogans as they marched toward the Chinese consulate in Manila's Makati financial district on Friday.

"It means that China is going to be even more assertive on these issues because the leadership can't afford to be seen as weak with its own domestic constituency," particularly the People's Liberation Army, said Alan Dupont, a regional-security expert at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Only about 200 people took part in a rally at a Chinese consular office in Manila, according to organizers, well below initial expectations. The protesters echoed recent calls by the government of President Benigno Aquino III for China to end its claims of sovereignty over the Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), a collection of reefs, rocks and islands known in Chinese as Huangyan Island.

Chinese and Philippine vessels have for the past month been confronting each other at the island, the latest and most severe in a string of territorial disputes threatening China's wider bilateral relations across the region.

The Philippines relies on Washington for strategic backing and military hardware, though analysts say the U.S. is likely requesting the Philippines not to push China too aggressively. The countries have a mutual-defense treaty, but it remains unclear whether that would be triggered by fighting in disputed territories.

At a press briefing Friday, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government wasn't involved in planning Friday's protests, but declined to discuss specific diplomatic efforts Manila was taking to defuse the situation.

On Thursday, the Chinese government demanded that the Philippines protect Chinese citizens against possible violence from protesters. As tensions rose, several of China's major tour operators announced they were suspending trips to the Philippines.

Chinese officials and state media in recent days have heightened rhetoric against Manila, potentially making it more difficult for Beijing to back down.

Analysts say that China's response is being complicated by the recent ouster of political superstar and Politburo member Bo Xilai, which has created domestic political uncertainty in a leadership transition year. The analysts say that the Chinese military and security forces may seek to use the standoff as they jockey for influence in the transition.

The South China Sea contains important fishing grounds and is also thought to hold vast reserves of oil and natural gas.

The PLA Daily, the main military mouthpiece, on Friday accused the Philippines of "inciting public emotions and seriously damaging the atmosphere of bilateral relations."

"The Philippine government obviously does not understand they are in the process of committing a serious mistake," the newspaper said.

In a separate opinion piece, the newspaper argued that the Obama administration's efforts to bolster U.S. military and strategic presence in Asia had provided the Philippines and others in the region greater strategic maneuvering room when dealing with China.

Recent tensions around the Scarborough Shoal began last month after Chinese vessels blocked Philippine authorities from arresting Chinese fishermen suspected of harvesting coral and poaching sharks in the area. Philippine officials said this week two Philippine government vessels, at least three from China and fishing boats from both sides remain engaged in the standoff.

China Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said this week she wasn't optimistic about resolving the dispute.

Read More in It's More Fun in the Philippines website

Continue reading

Dirty Politics, and economic policies China hit the Philippines to kneel down- But Not

By: Prince Dan We (For Rebuilding for the Better Philippines)

With china's dream to control the South East Asian countries and its oil and gas resource rich water, China asserts all efforts by economic sanction to its rival claimants in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea) so everyone will kneel down and pray for their blessings.

Regional economic progress is not the goal of china towards its ASEAN neighbors but just to use them and push them down when the trust building is completed.

As the Philippines flex its muscle and hard stance against the bully of the powerful China in the West Philippines Sea - Scarborough Panatag Shoal's month long stand-off ; China sanctioned the Philippines exports and order a travel ban toward the Philippines.

This is just the beginning. China is determined with its economic power, millions of armed forces and advance but substandard war weapon to bully the Philippines but the US alliance with the Philippines will help the country to stand with 60 year old Mutual Defense Treaty that would be invoke if any external attack to the territory happens.

Unclear china policy and arrogant expansionism attitude escalate the disputes as they are muscle flexing and start invading the shores of the Southeast Asian countries with distance of more than 1,000 kilometers  with a word of revenged sprouted by their communist mouthpiece "Long before we were weak, china is weak and the world are humiliating our people. Now we are strong and powerful – let see how the world will cry when we will humiliate them."

From the beginning of the civilization of the island nation and before the formation of the country "Philippines", China is already a friend and a trading partner passing through the islands in the west Philippines sea as a resting islands in Scarborough and Spratlys or Kalayaan islands which make them name the islands as islands on their way while trading with the island nation now called "The Philippines"

For the revenge of china to the world which they called "humiliated by the world", pity Philippines a long and ancient friend island nation become their enemy and victim of bully.

Never in the history that the Philippines bully its neighbor back to the time when the Philippines is the richest and the second most powerful country next to Japan (1940's – 1960's).

Since china change its tone towards the Philippines it's time for the Philippines to find a new friend to cherish; none betraying friend and a true friend in reality to be a partner in business and progress – the ASEAN neighbors.

Since China is not the only market for the Philippines then the effect of China's sanction toward Philippine products is minimal effect to the country but this is the time for the Philippines to think of; either to allow china invades its territorial waters and let china explore its oil and gas in return of lifting the economic sanction or to make a hard stance with US alliance.

The Philippines would lost its trillion dollar oil and gas deposits leaving the messed and environmental destruction if they will allow china to do it.

The Philippines waters in the West Philippines Sea is a rich resource islands and waters not just for bio diversity and marine products but also for Natural Gas and Oil which will level to the oil deposits in the Arabian gulf.

The Philippines is now a battleground between the power competition of China and USA but the question is who ever will win this battle; still the Philippines will lose not just friendship with Chinese business investors but also the peace and stability of the region.

China could not win a war with a wise country not of their match because it will just ignore it. China is like a roaring lion to a creepy mouse but who will save this lion if it will fall into a lion trap?

The claw of china's dragon might hurt the territory of the mouse size Philippines but they could never own it as the United Nation's Convention on Laws of Seas or UNLCOS is the strongest bases of its ownership.

It's time for the Philippines to look east, west and South friendly BUT wide eyes with anger when looking north because the devil is always came from the North according to a Chinese Feng Shui. Chinese Feng Shui is popularized by China's good-and-bad-luck experts saying that we must be always on the alert because the devil is always came from the north which everyone must beware of it with hard stance to defeat the devil. Feng Shui is also a belief which many Chinese Filipino getting accustom in doing their business rituals.

The business opportunity is not only in the north (china) but also with the East and West or South. Only the Marketing, packaging and product quality standardization is needed for the Philippines agricultural products to be a leading product in the global market without china.

The economic sanction of china could not hardly hit the Philippines in fact the Philippines have higher imports from China than exports.

The Philippines could be self sufficient without the products from China because the china's products is not yet highly sought in the Philippine markets because the Philippines have its own products excepts for Electronics gadgets which are US designed and just manufactured in China such as computer accessories, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets which could be also available and be replaced with Philippines Made electronic gadgets at a better quality and price.

The advantage of the Philippines is its products are mostly agricultural products which are highly needed for daily consumptions while china's products are mostly electronics and could be manufactured anywhere.

Banning china's made products in the Philippines could be also beneficial to the country as it limits the cause of fire from using substandard china made electrical wirings, and will uplift the Philippines from the rank of the countries with patent and infringement issues as china is the provider of imitation and fake goods to the Philippines for a lower price.

The time has come for a change and for full self sufficiency for the country Philippines.

Email Prince Dan We – at Attn: Prince Dan We – defend@phrepublic.info

Continue reading

ASEAN South-East Asia 10th World Largest Economy - tigers prove far from extinct

In a lot of minds, the ''Asian Century'' we may now be facing is conflated with a ''Chinese Century'' - such is China's size and growth pathway despite its building demographic, environmental and perhaps political headwinds.

With Europe falling apart under its ''internal contradictions'', a Western cheer squad is hoping India can be the tortoise that crawls ahead of the Chinese hare, though India's politicians seem to be doing their best to prevent this happening.

But quite remarkably, a third big centre of power is coming to the fore in the region, one that could truly make this an Asian century, not just a China story. South-east Asia is back, after a 15-year retirement to the benches following the pricking of its many bubbles in the 1997 regional financial crisis.

It may be time to bring out those old batik shirts and send them down to the laundry for a wash and press.

The 1997 crisis ended talk of the Asian ''tiger'' economies, and attention soon focused on the sustained high growth of China, and the rising tempo of the Indian economy. South-east Asia seemed destined to prosper as slave economies feeding materials and components to China.

But that is now changing as south-east Asia's potential as a self-sustaining market is more widely appreciated. With 600 million people and combined gross domestic products totalling $US1.8 trillion, it would rank as the ninth or 10th biggest economy in the world.

It's not a combined economy of course, though it works away at making itself into a free trade area. But Indonesia alone, with a population of 240 million likely to stabilise around 400 million later this century, and an economy edging close in size to Australia's (already larger by the purchasing power parity yardstick), will be a very big market on its own.

The region is also coming out of the strategic torpor that resulted from digesting so many varied political systems into its main grouping, the Association of South-east Asian Nations.

At a recent gathering in Rangoon, an official from one of its 10 member countries bemoaned the fact that ASEAN membership involved officials attending ''600 meetings a year''. Bound by a code of ''non-interference'' in each other's affairs, the group was notable for its ineffectuality on the region's disputes and conflicts.

That is swiftly changing as a new generation of better-educated, more worldly politicians and officials takes over from older figures hiding their uncertainties behind protocols and ''cultural norms''. As before, the largest member, Indonesia, is still setting the pace. But instead of that being a comfort to the group's authoritarian member nations, it's an unsettling example of transition to contested elections and open debate.

As noted over recent months, several of the other countries are moving into political transitions. Malaysia and Singapore are seeing a weakening of the one-party dominance of their politics and media that's prevailed for the last 60 years. Thailand is approaching the passing of its revered king. Burma has just made a big step towards democracy.

Even the Philippines, the joker in the pack, may at last be finding a proper role for its many educated, talented and English-speaking people, instead of sending them abroad for menial jobs in rich countries. It has recently overtaken India as the biggest call-centre host. Australian banks and companies are now sending hundreds of back office jobs to Manila.

As well as these internal dynamics, the big external factor encouraging the south-east Asians to step up to the plate in strategic issues is the rise of China and the pressure this is putting on its neighbours to the south.

Oil exploration and fishing in the overlapping claimed economic zones of the South China Sea, damming of the rivers flowing into south-east Asia, cross-border migration, people trafficking, weight of investment and trade money, and projected military capability are all making the south-east Asians fearful of being turned into vassal states (as some were in past eras).

The re-emergence of south-east Asia is something that could work well for Australia.

We are already deeply connected on the economic side, with $64 billion in two-way merchandise trade in 2010-11 and $17 billion in services. Our diplomats would argue we haven't ever dropped the ball, and remain closely informed and influential in the region's affairs.

But the region has lost the central importance we gave it two or three decades back. As bilateral frictions with south-east Asia have diminished, strategic and business focus has shifted to the two Asian giants. Foreign correspondent friends don't say, as they used to, they always go to the Australian embassy first to find out what's really going on. Interest in learning the Indonesian, Thai, or Vietnamese languages has fallen away. A friend in Canberra who wants to learn Burmese is struggling to find a teacher.

Still, Australian business and institutions have a substantial bank of expertise and familiarity with south-east Asia, that could be turned towards profitable partnerships in addressing the region's urbanisation, infrastructure and environmental challenges.

On our political front, it looks like the Coalition will make a supposed ''neglect'' of Indonesia and other ''old friends'' in the region a theme of its pitch for government. We've had similar rediscoveries of neglected relationships before, notably every few years with India, that soon lapse once in office.

The Coalition, a bit more than Labor, walks into south-east Asia with two bits of baggage: a closeness to the US, which makes us look a satellite, and an obsession about Muslim asylum seekers, which to Asians looks like we still haven't completely shaken off White Australia.

Conservatives often dismiss this kind of criticism, pointing to the region's own racial antipathies and claiming our influence with Washington is a plus in Asia. They'd be well advised to slip back into the bipartisan narrative of an Australia steadily becoming a normal partner in in the region. Even John Howard found signing the ASEAN treaty of friendship and non-aggression not so bad after all.

On second thoughts, about those batik shirts … like flares, they can be so 1970s, if not chosen well.

Read more http://philippines.phrepublic.com/?q=node/26

Continue reading

China TV 'claims' Philippines as Chinese territory

An anchor on China's state-run television network has accidentally declared the Philippines a part of China, in an embarrassing gaffe as tensions between the two nations run high.

He Jia, anchor for China Central Television's (CCTV) nationally televised news broadcast, made the claim during a late Monday broadcast that has been repeatedly replayed on the Internet.

The presenter apparently meant to say that the Huangyan islands -- known in the Philippines as the Scarborough Shoal, and claimed by both nations -- is China's territory.

"We all know that the Philippines is China's inherent territory and the Philippines belongs to Chinese sovereignty, this is an indisputable fact," He said in the broadcast, which has since disappeared from the CCTV website but is available elsewhere on the web.

Viewers joked in online postings that the presenter's nationalistic fervour led to her mistake.

"This anchor woman is great, a good patriot, she has announced to the world the Philippines belongs to China," said a microblogger named helenjhuang.

"We should attack directly, send (Philippine President Benigno) Aquino packing and take back our inherent territory."

Another microblogger named kongdehua said, "the Philippines have basically been making irrational trouble, if they want to start a war then we will strike, no one fears them.

"If every Chinese spat once, we could drown (the Philippines)."

CCTV officials refused comment on He's gaff when contacted by AFP and would not say whether the station had apologised.

When commenting on territorial disputes and separatist movements in Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and neighbouring sea areas, Chinese diplomats and media routinely claim all such areas as an "indisputable part of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said late Monday Beijing was ready for "any escalation" of the maritime standoff with the Philippines that has become one of the most high-profile flare ups over the South China Seas and its vast oil and gas deposits in years.

Continue reading

China mumbles and warns Philippine Envoy in Beijing – We Owned West Philippines Oil

China today warned the Philippines not to "misjudge" its resolve over a disputed island in the South China Sea, saying it is "fully prepared" to respond to any move by Manila to escalate the situation.

Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Fu Ying summoned the Charge D'affaires of the Philippine Embassy here yesterday to lodge a representation over the "current incident" at the Huangyan Island, referred to as Scarborough Shoal by Manila and asked it to remove all its naval ships from there.

This is the third time that China has summoned the Philippine diplomat in less than a month.

"It is hoped that the Philippine side will not misjudge the situation and not escalate tensions without considering the consequences," Fu said.

Because of the continuous provocation by the Philippine side, China's government vessels will continue to be on alert in the sea area around Huangyan Island, she said.

Fu said that China is not optimistic about the situation concerning Huangyan Island and it is fully prepared to respond to anything the Philippines does to escalate the situation, state-run news agency Xinhua quoted an official statement.

During the two previous meetings, Fu said, she asked the Philippine side to remain calm and refrain from taking actions that would escalate or complicate the situation.

"However, it is obvious that the Philippine side has not realised that it is making serious mistakes and, instead, is stepping up efforts to escalate tensions," Fu said, as Manila and Beijing lined up their naval ships near the island in a stand off for over four weeks.

Fu said Philippines continued to send government vessels to the Island lagoon and has repeatedly made erroneous remarks which have misled the Philippine public and the international community and provoked public feelings, thus severely damaging bilateral relations.

"Therefore, it is hard for us to be optimistic about the situation," she said.

China urges the Philippine side to withdraw its vessels in the sea area around island and to never again impede the operations of Chinese fishing vessels or Chinese government vessels performing their duties in accordance with Chinese law, Fu said.

"The Chinese side has also made all preparations to respond to any escalation of the situation by the Philippine side," Fu said.

Fu stated that the Chinese side maintains its position of seeking diplomatic solutions to the current situation, and that China once again urges the Philippine side to seriously respond to China's concerns and properly handle the matter.

Asserting its rights, Philippines said the uninhabited island is a part of its 322-kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone, (EEZ) and geared up to take its case to international court of justice, While China with more than 1000 Kilometers to its closest island in Hainan.

In today' s meeting, Fu stressed that the island belongs to China as it has had control over it for hundreds of years, the report said.

In order to provide a positive environment for Chinese fishermen to operate in their traditional fishing area, China's fishery administration vessels will also provide fishing vessels with services and management in accordance with Chinese law, she said.

READ MORE: ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES – AFP FORUM

Continue reading

China’s General Strengthen TIES with USA Power in Pentagon for Oils in West PHL SEA

The U.S. and Chinese militaries should work as equals and avoid the "stereotype" of being confrontational superpowers, Chinese General Liang Guanglie said on his first visit to Washington as defense minister.

Speaking to reporters yesterday following talks with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Liang disputed a question about China's responsibility for cyber attacks against the U.S. and said the two sides discussed ways to "build a new state-to- state relationship that's not a stereotype of two major powers predestined for conflict."

Liang's call to be treated as an equal reflects China's growing desire, backed by its $5.9 trillion economy, to be considered a power on par with the U.S. It comes as the U.S. is shifting its military posture to the Asia-Pacific area, reflecting concerns by the U.S. and nations in the region about China's expanding reach and competition for resources such as oil and gas in the South China Sea.

"I proposed that the two militaries build a new relationship based on equality, mutual benefit and cooperation," said Liang.

China's emphasis on equality is in line with its previous "win-win formulations" intended to show that its economic and military rise is not intended to diminish U.S. power, said Patrick Cronin, an Asia specialist at the Center for New American Security, a policy center in Washington. Still, "China wants to be treated like a superpower but does not yet want responsibilities of one," he said.

'Deal With Challenges'

Liang's visit, the first such high level military visit since President Barack Obama took office, comes after a series of incidents that in the past would have derailed high-level meetings between officials of the two countries. This is also the first meeting between the top U.S. and Chinese defense ministers after the U.S. in November announced plans to focus defense efforts toward the Asia-Pacific region.

Panetta, asked if the U.S. pivot toward the Asia-Pacific region is intended to contain China's rise, said the purpose of the U.S. effort is to help countries in the region "develop their capabilities so they can deal with challenges."

The Pentagon is interested in engaging in a "similar relationship with China's military to confront common challenges and provide for stability and safety of the region," Panetta said.

After Obama spelled out U.S. strategy toward the Asia- Pacific in November, China in March said it would increase its defense spending 11.2 percent to about 670 billion yuan ($106.4 billion). The Pentagon's proposed 2013 budget is $525 billion.

Oil and Gas in the West Philippines Sea

China has several disagreements with Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan over control of oil- and gas-rich waters and has a lingering territorial dispute with India that erupted into a war in 1962. It also seeks control of Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province.

Liang said his visit to the U.S. despite recent incidents shows that there's a "turnover in U.S.-China military" relations.

For nearly two weeks the U.S. and China have negotiated over the future of Chinese human-rights activist Chen Guangcheng, who escaped house arrest and sought shelter at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. reached an accord with Chinese authorities to allow him and his family to come to the U.S., where has an offer to be an visiting scholar at New York University.

In September, the Obama administration announced a $5.3 billion arms package to Taiwan, including upgrades to 145 older F-16 fighters. After declining to provide Taiwan with new versions of the jets made by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), the Obama administration on April 27 said it may consider doing so.

Panetta to China

China's decision not to cancel Liang's visit over those developments "suggests there's a little more ballast to the U.S.-China relations" than in the past, Cronin said.

Liang said Panetta had accepted his invitation to visit Beijing in the second half of this year.

Panetta and Liang, appearing together at a Pentagon press briefing, said they also discussed cyber security issues.

Asked about U.S. intelligence reports pointing to cyber attacks and data theft that originate from China, Liang took umbrage at the question, saying that not all attacks on U.S. networks came from China.

"I can hardly agree with the proposition that the cyber attacks directed to the United States are directly coming from China." he said. "And during the meetings, Secretary Panetta also agreed on my point that we cannot attribute all the cyber attacks" to China.

Avoid 'Miscalculations'

China, too, is concerned about cyber attacks because it "relates to politics, military and people's livelihood," Liang said, citing the example of an attack on a bank that "affects people's lives."

Panetta said cyber attacks on both Chinese and U.S. computer networks come from "other countries, hackers and others." Since the U.S., and China have "technical capabilities in this arena" the two countries must work together to avoid "miscalculations" that may lead to a crisis, Panetta said.

As part of an effort to increase transparency between the two militaries, Liang and his delegation, which includes the head of the People's Liberation Army's 2nd Artillery Corps responsible for its nuclear forces, as well as chiefs of the Navy and Air Force, will stop at several U.S. military installations during their visit, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.

The Chinese delegation plans to go to Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and Southern Command based in Doral, Florida. They will also meet with non-commissioned officers of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Forces at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and visit the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Source: Bloomberg. To contact the reporter on this story: Gopal Ratnam in Washington at gratnam1@bloomberg.net  .To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Walcott at jwalcott9@bloomberg.net

Read More:  Armed Forces of the Philippines – AFP Forum

Continue reading

China's defense chief Liang visits Pentagon amid diplomatic row over dissident Chen, will discuss West Philippine Sea dispute

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon hosted China's Defense Minister Liang Guanglie on Monday in a bid to boost military ties as the United States tried to contain the fallout from a diplomatic dispute over a top Chinese dissident.

Liang's discussions with his US counterpart, Leon Panetta, were expected to focus on the growing military rivalry between the two countries, while American officials planned to steer clear of the case of blind rights campaigner Chen Guangcheng.

"We're not planning on raising it" during the first visit to Washington by a Chinese minister of defense in nine years, a senior defense official said. Chen's fate was a subject for US diplomats at the State Department, not the Pentagon, the official added.

Chen dramatically escaped house arrest and took refuge at the US embassy in Beijing on April 26, creating a dilemma for both governments just days before the arrival of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

At the end of her visit, Clinton said she struck a deal that would allow Chen to go to the United States with his family to study. But China warned the United States to take measures to avoid a repeat of the Chen incident.

The Pentagon has long sought to forge a stronger security dialogue with China's top brass but defense relations have remained an on-again-off-again affair, with Chen's situation threatening to overshadow Liang's visit.

Accompanied by a 24-member delegation including an array of senior officers, Liang was greeted with a US honor guard standing at attention on the steps of the Pentagon, while a Marine Corps band clad in red and white played the national anthems of each country.

The talks were due to touch on North Korea's nuclear program, maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and US concerns about cyber threats allegedly coming from China, the senior defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The cyber issue is an important area for dialogue and discussion with the Chinese government and the Chinese military in particular. We obviously have some concerns about some cyber behavior that appears to originate in China," the official said.

Before his meeting with Liang, the US defense secretary said in an interview over the weekend that his priority remained improving military-to-military relations. But he acknowledged that Chen's case and human rights would be addressed by his colleagues at the State Department.

Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Panetta said that "the purpose of these discussions is to also indicate our concerns, and one of those concerns, obviously, relates to human rights and I suspect that the State Department is making very clear to the Chinese our concerns in that area."

Apart from the turbulence surrounding the Chinese dissident, Liang's visit comes at a delicate moment with Beijing irritated with Washington's stance on the South China Sea and Taiwan.

Military contacts between China and the United States were broken off by Beijing in early 2010 when Washington unveiled a $6 billion arms contract with Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

Contacts were resumed at the end of the year shortly before then US defense secretary Robert Gates visited Beijing in January 2011.

But the White House, under pressure from some lawmakers, said recently it will give "serious consideration" to selling new US fighter jets to Taiwan.

With China and the Philippines locked in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, the United States also has plans to double military assistance to Manila, a move criticized by Beijing.

The United States, which is increasingly worried about Beijing's mounting military strength, has sought to build up ties with the Chinese armed forces to avoid possible misunderstandings and defuse tensions.

Beijing, however, has rejected suggestions its military has adopted a more aggressive stance.

"China seeks no hegemony and its defense policy is defensive in nature. Beijing does not deserve Washington's ill-grounded suspicion over China's peaceful development," state-run Xinhua news agency wrote in a commentary.

For his a week-long visit, Liang arrived in San Francisco on Friday and toured a US naval station on Saturday in San Diego, where he got a first-hand look at an American destroyer.

Liang is scheduled to visit a US Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, an Army base at Fort Benning in South Carolina and the West Point military academy in New York before departing Thursda

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/257434/news/world/china-s-defense-chief-visits-pentagon-amid-diplomatic-row-over-dissident-chen-will-discuss-west-philippine-sea-dispute

Continue reading

UN: Philippines’ climate law the best in the world

The aim of the Philippine Climate Change Act is to protect the rights of the people in harmony with nature (© Jonicdao/Creative Commons)

By Tierney Smith

The climate change laws in the Philippines are "best in world" according to a UN special envoy.

Margareta Wahlström, the special Disaster Risk Reduction representative of the UN Secretary General praised the Philippines for the law on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction for taking a lead in the global campaign to mitigate the risk from climate change.

Speaking at a press conference in the country she said: "You do have now an excellent legal framework for disaster risk reduction and an excellent framework for climate adaptation. The basis [of the laws] is really for empowering local governments."

She stressed that the laws represented a policy shift from reactionary to proactive and commended Senator Loren Legarda for her work in creating the laws.

The climate laws in the Philippines consist of two Acts of Parliament. The first, passed in 2009 was the Climate Change Act which created the Climate Change Commission to tackle related issues across the country.

This Commission then cosponsored the second of the Philippines laws the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

What makes these laws the best in the world?

Let's compare these laws to the UK Climate Change Act of 2008. In a similar way the Philippines laws set out a Climate Change Commission to tackle climate change, the UK's Committee on Climate Change was also founded as provision to the 2008 law.

However, beyond this the law also laid out clear targets for the country to reduce its emissions by 80% by 2050 on 1990 levels and to set out 5 yearly carbon budgets and incentive mechanism to help the country achieve this aim.

In the same way, the latest country to pass climate laws, Mexico will also set out clear budgets on emission reductions within this legislation as well as establishing a voluntary carbon trading scheme.

Unlike these laws, the Philippines Climate Change Act of 2009 has no legally binding targets on greenhouse gas emissions and it has no targets on renewables.

However, reading over the country's climate laws, some aspects do make the Philippines stand out as progressive when it comes to the ways in which they plan for climate change and help it live up to the new title given to it by Wahlström.

An inclusion of all relevant departments and agencies:

One of the major criticisms of climate policy, the world over, is that it is often treated as an isolated issue, and dealt with by a few specific departments and organisations. How many times before have we heard that their needs to be a more joined up approach to climate policy?

Written into the 2009 Act was the premise that the advisory boards to any Commission should include secretaries from the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources as well as Education, Foreign Affairs, Health and Interior and Local Government.

Other sectors included in the Commission include Defense, Science and Technology, Industry and Development, showing a multi-faceted approach to climate change.

Outside organizations including representatives for women, from provinces and cities, from industry, education and civil society are also included in the Commission which meets at least four times a year.

To further ensure this cross-sector and cross-department approach is taken it is written into the Act for "the State to systematically integrate the concept of climate change in various phases of policy formulation, development plans, poverty reduction strategies and other development tools and techniques by all agencies and instrumentalities of government."

Implementation of local and national adaptation plans

The Philippines Climate Change Act implemented a National Climate Change Action Plan including national impacts of climate change, the identification of vulnerable communities and areas including ecosystems, identification of disproportionate impact on men, women and children, an assessment of management of risks and the identification of greenhouse has mitigation potentials.

Alongside this, however, it also proposed a series of Local Climate Change Action Plans which would allow frontline agencies to formulate, plan and implement plans in their area within the framework of the National Plan.

The work done by municipal and city governments would then feed back into the National Plan. The Bill also called for municipal and city governments to consider climate change adaptation, as one of their regular functions.

Focus on Gender and youth involvement

Another area where more work has to be done globally is the inclusion of women, and the youth in climate change policy. While this is slowly improving, there is still a lot more to be done to both acknowledge the impacts of a changing climate on these vulnerable groups but also the power they have in driving change.

In the Philippine's Climate Change Act and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act mentions of both women and children are in abundance including "the policy of the State to incorporate a gender-sensitive, pro-children and pro-poor perspective in all climate change and renewable energy efforts" and to "conduct early recovery and post-disaster needs assessment institutionalizing gender analysis."

The depth and bravery of the Philippines' law should provide food for thought for national negotiators as they gather in Bonn next week for the next round of UN negotiations on climate change.

How do you think the Philippines has done? Should the EU be matching this? What about other developing economies?

Let us know what you think. Leave us a comment below, leave a post on our Facebook page, tweet us @rtccnewswire or email info@rtcc.org.

Continue reading