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  • 2022-03-29 (xsd:date)
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  • and avoid interfering with the patrol and law enforcement of the China Coast Guard in the above-mentioned waters."That (en)
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  • Reader alert: This fact check involves some of the swirling geopolitics around the Ukraine war and the Chinese-Russian minuet that’s playing out in response. Apologies in advance for some necessary background.On Monday, March 28, the United States and the Philippines launched their largest joint military exercise in the northern Philippines in years. The annual exercise, involving nearly 9,000 personnel, runs until April 8.Back in 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, then in his first year in office, threatened to scrap a U.S. defense pact that made such exercises possible. That was part of Duterte’s efforts to pivot towards China and Russia.Next month, though, the Philippines will hold presidential elections. Duterte cannot run for another term and is set to step aside in June. And he has recently signaled wariness about China while seeking to bolster U.S. ties.Duterte warned earlier this month that China could invade the Philippines if Russia uses nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine. He also offered to back the United States if it gets caught up in the Ukraine conflict.Meanwhile, as the world focuses intently on war in Europe, U.S. officials say Beijing has fully militarized three islands in the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have competing claims.On March 28, a journalist with Agence France-Presse asked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin about the Philippine-U.S. war games and a recent encounter between Philippine and Chinese coast guard vessels.The Philippines accused Chinese coast guard ships of conducting dangerous maneuvers close to Philippine coast guard vessels near Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Dao in China.Wang responded:Huangyan Dao is China’s inherent territory. China has sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. We hope that the Philippine ships will earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and rights and interests (en)
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