Charles Jose News

Reuter reports that  the Philippines has released a North Korean freighter it had seized. The North Korean freighter was covered by harsher United Nations' sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear program. The 6,830 deadweight tonne (dwt) cargo ship M/V Jin Teng was one of the first sanctioned North Korean ships to enter a foreign port since the tightened sanctions were passed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council. Thirty-one North Korean ships are on the list. Its 21 North Korean crew, left on Thursday afternoon for China after clearing immigration, customs, quarantine and port authorities, said coastguard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo. "At the policy level, there is no more basis to continue to hold M/V Jin Teng after U.N.

The Philippines said on Saturday it had seized a North Korean freighter that was covered by harsher United Nations' sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear programme. Manila will also deport the vessel's 21 North Korean crew and will await a U.N. inspection team from the United Nations, foreign ministry spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message. "In compliance with the United Nations resolution, the North Korean ship in Subic will be impounded and not allowed to leave port," he said. The 6,830 deadweight tonne (dwt) cargo ship Jin Teng was one of the first sanctioned North Korean ships to enter a foreign port since the tightened sanctions were passed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. Thirty-one North Korean ships are on the list.

Could bolster claims by other countries against China; China boycotting proceedings, rejects court's authority. The Philippines asked global judges on Tuesday to recognise its right to exploit waters in the South China Sea, a case that could bolster territorial claims by other countries against China in the resource-rich body of water. China, which claims economic and territorial rights in almost the entire sea, has boycotted the proceedings and rejects the court's authority in the case. But experts say a ruling could influence other cases in the heated South China Sea dispute - involving Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and other countries. Indonesia has signalled it may also go to the court to counter an increasingly-assertive China that has heightened tension in the region.

China is not aware of any plan to discuss the disputed South China Sea at an Asia Pacific leaders' summit next week, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday, amid tensions between China and the Philippines over the waters. For its part, the Philippines said it would not raise the issue at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Manila from Nov. 17 to 19. Chinese President Xi Jinping is to attend the meeting of APEC, which includes the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Canada and accounts for 57 percent of global production and 46.5 percent of world trade. "Everyone knows that APEC is primarily about discussing trade and financial cooperation in the Asia Pacific…

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippines said China’s massive reclamation activities in the South China Sea have destroyed 300 acres of coral reef systems, which may lead to an estimated $100 million in annual economic losses in coastal states. "China’s massive reclamation activities are causing irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea," Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said. The DFA made the statement as it described as “unacceptable” China’s assurance that its reclamation activities are not causing ecological damage in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has submitted to a United Nations tribunal supplemental evidence for its arbitration case against China over disputed territories in the resource-rich South China Sea. The submission, which came to more than 3,000 pages, also mentioned China’s continued and massive reclamation activities in the areas claimed by the Philippines, though not in very great detail said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose. Philippine officials said the additional questions raised by the tribunal meant that the case was actively moving forward even without China’s participation. Through the position paper, China meant to address the 4,000-page memorial or pleading that the Philippines filed against China in March 2014.

The Philippines strongly urged China to stop reclamation work on a disputed submerged reef within its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said on Friday. A Philippine navy commander said on Thursday that China had started dredging around the disputed Mischief Reef, signalling Beijing may be preparing to expand its facilities in the area. "We strongly urge China to desist from its reclamation activities at Panganiban Reef," the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to Mischief reef by its Philippine name. "Under the U.N. China claims the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the sea where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade annually.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino said two Chinese survey vessels had been sighted in a gas-rich area of its exclusive economic zone, raising concerns of heightened tensions in the disputed South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich in deposits of oil and gas resources. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the sea where $5 trillion of ship-borne goods pass every year. "Recently, we got a report from the armed forces that there were two hydrographic ships in Recto Bank, about 80 nautical miles off Palawan, clearly within our exclusive economic zone," Aquino told a television interview aired on Sunday. Recto Bank is also known as Reed Bank. "What are they doing there? What kind of studies are they conducting?

China on Wednesday rejected an arbitration tribunal's ruling giving it six months to respond to a case filed by the Philippines over disputed waters, saying it has no plans to take part. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei in one of Asia's most intractable disputes and a possible flashpoint. It also has a separate maritime dispute with Japan over islands in the East Sea. The tribunal in The Hague gave Beijing until Dec. 15 to reply to the first international case filed against China related to the energy-rich waters. In giving China time to respond to the Philippines' filing…