Ray Powell
@GordianKnotRay
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Director / Co-host of @IndoPacPodcast #osint #southchinasea #grayzone #podcast
Stanford University
Joined May 2009
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Pinned Tweet
📺Watch: Assertive transparency sets 3 conditions for 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' success against 🇨🇳
#China
's gray zone warfare: national resilience, international support & reputational costs.
With
@gretchenho
@ReggieLay
&
@shawnyao
on
@onenewsph
👇
@StanfordGKC
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Interesting: At 9 Jan/0450 UTC China Coast Guard ship 5205 left Mischief Reef and cruised northeast toward Reed Bank where it loitered for ~13 hours from 1010-2300 before continuing to NE. From 10/0510-0940 it cruised south ~70nm west of Palawan before returning to Mischief Reef.
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It’s SeaLight333! Here’s our 1st short-form video explainer on the meaning of the 2016 Aribitral Tribunal case, 🇵🇭
#Philippines
v. 🇨🇳
#China
, and why it was so important in establishing how China's systematically violates the rights of its smaller neighbors
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Amazing story by
@blakestillwell
. The man who was executed in this iconic photo from the
#Vietnam
War had just murdered a South Vietnamese officer's entire family--except one. That lone survivor just became the
@USNavy
's first Vietnamese-American admiral.
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The 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard's 5 August water-cannon assault on the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' resupply mission didn't just happen.
Things didn't just get out of hand.
No, China has clearly been planning for this calculated aggression.
Read why I believe this here:
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Curious. The
#China
Coast Guard usually keeps 1 ship on patrol near the
#Philippines
' outpost at 2nd Thomas (Ayungin) shoal, together with maritime militia. But for the 1st 7 days of Feb (incl. during U.S.
@SecDef
Austin's visit to Manila) it had 3 ships operating in that area.
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🚨Yikes. It was very, very bad. 🇨🇳
#China
boarded 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' boats, towed one away, confiscated firearms. Sailor lost a finger.
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🇨🇳
#China
’s Defense Minister at
@IISS_org
’s Shangri-La Dialogue: “Chinese ships and aircraft never go near other countries’ airspace and waters.”👀
China’s neighbors 🇻🇳🇵🇭🇧🇳🇲🇾🇮🇩: 😳
👇China’s coast guard, maritime militia & survey ships in the
#SouthChinaSea
, 1-31 May 2023👇
“Chinese ships and aircraft never go near other countries’ airspace and waters.” Whenever Beijing says ‘Never’, take it to the bank that it ain’t so!
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1/Since arriving on station from its Hainan Island base on January 10th, the 98-meter 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard 5402 has been conducting continuous intrusive patrols of 3
@ASEAN
neighbors' legally recognized exclusive economic zones: 🇻🇳
#Vietnam
, 🇮🇩
#Indonesia
& 🇲🇾
#Malaysia
. [🧵1/3]
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"... and then after they water-cannoned our ships they said the Philippines is provoking China."
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📹Teaser from my interview yesterday with 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' Senator
@risahontiveros
: "Filipinos will not be bullied in our own backyard...if you don't stand up to a bully, he will never respect you."
Watch for the release of the entire episode over on
@IndoPacPodcast
soon!
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The 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard seems determined to pick every outrageous item from the Gray-Zone Tactics Playbook menu:
"Bow-crossing describes a harassment tactic in which a ship abruptly maneuvers to cross dangerously across the bow of another in violation of the 1972 International
@ABSCBNNews
WATCH: China Coast Guard vessel 21556 conducted dangerous maneuvers against Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Sindangan on Friday.
Despite China’s harassment, the Philippines completed its mission to deliver fresh provisions to troops on board BRP Sierra Madre.
@ABSCBNNews
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Like a boss ... a mafia boss, that is:
"A nice little overseas Filipino worker community you have there. It would be a shame if something unfortunate were to happen to it ..."
via
@gmanews
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Aw, that's nice! I suppose we can expect the restoration of these reefs soon too?👇
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The journey toward reclaiming the initiative against 🇨🇳
#China
's gray-zone expansionism in the West Philippine Sea can start with a crucial but modest step--sending 🇺🇸U.S. & 🇵🇭
#Philippines
military doctors & engineers to Thitu (Pag-Asa) Island.
How & why:
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Maritime barbarism.
WATCH: a closer look at the severe damage sustained by a Philippine resupply boat, Unaizah May 4. It was hit 8 times by China Coast Guard’s water cannon in an attempt to block a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on March 23rd.
@News5PH
@onenewsph
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The harassment is not new. The incursions into Philippine waters are not new. What's new is that the
#Philippines
is pushing back and making it public. What's critical is that every country that values its own sovereignty make its voice heard in support.
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Congratulations to the 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard and maritime militia for helping bring about this historic 🇺🇸
#UnitedStates
-🇯🇵
#Japan
-🇵🇭
#Philippines
trilateral summit through their campaign of increasingly naked aggression in the
#SouthChinaSea
.
Well done. Now stop.
WATCH: US reaffirms commitment to US-PH Mutual Defense Treaty and emphasized that the US-Japan-PH trilateral summit in Washington DC will be a show of solidarity amongst the three leaders and their common vision for an Indo-Pacific region governed by international law.
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Beijing will tell you what it fears by what it condemns. It fears collective action.
The China-Philippines maritime dispute is an issue between the two countries, and no third party has any right to interfere, said Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian in response to a French plan to hold joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea and a
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1/🚨BREAKING: The 🇵🇭
#Philippines
is sending another resupply mission toward 2nd Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal today.
@coastguardph
's 44m BRP Sindangan is escorting, accompanied by 97m BRP Melchora Aquino across Sabina Shoal, while 44m BRP Cabra approaches from the SE. [🧵1/x]
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#SouthChinaSea
was a busy place in early Feb:
3
#China
Coast Guard ships patrolled Ayungin (2nd Thomas) Shoal/Mischief Reef
1
@Philippine_Navy
& 2
@coastguardph
ships patrolled their Kalayaan Islands outposts
1
@SecDef
visit to
#Philippines
1 documented CCG lasing of a PCG ship
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A 🇨🇳country that carries out an illegal, aggressive, unilateral blockade vs. a smaller 🇵🇭country's outpost--within that country's internationally recognized exclusive economic zone--deserves to be treated as an outlaw & pariah on the international stage.
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"I take this opportunity to firmly reiterate India's support to the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
for upholding its national sovereignty." -- 🇮🇳
#India
's Foreign Minister
India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed support for the Philippines in upholding its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea following a dangerous water cannon attack that heavily damaged a Philippine vessel and injured at least three Filipino Navy personnel.
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1/BREAKING: 30-meter 🇵🇭
#Philippines
Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Datu Bankaw is now at Scarborough Shoal, and has been closely engaged with 99m 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard ship 3302 & at least 4 maritime ~60m militia ships for the past 3 hours. [🧵1/x]
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1/On 16-17 March,
#Philippines
Coast Guard ships BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) & BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) conducted presence operations in the West Philippine Sea near Sabina Shoal, where they encountered
#China
Coast Guard vessels 5304 & 5305.
Here’s how it happened. [1/6]
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Aw, cute cartoon
@globaltimesnews
, but you forgot the water cannons. Here, I'll help!👇
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My
@rapplerdotcom
OpEd:
#China
adheres to Lenin’s maxim “You probe with bayonets: if you find mush, you push. If you find steel, you withdraw.”
The
#Philippines
can secure the steel in place by locking in the benefits of West Philippine Sea transparency.
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If 🇨🇳
#China
wants to be treated as a civilized nation, it should stop behaving like a mafia boss.
It's worth watching all 2 minutes to fully appreciate the face of naked aggression. 👇
【
#HuSays
】Chinese mainland already has the capability to permanently eliminate "Taiwan independence" by force, but we insist on peaceful reunification as a priority, which is a great goodwill and concern for the residents on the island: Media Professional Hu Xijin
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In other words, 🇨🇳
#China
fears collective action.
UPDATE: The Chinese Foreign Ministry reacts on the upcoming trilateral leaders' summit between PH, US, and Japan on April 11
"Any defense cooperation between any countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability. We oppose cobbling together exclusive groupings and
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🚨/🇨🇳
#China
is sending a huge force to blockade Scarborough Shoal ahead of the Atin Ito civilian convoy setting sail from the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
Tuesday. By this time tomorrow at least 4 coast guard & 26 large maritime militia ships on blockade (not counting "dark" vessels) [🧵1/x]
LOOK: These are the buoys that will be used for the second mission of the Atin Ito Coalition, which will be held this week.
The civilian supply mission will give donations of fuel and food to fishermen in the vicinity of the Bajo de Masinloc. (📷: Atin Ito/Akbayan) | via
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👇 👀 LOOK: Yesterday's "normal" resupply mission by the 🇵🇭 Philippine Coast Guard, a 🇺🇸U.S. treaty ally since 1951 whose 44-meter patrol ship was again blocked and surrounded by a flotilla of larger 🇨🇳 Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels.
This outrageous bullying
Today, the
@coastguardph
again assisted in the routine Rotation and Resupply (RoRe) mission in Ayungin Shoal conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The PCG deployed two 44-meter vessels, namely BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407), as escort ships
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🇨🇳
#China
- We won't allow any country to stir up trouble in the Asia-Pacific.
Also 🇨🇳China 👇
We won't allow hegemonism, power politics to harm Asia-Pacific, won't allow bringing in geoconflicts, cold war or hot war into the country, won't allow any country or force to create war or stir up trouble: Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun at Shangri-La Dialogue on Sun.
#SLD24
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You can clearly see why the 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard ship had to defend itself against this scary 🇵🇭 wooden boat.
Unconfirmed video of dangerous and hostile action yesterday by China Coast Guard against small, unarmed PH vessel manned by the PH Navy on its way to resupply its Ayungin (2nd Thomas) Shoal outpost. CN again violates the principle of self-restraint under the 2002 DOC.
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Huh? What are they talking about? Xianbin Reef is 🇨🇳
#China
's term for Sabina (Escoda) Shoal--which is deep within the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' exclusive economic zone. Regardless, the only Philippine vessel there is the BRP Teresa Magbanua--and it's anchored, not grounded.
China urged the Philippines to immediately remove the illegally grounded vessels in the waters of Xianbin Reef, a part of China's Nansha Islands, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.
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🇨🇳
#China
's 2 maritime militia ships are now just 30nm from the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' Palawan coastline. I still have no context for what's behind this aggression.
👀2 large Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia ships left 🇨🇳
#China
's military base at Mischief Reef yesterday, loitered for 6 hours near 2nd Thomas Shoal, and are now moving toward the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' Palawan coastline--now less than 50nm away. It's unclear what they're up to⁉️
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🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard 5403 is entering its 35th consecutive day prowling 🇲🇾
#Malaysia
's offshore oil & gas fields at Luconia Shoals (Beting Patinggi Ali).
💡Context: According to analyst
@gaute_friis
, "China Coast Guard vessels regularly and visibly conduct
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1/The preponderance of the evidence suggests that on 6 Feb
#China
Coast Guard ship 5205 stopped, harassed and followed
#Philippines
Coast Guard BRP Malapascua near Sabina Shoal for 8+ hours, preventing it from returning to Palawan. Let me explain my reasoning. [Thread 1/7]
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1/What exactly happened between
#China
and the
#Philippines
last week in the W. Philippine Sea? Why are these two PH Coast Guard ships now sitting off the coast of Pag-Asa (Thitu) Island? And how does it all relate to the strange journey of the BRP Andres Bonifacio? [Thread 1/14]
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🚨If you are a foreign leader who considers yourself a friend of the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
-- or just believe in decent and civilized behavior -- this is what I hope you will have the courage to say today.👇👇👇
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🚨BREAKING: 🇨🇳
#China
's ships swarmed into Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal's interior in an apparent show of force on Monday, the day after water cannoning and disabling the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' resupply vessels. Full report with imagery by
@planet
.👇
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This morning Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio argued that 🇻🇳
#Vietnam
and the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
should jointly submit a case for arbitration against 🇨🇳
#China
for illegally restricting traditional fishing rights at Scarborough Shoal.
@StratbaseADRi
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The
#Philippines
has placed navigational buoys within its exclusive economic zone to assert sovereignty over the disputed Spratly islands in the
#SouthChinaSea
, a
@coastguardph
spokesperson said on Sunday.
@jaytaryela
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1/🇨🇳
#China
’s flotilla escorting survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 through 🇻🇳
#Vietnam
’s exclusive economic zone (among its oil/gas fields) enters its 13th day. It includes China Coast Guard 5305 & 4 militia ships. [🧵1/2]
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So ... 🇨🇳's ships water cannoning 🇵🇭's ships is "normal". Someone who says it's not normal is "dangerous for the Filipino people".
Got that? 🙃
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UPDATE: The 2 formations continue to converge.
Notes:
1. Malaysia’s ship, KD Lekiu (FFG30) has been AIS-dark since 5 May but is likely still with the ASEAN-India group.
2.
#China
Coast Guard 5302 went AIS-dark 90 min ago.
3.
#PLA
Navy vessels, if present, don’t broadcast AIS.
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How nice. Beijing has benevolently decided to allow Manila to bring food through 🇨🇳
#China
's illegal blockade to the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' own outpost in its own exclusive economic zone.
In other news, my generous neighbor has allowed me to park my own car in my own driveway.
#Winning
!
Chinese DCM Zhou Zhiyong: Furthermore, out of humanitarian consideration, the Chinese side has made temporary and special arrangements for the Philippine resupply missions to bring to the ground at military vessel, food and other daily necessities
@cnnphilippines
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🇨🇳
#China
on an intimidation campaign vs the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
.
Filipino fisherfolk took video footages of two Chinese ships entering the waters off the coast of Balabac, Palawan on Wednesday (June 19, 2024).
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12/🚨🚨A
#China
Coast Guard ship struck a Philippine resupply vessel during this morning’s (22 October) mission at Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal.
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1951 🇺🇸🇵🇭 Mutual Defense Treaty, Article III:
"The Parties, through their Foreign Ministers or their deputies, will consult together from time to time regarding the implementation of this Treaty and whenever in the opinion of either of them the territorial integrity, political
🚨Yikes. It was very, very bad. 🇨🇳
#China
boarded 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' boats, towed one away, confiscated firearms. Sailor lost a finger.
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The mocking face of 🇨🇳
#China
's propagandists
Chinese coast guards releasing the captured soldiers of Filipino Navy special forces.
At the end, the Filipino soldiers thanked the Chinese calling them friends.
We are very humane towards captives, so if you're on the battlefield facing the PLA, surrendering is the best choice
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#G7
communique: "There is no legal basis for
#China
’s expansive maritime claims in the
#SouthChinaSea
, and we oppose China’s militarization activities in the region. We emphasize the universal and unified character of the
#UNCLOS
and reaffirm UNCLOS’s important role in setting
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Yesterday, 22 Jan at 0600L, Royal
#Malaysia
Navy offshore patrol vessel KD Kelantan (F175) arrived to counter
#China
Coast Guard vessel 5303, which has been harassing oil/gas exploration at Luconia Shoal since 12 Jan.
Credit: Starboard Maritime Intelligence,
@Starboard_NZ
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For tourists at 🇵🇭
#Philippines
-held Thitu (Pag-Asa) Island, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is how the gray-zone contest is fought—with text messages from the Philippines’ 2nd largest mobile phone network
@LiveSmart
welcoming passengers to … 🇨🇳
#China
.
@BuenaCNA
WATCH ICYMI: Reporting from the
#Spratlys
, here’s the first of my reports from our expedition across the
#Philippines
’ so-called
#KalayaanIslands
of the
#WestPhilippineSea
in the northeastern part of disputed
#SpratlyIslands
in the larger
#SouthChinaSea
-
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No
@SCSPI
, it wasn't "just a laser pointer". It was a weapon. The technical term is a non-lethal optical distracter, or "dazzler".
Though non-lethal, its use vs. sailors peacefully operating an underway coast guard vessel was a hostile & reckless act.
But of course you knew that.
"your Coast Guard directed a military grade laser..." It was just a laser pointer, what kind of military-grade laser is it?
@coastguardph
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1/BREAKING: 2d Thomas Shoal resupply underway. 44m 🇵🇭
#Philippines
Coast Guard vessels BRP Cabra & Sindangan rounded Sabina Shoal & face blockading force of 14 large 🇨🇳Qiong Sansha Yu militia ships.
#China
Coast Guard 5402 & 5305 also there running AIS-dark since yesterday [🧵1/x]
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THIS👉"You don't blame the victim for reporting abuse; 🇨🇳
#China
is responsible for its own illegal and violent behavior; not the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
for refusing to surrender."
--
@GregPoling
in
@Diplomat_APAC
, interviewed by
@ShannonTiezzi
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The new 🇵🇭🇺🇸🇦🇺🇯🇵"Pacific Quad" steadily taking shape ... one more achievement of 🇨🇳Xi Jinping's campaign of aggression.
The US, Japan, Australia & the Philippines will hold first joint naval exercises in a show of force Sunday in the South China Sea amid Beijing’s aggressive actions.
It is to uphold the rule of law & freedom of navigation & overflight in the Indo-Pacific.
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The weekend's Scarborough Shoal incident was the most troubling to me, as it marked a significant new escalation in 🇨🇳PRC aggressions. This one involved 🇵🇭Philippine fisheries vessels and was hundreds of miles from China's blockade operations at Second Thomas Shoal.
The Philippines is accusing China of seriously damaging one of its fishing vessels after a Chinese coast guard ship rammed it and blasted other ships with water cannons.
@JaimeOcon1
spoke to
@GordianKnotRay
to learn more.
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Sheer. Brutality.😠
[1/2] WATCH | At 08:38 am on Saturday (March 23, 2024), the Philippine supply vessel Unaizah May 4 was subjected to direct water cannoning by two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels near Ayungin Shoal.
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Fascinating. If you've discovered such great reef damage from a single ship, what does your research at Whitsun Reef reveal? Asking for a friend ...
China collects solid evidence of illegally grounded Philippine vessel at Ren’ai Reef (also known as Ren’ai Jiao) in
#SouthChinaSea
, which showed that the vessel has caused serious damage to coral reefs, endangered marine organism. Let’s see what a weeklong field research
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No, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
is not "🇨🇳
#China
's doorstep"--it's a sovereign nation with its own sovereign interests. But thanks for reminding us how you think about these things.
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Sorry--no matter how many times you shout it, 🇨🇳Beijing's "one-
#China
principle" enjoys no more international consensus than does its discredited "historic rights" claim over the South China Sea.
#disinformation
The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair. Whatever changes take place in Taiwan, the basic fact that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China will not change. The one-China principle is the solid anchor for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
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🚨1/NOW: 🇵🇭
#Philippine
Coast Guard BRP Cabra & Sindangan escorting resupply to outpost aboard BRP Sierra Madre at 2nd Thomas Shoal. 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard 4301 shadowing & 12 Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia ships in blockade positions. However … [🧵1/x]
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The 🇵🇭
#Philippines
has chosen the noble path of non-violent direct action against 🇨🇳
#China
's maritime oppression. This was also the long, difficult and ultimately successful path trod by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. 👇
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"I think what the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
is doing is teaching the world quite a lesson--that when you are confronted by an actor who thrives in what we call the 'gray zone', the first thing to do is to turn on the lights."
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U.S. Support for the Philippines in the South China Sea
PRESS STATEMENT
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
APRIL 29, 2023
The United States stands with The
#Philippines
in the face of the People’s Republic of
#China
(PRC) Coast Guard’s continued infringement upon freedom of navigation
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🇨🇳
#China
ships harass 🇵🇭
#Philippines
medical mission--on front page, above the fold in this morning's
@TheManilaTimes
by
@franco_jose72
@tmtbernadette
@afpfr
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1/ANATOMY OF A SWARM: How
#China
sent its ships to swarm & intimidate the
#Phlippines
’ largest outpost in the West Philippine Sea, then scattered after its tactics were made public, 3-11 March 2023.
By 5 March the swarm of Pag-Asa Island was well underway. (1/9)
#SouthChinaSea
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The 🇨🇳
@globaltimesnews
is shocked to discover that actual 🇵🇭military personnel stationed aboard an actual 🇵🇭military vessel are armed with actual weapons 😲, and that they might be prepared to defend themselves at the approach of a potentially hostile force.
During the lawful and justified response by the China Coast Guard, it was observed that at least two individuals on the deck of the Philippine warship were armed and pointing their guns and hands in the direction of the CCG: video from CGTN.
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🚨The world’s largest coast guard ship, the 12K-ton 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard 5901, has just joined CCG 4203 and the still-growing swarm of 32👀 maritime militia ships in the Mischief Reef/2nd Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal area within the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
’ exclusive economic zone.
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🇨🇳
#China
is VIOLENTLY enforcing a BLOCKADE against its neighbor's outpost in that country's lawful exclusive economic zone. Name another place on the planet where we see a peacetime blockade. I'll wait.
Beijing needs to suffer more than finger-wagging.
The Philippine government’s task force for the West Philippine Sea says “dangerous blocking maneuvers by a China Coast Guard vessel... caused a minor collision resulting in superficial structural damage to the hull” of a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.
The task force also says
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🇨🇳
@SCS_PI
: "Pay no attention to the military base 🇨🇳
#China
built 30 km away in the middle of the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' exclusive economic zone. Besides, their rusty, grounded WWII ship made us do it." 🙄
History tells us who has changed and is changing the status quo at
#SecondThomasShoal
.
via
@YouTube
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Very effective slide from
@JayBatongbacal
demonstrating the illegality of the 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard’s aggression against the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
on 17 June, which Jay referred to as the
#China
Criminal Guard”.
@StratbaseADRi
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🚨BREAKING: 🇵🇭
#Philippines
Coast Guard BRP Cabra & BRP Cape Engano now passing ~14 nautical miles east of 2nd Thomas Shoal. They have been intercepted by 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard 5203 & at least 6 🇨🇳maritime militia vessels, now closely shadowing.
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What if the
#Philippines
had one of these? Suddenly
#China
’s blockade of 2nd Thomas Shoal wouldn’t seem so daunting.
The ShinMaywa US-2 is a large Japanese short takeoff and landing amphibious aircraft that employs boundary layer control technology for enhanced STOL and stall suppression performance
[📹 nobuya0827]
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What a good idea! Maybe you could submit a suggestion to the 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard?
On the South China Sea issue, when disputes or conflicts occur, the countries involved should resolve any existing issues through negotiation and peace talks, rather than using force: Lieutenant General He Lei
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This was the scene at 🇨🇳
#China
-held Mischief Reef on 4 Aug, the day before the water cannon incident against the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
’ resupply the following day at nearby 2nd Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal. I documented 32 militia ships at the time, but clearly the real number was even higher
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For a normal embassy, leaking host-country officials' illegally recorded phone conversations to the press would be considered outrageous and severe diplomatic malpractice.
For 🇨🇳
@Chinaembmanila
it's called Wednesday.🤦♂️
#Philippines
calls for expelling
#Chinese
diplomats for spreading disinformation as
#SouthChinaSea
row escalates
The Philippines' national security adviser called on Friday for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral
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Opinion: President Marcos laid out the principled high ground upon which the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
stands at Second Thomas Shoal. His spokespeople should avoid yielding it back by excusing 🇨🇳
#China
's mendacity.
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The question is whether 🇨🇳Xi Jinping is able to recognize how disastrous his bellicose
#SouthChinaSea
strategy has been.
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Video version of our latest podcast, "Why Should We Care About the 🇺🇸US-🇯🇵
#Japan
-🇵🇭
#Philippines
Trilateral?" We discuss whether collective action is enough to deter 🇨🇳
#China
in the
#SouthChinaSea
.
[Subscribe on
@ApplePodcasts
: …]
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🇨🇳
#China
's deep-sea research ship Shen Kuo continues to loiter 30nm east of the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' Samar Island & appears to be exploring the Philippine Trench. [🧵1/2]
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has been monitoring the unauthorized presence of a Chinese-flagged research vessel, “SHEN KUO,” in the vicinity northeast of Viga, Catanduanes.
The vessel was first sighted on April 25, 60.9 nautical miles east off Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay.
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It's a BLOCKADE.
🇨🇳
#China
, which built a huge port & airfield on a reef in the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' exclusive economic zone, blocks resupply of a decaying outpost because it claims there are "illegal construction materials" aboard a small wooden boat.
Say it with me.
It's a BLOCKADE.
The China Coast Guard just announced, the CCG blocked the Philippine resupply ship carrying illegal construction materials to the
#SecondThomasshoal
this mooring.
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🇨🇳
#China
-based submarine cable repair ship Fu Tai has been operating in the
#Philippines
' exclusive economic zone since 4 June. The ship belongs to Shanghai company SBSS, featured in a recent
@WSJ
article that highlighted threats to undersea cables. [🧵1/2]
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Speak its name: Blockade
A country that carries out an illegal, aggressive, unilateral blockade against a smaller country's outpost--within that country's internationally recognized exclusive economic zone--deserves to be treated as an outlaw & a pariah:
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🚨Happening now: 🇨🇳PRC vessel swarm at Scarborough Shoal in the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' exclusive economic zone. Includes at least
#China
Coast Guard 3106 (currently running AIS-dark) & CCG 3302 plus 10 large Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia ships. [🧵1/2]
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Assertive transparency, 🇹🇼
#Taiwan
edition.
Taking a page from the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
?
Taiwan provincial Coast Guard issue radio warning to China Coast Guard ship in water around Kinmen island, couple miles off mainland China coast.
Why is she speaking English tho? It's not like they don't share a common language. Posing for foreign media?
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A major 🇨🇳
#China
maritime militia rotation is underway. 32 large Qiong Sansha Yu ships have left Hainan Island in the past 48 hours en route to various
#SouthChinaSea
locations. This is the professional militia fleet commonly involved in active assertions of PRC jurisdiction.
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Great question,
@Chinaembmanila
. I know which way I'd vote, but you probably weren't asking me.
Here's one for you: Have
#China
's coast guard & maritime militia deployments deep into the
#Philippines
' lawful exclusive economic zone brought turmoil or security?
#AskingForAFriend
Have US military deployments brought turmoil or security?
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced his approval of the expansion of the EDCA to allow the United States to build military bases in four new locations in the Philippines last month.
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🚨Happening now: 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard 3302 conducting intrusive patrol ~40nm west of Palawan in the 🇵🇭
#Philippines
' exclusive economic zone:
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“The 🇺🇸United States stands with The 🇵🇭
#Philippines
in the face of the People’s Republic of 🇨🇳
#China
Coast Guard’s continued infringement upon freedom of navigation in the
#SouthChinaSea
…We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct.” —
@StateDeptSpox
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😡😠Disgusting.
@SCS_PI
, which trumpets as its purpose "Promoting Transparency, Peace and Cooperation of the SCS", here employs the twisted logic of abusive spouses everywhere: "If my wife didn't complain so much I wouldn't have to beat her."👇
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Translation:
#China
is tired of blockading & waiting for the BRP Sierra Madre to disintegrate. It demands the
#Philippines
surrender its 2nd Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal outpost now.
CHINA has accused the United States (US) of supporting the Philippines' "unlawful, provocative behavior" in the South China Sea as it claimed that Manila has "yet to fulfil" its promise to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from its territorial waters.
READ:
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1/UPDATE 4: The 2 groups appear set to pass near one another.
#Brunei
’s ship has turned south. Using another tool I’ve confirmed
#Malaysia
’s frigate KD Lekiu is with the Vietnamese and Thai ships. Others (
#Philippines
,
#India
&
#Indonesia
) remain AIS-dark but prob nearby. [🧵1/2]
UPDATE 3: As the gap between the 2 groups closes to 70km, 3 of the
#ASEAN
-India Maritime Exercise ships (
#India
,
#Philippines
&
#Indonesia
) are no longer AIS-detectable. I suspect they are still with the other, AIS-visible (
#Vietnam
,
#Brunei
&
#Thailand
) ships but can’t confirm.
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