The Philippines had opened a coast guard post, in the country's far north, to boost security following China's military build-up near Taiwan over the past two years. The outpost shall gather essential maritime data and intelligence, enabling the Philippine Coast Guard to respond effectively to threats such as illicit trade, trafficking, piracy, and foreign intrusions.
In 2022, the area around Itbayat witnessed a military build-up as China, responded to political developments between Taiwan and the United States. Leading Manila announcing the opening of the station on the Philippines' northernmost inhabited island. Securing peace, stability, and freedom of navigation along the Luzon Strait is crucial for ensuring Philippine national security and economic prosperity.
The island of Itbayat is located around 150 kilometers or 93 miles of Taiwan's southmost coast. Situated in Luzon Strait, which lies between the Philippines and Taiwan, both a vital international waterway and a potential flashpoint for regional and international conflicts.
Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for South China Sea issues, said the Itbayat station will enable effective monitoring of vessels, passing through the strait. Notably, there have been instances that the People's Republic of China vessels, were being observed in this maritime area as they cross to the Philippines' eastern seaboard.
Itbayat is just outside the area designated by a vaguely defined map of dashes that China uses to claim most of the South China Sea. The island was one of the venues of joint military exercises by the Philippines and the U.S. from April 22 to May 10 in which more than 16,000 troops from both sides participated.
In 2023, the Philippines almost doubled the number of its military bases that U.S. forces can access, including three facing Taiwan. China has said the Philippines moves for new additional U.S. bases were stoking the fire of regional tensions.
In waters east of Taiwan, China conducted mock missile strikes and dispatched bombers carrying live missiles on Friday in its two-day Taiwan drills. The exercises were launched to punish Taiwan's new president, Lai Ching-te, whom it has denounced as a separatist to China’s communist type of Government.
Taiwan tracked dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on Friday, the second day of a large military exercise launched by Beijing to show its anger over the self-governing island’s inauguration of new leaders, who refuse to accept its insistence that Taiwan is part of China.
China has issued elaborate media statements showing Taiwan being surrounded by forces from its military, the People’s Liberation Army. A new video on Friday showed animated Chinese forces approaching from all sides and Taiwan being enclosed within a circular target area while simulated missiles hit key population and military targets.
Despite that, there was little sign of concern among Taiwan’s 23 million people, who have lived under threat of Chinese invasion since the two sides split during a civil war in 1949. Taiwan’s parliament was mired on Friday in a dispute between political parties over procedural measures, and business continued as usual in the bustling capital of Taipei and the ports of Keelong and Kaohsiung.
The defense ministry said it tracked 49 Chinese warplanes and 19 navy vessels, as well as coast guard vessels, and that 35 of the planes flew across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, the de facto boundary between the two sides, over a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday.
Taiwanese marine and coast guard vessels along with air and ground-based missile units have been put on alert, particularly around the Taiwan-controlled island chains of Kinmen and Matsu just off China’s coast and far from Taiwan’s main island.
Facing external challenges and threats, Taiwan will continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy, the new president, Lai Ching-te told sailors and top security officials Thursday, as he visited a marine base in Taoyuan, just south of the capital, Taipei.
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In 2022, the area around Itbayat witnessed a military build-up as China, responded to political developments between Taiwan and the United States. Leading Manila announcing the opening of the station on the Philippines' northernmost inhabited island. Securing peace, stability, and freedom of navigation along the Luzon Strait is crucial for ensuring Philippine national security and economic prosperity.
The island of Itbayat is located around 150 kilometers or 93 miles of Taiwan's southmost coast. Situated in Luzon Strait, which lies between the Philippines and Taiwan, both a vital international waterway and a potential flashpoint for regional and international conflicts.
Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for South China Sea issues, said the Itbayat station will enable effective monitoring of vessels, passing through the strait. Notably, there have been instances that the People's Republic of China vessels, were being observed in this maritime area as they cross to the Philippines' eastern seaboard.
Itbayat is just outside the area designated by a vaguely defined map of dashes that China uses to claim most of the South China Sea. The island was one of the venues of joint military exercises by the Philippines and the U.S. from April 22 to May 10 in which more than 16,000 troops from both sides participated.
In 2023, the Philippines almost doubled the number of its military bases that U.S. forces can access, including three facing Taiwan. China has said the Philippines moves for new additional U.S. bases were stoking the fire of regional tensions.
In waters east of Taiwan, China conducted mock missile strikes and dispatched bombers carrying live missiles on Friday in its two-day Taiwan drills. The exercises were launched to punish Taiwan's new president, Lai Ching-te, whom it has denounced as a separatist to China’s communist type of Government.
Taiwan tracked dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on Friday, the second day of a large military exercise launched by Beijing to show its anger over the self-governing island’s inauguration of new leaders, who refuse to accept its insistence that Taiwan is part of China.
China has issued elaborate media statements showing Taiwan being surrounded by forces from its military, the People’s Liberation Army. A new video on Friday showed animated Chinese forces approaching from all sides and Taiwan being enclosed within a circular target area while simulated missiles hit key population and military targets.
Despite that, there was little sign of concern among Taiwan’s 23 million people, who have lived under threat of Chinese invasion since the two sides split during a civil war in 1949. Taiwan’s parliament was mired on Friday in a dispute between political parties over procedural measures, and business continued as usual in the bustling capital of Taipei and the ports of Keelong and Kaohsiung.
The defense ministry said it tracked 49 Chinese warplanes and 19 navy vessels, as well as coast guard vessels, and that 35 of the planes flew across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, the de facto boundary between the two sides, over a 24-hour period from Thursday to Friday.
Taiwanese marine and coast guard vessels along with air and ground-based missile units have been put on alert, particularly around the Taiwan-controlled island chains of Kinmen and Matsu just off China’s coast and far from Taiwan’s main island.
Facing external challenges and threats, Taiwan will continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy, the new president, Lai Ching-te told sailors and top security officials Thursday, as he visited a marine base in Taoyuan, just south of the capital, Taipei.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @aseananalytics