Manila says China starts dredging at another reef in disputed waters

February 2015

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• Japan to mull expanding navy patrols to South China Sea

An alleged Chinese land reclamation project on what is internationally recognized as the Johnson Reef in the East Sea, the Vietnamese term for the South China Sea. Photo credit: AFP/JIJI

China has started dredging around the disputed Mischief Reef in the South China Sea, a Philippine navy commander said on Thursday, signalling Beijing may be preparing to expand its facilities in the area.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping tried to set Southeast Asian minds at ease over the country’s regional ambitions, but Beijing’s reclamation work in the Spratlys underscore its drive to push claims in the South China Sea and reassert its rights.

China has already undertaken reclamation work on six other reefs it occupies in the Spratlys, expanding land mass five-fold, aerial surveillance photos show. Images seen by Reuters last year appeared to show an airstrip and sea ports.

China has claims on almost the entire South China Sea, which is believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims on the sea where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade pass every year. Vietnam calls the waters the East Sea.

Rear Admiral Alexander Lopez, commander of the Philippine military’s western command, told reporters on Thursday a Chinese dredging ship was spotted at Mischief Reef, about 135 km southeast of the island of Palawan.

“We don’t know what they plan to do in Mischief,” he said. “They have long been doing that, only that it was Fiery Cross that got a lot of attention because that was on a bigger scale.”

IHS Jane’s said in November images it had obtained showed the Chinese-built island on the Fiery Cross Reef to be at least 3,000 meters (1.9 miles) long and 200-300 meters (660-980 ft) wide.

Lopez did not say when China started the dredging work or give any details on the extent of reclamation at Mischief Reef, saying only the work had been “substantial”.

Surveillance photos that were taken of Mischief Reef last October showed no reclamation work in the area.

The photos, seen by Reuters, showed two structures, including a three-storey building sitting on an atoll, equipped with wind turbines and solar panels.

China occupied Mischief Reef in 1995, building makeshift huts, which Beijing claimed provided shelter for fishermen during the monsoon season. But, China later built a garrison in the area, deploying frigates and coast guard ships.

In 2002, Southeast Asian states agreed with China to sign an informal code of conduct in the South China Sea to stop claimant states from occupying and constructing garrisons in the disputed Spratlys.

Last year, the Philippines and Vietnam protested China’s reclamation work as a violation of the informal code.

North of Mischief Reef, China on Thursday defended the actions of a coast guard vessel in the Scarborough Shoal after the Philippines accused it of ramming three fishing boats.

China’s coast guard sent a dinghy to drive them away and slightly bumped one of the fishing vessels,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing in Beijing.

“We ask that the Philippines strengthen education and indoctrination of its fishermen to prevent such incidents from happening again.”

A Philippine military spokesman, Colonel Restituto Padilla, described China’s action as “alarming” saying the local fishermen were trying to seek shelter due to bad weather.

Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "VietNamNet Bridge
- The number of chartered flights to central Vietnam is jumping between now and
the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday compared to a year ago, according to the
Danang-based tour operator Vi-tours and the aviation authority.



Vitours director Cao Tri Dung estimated local and foreign
airlines had 12 to 15 charter flights from China,
Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Korea and elsewhere in Asia
to Danang International Airport
alone in the period, with more than half of them catered to by Vitours.



Dung told the Daily on the phone on Monday that the number
of chartered flights to the region in the period would triple or quadruple that
in the year-ago period. This substantial increase is attributable to the fact
that more foreign travel agencies are choosing central Vietnam as a new destination for
their guests, coupled with a recovery of global travel demand.



“They (foreign travel agencies) charter flights for their
customers to Phuket and Bali in previous years and now is the time for them to
visit central Vietnam,”
Dung said. He added this region was able to meet requirements for accommodation
and entertainment, as it was now home to many luxury properties and
UNESCO-listed heritage sites, including the former imperial capital of Hue and the Phong
Nha-Ke Bang
Caves in Quang Binh Province.



Dung said over half of the chartered flights to central
Vietnam were operated by Vietnam Airlines from such markets as Korea, Hong Kong
and Japan, and the rest by TransAsia Airways of Taiwan and other foreign
carriers.



The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said
Shanghai Airlines had suspended services to Danang
International Airport,
but this did not result in a reduction in frequencies of chartered flights to one
of the four international airports in central Vietnam. The others in the region
are Phu Bai, Cam Ranh and Chu Lai airports.



CAAV demonstrated that Russia’s
Vladivostok Air had kicked off their chartered flights from Vladivostok
and Khabarovsk to Cam
Ranh International
Airport in Khanh Hoa Province.



About one month ago, Vietnam Airlines started a series of
more than 40 flights chartered by the international travel firm Vietlink from Hong Kong and Danang until early May next year, using the
184-seat Airbus A321 aircraft.



Dung of Vitours said over the past years, Vietnam Airlines
and other carriers had operated their medium-sized aircraft with 160 to 180
seats for the chartered flights to and from Danang with an average load factor
of 70%.



Dung said the visitors using chartered flights often stayed
four to five days exploring services and destinations in central Vietnam,
and spent much money on services and products there.



Attracting visitors to central Vietnam on chartered flights
promises a bright future because the number of scheduled flights to the region
remains limited. Singapore’s
SilkAir now has four weekly flights to Danang while Vietnam Airlines has
launched its daily HCMC-Tokyo service with a stopover in the central city.



Dung said Vitours had invested US$40,000-50,000 this year on
promotion and support programs in order to bring more chartered flights to
Danang, or double the amount the company spent last year.



- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Taiwan police arrest man for throwing banknotes on highway -

Taipei - Taiwan police on Sunday arrested a man for throwing banknotes from a taxi on the highway.

Chen Ping-teng, 43, was arrested after he tossed 1,000 Taiwan dollar (30 US dollar) bills from the window of a taxi on a highway in central Taiwan.

The taxi driver, suspecting Chen was the same man who threw money from a taxi on the highway Tuesday, causing traffic jams and triggering a police probe, drove Chen to a police station and handed him over to police.

During police questioning, Chen - who seemed to be mentally disturbed - admitted he has thrown an unknown amount of money across the island several times, including throwing 500,000 Taiwan dollars in 1,000 Taiwan dollar bill on the highway Tuesday.

Taiwan press gave wide coverage of Tuesday's incident as some drivers, seeing Chen throwing money out of the taxi, pulled over to the road side to pick up the money, posing a hazard to other cars.

Chen said he has made 4 million Taiwan dollars from selling an apartment and wanted to give away part of it because he has been possessed by ghost and cannot sleep at night.

Police found 920,000 Taiwan dollars in 1,000 Taiwan dollar bills in two dark plastic bags Chen was holding. The edge of some bills have been burnt.

Police turned Chen over for prosecution on charges of destroying national currency and disrupting traffic.

A change in international relations can make for good business

A change in international relations can make for good business
Hundreds of Chinese tourists arrived in Taiwan on Monday on the first luxury cruise ship to sail directly to the island from China, boosting prospects for expanded economic and tourism ties between the rivals.

The Ocean Mystery arrived at Keelung port following a two-day cruise from Shanghai, with well-wishers setting off firecrackers and performing traditional dragon dances. The 1,600 passengers are the first of several large-scale tour groups Chinese officials have promised to send to Taiwan by ship or air.

After disembarking, many of the passengers were bused to an upscale shopping mall in nearby Taipei, where they inspected luxury goods at a local department store. Zhang Yonghong and Hsu Hongying, two female shoppers from Shandong province, told reporters they planned to spend up to USD 1,460 at the store.

Since taking office last year, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has eased long-strained relations with China by promoting closer economic ties. Last December, the two sides lifted a ban on direct transportation links imposed when they split amid civil war in 1949.

Taiwanese officials hope a significant increase in the number of Chinese tourists could help shore up the island's economy. It contracted 8.36 per cent in the final quarter last year amid the global economic downturn.

Two Chinese giant pandas head for Taiwan

A pair of giant pandas made their last public appearance in China on Monday ahead of their long-anticipated departure to Taiwan, marking a blossoming of ties between the island and its arch rival.
The pandas appeared healthy and active while eating bamboo and fruit at an outdoor enclosure in a panda base in Sichuan, southwest China where a Taiwanese delegation arrived earlier Monday to bring them to the self-ruled island.
The two four-year-olds, "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan", are at a base nestled in the scenic Bifeng Gorge in Ya'an, where they have stayed since they were evacuated from the famed Wolong reserve due to damage in the May 12 earthquake.
"Tuanyuan" -- a combination of the characters making up the two pandas' names -- means "reunion" in Chinese.
The relocation of the pair comes amid hopes on both sides that the goodwill gesture will be matched by an increased willingness to work towards warmer cross-strait relations.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, but Beijing still considers the island to be part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
"We are here to take a last look at Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan because they are going to Taiwan," said four-year-old Xu Jiayu.
"We are sorry to see the pandas go, but they are the messenger of peace and we hope they will bring joy to Taiwanese children," Liu Xiaoli, a kindergarten teacher, told AFP.
Liu was accompanying a group of local children to say goodbye to the pandas and some of the kids were to perform at a farewell gathering due to take place on Tuesday in Ya'an.
The pandas will then travel to the provincial capital Chengdu where authorities will see them off in a ceremony before they board a chartered jet from Taiwan's Eva Airways, heading straight for their new home in Taipei.
The pandas' new keeper Yu Hsueh-ying from the Taipei Zoo, who was among a team of 20 animal experts to take care of the pandas, came to Sichuan 10 days ago in preparation for their relocation.
"Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan are very healthy and we will do our best to look after them in Taipei," she said.
The city will hold a welcoming ceremony for the panda couple on Wednesday, but the two main characters will not be there, as they will begin a 30-day quarantine immediately upon arrival.
They are both expected to be unveiled to the Taiwanese public during the Lunar New Year holidays starting January 25, if they complete the quarantine with a clean bill of health.
Beijing's pandas usually come with enormous rental fees, but in this case the Chinese have said there will be no charges for Taiwan.
However, the panda deal is not without controversy in Taiwan.
Taiwan's pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lambasted the deal between the China-friendly Kuomintang government and Beijing.
"In the donation, Beijing has seen Taipei as one of its cities. It has a very strong political implication," DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang told AFP.
"'Tuan Tuan' and 'Yuan Yuan' means a union, which perfectly matches Beijing's goal of bringing Taiwan into its fold," he said.
Cheng accused Beijing of trying to use the "pandamania" to lower Taiwanese people's mistrust of Beijing.
"But this is not the way to solve the cross-Strait issues," he said.

Filipinos spending less on restaurants, gadgets due to global crisis: market research

In fear of losing their jobs as a result of the global financial crisis, Philippine consumers are now spending less, a survey said.
The study made by global market research company Synovate showed that a whopping 94 percent of Filipinos in Metro Manila have made cuts in their spending. On the other hand, 67 percent were greatly fearful of unemployment and loss of household income, and 53 percent think that the country's current condition cannot get any worse.
"We found that Filipinos were not the only ones to cut back as comparisons with other Asian markets showed that people from Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan also shared the same sentiments," said Synovate Philippines managing director Carole Sarthou.
The survey's 1,000 respondents were Filipinos aged 15 to 64 across all income levels. Synovate's survey was part of a global study entitled "State of the Economy."
Things Filipinos are ready to give up
The survey revealed that 33 percent of respondents have reduced incomes, while only 31 percent saw a salary increase. Twenty-six percent believed that their earnings have not changed drastically.
Because of the financial turmoil, 71 percent of respondents have given up life-altering decisions such as postponing plans for marriage, having children, moving out, changing jobs, and pursuing higher education.
Fifty-six percent of the respondents have done less impulsive purchases over the last six months, and 65 percent were conscious of food prices.
On the other hand, Filipinos said they are ready to give up the following expenses in the next six months as a result of the global financial crisis: eating out (22 percent), purchase of big ticket items (15), and purchase of hi-tech electronic gadgets (14 percent).
In spite of the current economic situation, however, 65 percent of Filipinos could not control their spending. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said that they were saving less, while 37 percent have less investments. In addition, 59 percent of Filipinos, have resorted to storing more food items in case of price hikes.
"It's evident that the current economic situation has impacted the lives of everyday Filipinos but in spite of this worrying trend, the people we interviewed were generally determined and upbeat," Sarthou said.
Filipinos pessimistic, but less than others
Filipinos, however, are less pessimistic about the prospects of their country's economy. Only 24 percent of survey respondents believed that their economy is going downhill, a small number compared to 63 percent in the United States and Japan, and 64 percent in France.
"Filipinos are definitely a more resilient bunch, having gone through many tough times in the past, this will be just another storm that will eventually blow over, hence they can't imagine how much worse things can get," Sarthou said.
Even though they have changed their spending patterns, a great 88 percent of Filipinos in the survey said that they will always find a way to purchase alternatives which would still make them feel good.
Nielsen survey shows more optimism
A survey released last week, however, showed a different side of Filipino consumers and how they are dealing with the global financial crisis.
The study--based on an online survey--was conducted by research group Nielsen Co. It said Filipinos remain upbeat despite the global financial crisis as they continue to spend on clothes, holidays, and gadgetry. Out of 51 countries surveyed, the Philippines was one of the seven nations which did not experience a drop in consumer confidence for 2008.
Nielsen Philippines managing director Benedicto Cid credited the country's consumer confidence index of 102 on the increased remittances of 8 million Filipinos working overseas, saying that this cushioned the country from the effects of the financial crisis. He added that price cuts in fuel and rice have also boosted local optimism.
The global average for consumer confidence is 84, with South Korea having the lowest rating of 36.
Nielsen's figures were based on a global internet survey of 25,202 consumers in 52 countries conducted from September 22 to October 6. It included 500 respondents in the Philippines, most of whom belonging to the middle class, with a significant number based in Metro Manila.
Having said these, it would seem that the Nielsen survey seems more precise than the one done by Synovate, given the former's wider scope of respondents, use of more advanced technology, and bigger consideration on other economic factors.
as of 11/11/2008 11:49 AM

22 years for Taiwanese heroin smuggler in Cambodia

Cambodian court has sentenced a Taiwanese man to 22 years in jail for trying to smuggle heroin out of the country.Judge Chhay Kong at Phnom Penh Municipal Court says he sentenced Liao Ichun after finding him guilty of trying to smuggle 240 grams of the drug into Taiwan.A number of Taiwanese nationals have been detained and jailed for trying to smuggle heroin through the airport in the Cambodian capital over the past year.Although drug arrests have increased, Cambodia is becoming an increasingly popular trafficking point for methamphetamine and heroin, particularly since Thailand toughened its stance on illegal drugs in 2002.

U.S. to Sell Taiwan Billions in Weapons

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct. 4 -- Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday welcomed U.S. plans to sell the island almost $6.5 billion in weaponry in a move that appeared to repair years of frayed ties between Taiwan and the Bush administration.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release Friday that it had notified Congress about the sale, which marks Taiwan's first purchase of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles, a surface-to-air guided missile air defense system.
"We think this announcement from the U.S. government is a sign that the past eight years of discord are over," Ma said in a statement. "This symbolizes the start of a new era of security, peace and mutual trust between Taiwan and the U.S."
The sale serves as a reminder that the Taiwan Strait remains one of Asia's potential flashpoints. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to its own sovereign government and has threatened to invade in response to any moves toward independence. The United States, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself against any unprovoked Chinese attack.
The weapons sale, which also includes Apache helicopters and Harpoon missiles, comes as Taiwanese negotiators are working behind the scenes with China to arrange a visit by Chen Yunlin, the head of China's semi-official negotiating agency to Taiwan, at the end of October or in November. Chen would be the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Taiwan since the Nationalists relocated to the island in 1949.
Ma, who was elected in March on a platform of détente with China, said Saturday that he still wants to develop cross-strait ties, and analysts said the sale was unlikely to derail Chen's visit.
George Tsai, a political scientist at Taipei's Chinese Culture University, said China would probably be angered by the deal but that it had become used to U.S. arms sales. "I think they understand the realities," Tsai said of the Chinese. "I don't think this will upset Chen Yunlin's visit."
The package was originally proposed by the U.S. government in 2001. But lawmakers from Ma's Nationalist party, who then were in the opposition, refused to approve procurement budgets for several years, arguing the purchase was too costly.
After Taiwan finally approved the funding, senior U.S. officials placed a de facto freeze on Taiwanese arms sales for almost a year, observers said, partially because they were irritated by the wrangling and because they needed China's help in resolving international issues, such as persuading North Korea to relinquish nuclear weapons.
Since coming to power, Nationalist officials, including Ma, have worked at improving relations with the United States.
A Taiwanese defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Taiwan would continue to lobby for two items omitted from the package announced Friday -- a feasibility study to build diesel electric submarines and 60 Black Hawk utility helicopters. Taiwan will also push the United States to sell it about 60 F-16 C/D fighters, the official said.
Andrew Yang, a military analyst with the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies, said the items may have been excluded as a U.S concession to China.
Yang said the sale, which the U.S. Congress must still approve, was largely symbolic because China has more than 1,000 missiles pointed at the island and Taiwan's defensive capabilities remain limited.
"Taiwan cannot ward off Beijing's all-out strike," Yang said. "The sale is symbolic, showing the U.S. is committed to helping Taiwan defend itself."

Cup of coffee reunites 2 Taiwan sisters separated since childhood

Two Taiwan sisters separated since childhood 40 years ago were recently reunited, virtually by a cup of coffee, a newspaper reported on Thursday. ( dpa )


Ho Mei-yun and Fang Chuang-li were born into a poor family which had 13 children. Hoping to give their kids a good life, their parents kept only 8 kids and gave away the rest to better-off families, the United Daily News said.


Ho was put up for adoption when she was 11 months old. Her adopted parents allowed her to see her "nanny" - who was her mother - once a year, but Ho later found out the "nanny" was her mother, so she eventually resumed contact with her biological family.


Fang, Ho's younger sister, was given away when she was 2 months old. She heard from neighbors that she had been adopted and found out that her parents lived on Hami Road in Taipei, but her adopted parents barred her from tracing her parents.


Ho and Fang have been working as insurance agents at the Cathay Life Insurance to work as insurance agents, but did not know each other as the company has nearly 30,000 employees across Taiwan and they worked in different departments, the United Daily News said.


Recently Cathay Life Insurance paid for its outstanding insurance agents to go to Los Angeles for its annual meeting which doubled as a bonus vacation. Ho and Fang sat in the came coach but did not know they were related.


On the day of departure, Ho bought a large cup of coffee. Seeing Fang and another colleague also wanted to buy coffee, she suggested the two share her cup of coffee because the cup was too large for her.


So they sat down to chat and asked one another's age. Both Ho and Fang said they are older than their registered age because they were adopted and their adopted parents did not register their correct birth date.


The more Ho and Fang recalled their childhood, the more they felt they were from the same family, and the other colleague even asked: "Don't you think you are separated sisters?"


So from the Los Angeles airport, Ho phoned her eldest sister in Taiwan to check the details of the Number 8 sister, and concluded Fang is the No 8 sister.


When Ho brought the news to Fang, the two cried in a tight embrace while their colleagues stood around clapping hands for their reunion.


Ho and Fang returned to Taipei several days ago. Cathay Life Insurance held a news conference Wednesday to break the good news to the press.


At the news conference, Fang said the theme of the company's annual meeting in Los Angeles was "Change Your Life," and the trip has certainly changed her life.