World

MELBOURNE: Australia has joined the United States in stating that China's claims in the South China Sea do not comply with international law in a declaration likely to anger China and put more strain on their deteriorating relations. The United States this month rejected China's claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, drawing criticism from China which said the US position raised tension in the region. Australia, in a declaration filed at the United Nations in New York on Friday (Jul 24), said it too rejected China’s maritime claims around contested islands in the South China Sea as being inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. "Australia rejects China's claim to 'historic rights' or 'maritime rights and interests' as established in the 'long ...

The Mekong River has become a new front in the U.S.-China rivalry, environmentalists and officials say, with Beijing overtaking Washington in both spending and influence over downstream countries at the mercy of its control of the river’s waters. It’s a confrontation in which the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump — which has largely maintained funding for Barack Obama-era environmental and development programs in the Lower Mekong — is losing ground. The two powers’ struggle recently moved into the realm of science — with the U.S. and Chinese governments each touting different reports about whether China’s 11 dams on the river were harming nations downstream. China’s dams have given it extensive control of the waters that flow down to Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vie...

JAKARTA: Fisherman Iwan, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, has been in the industry for the last 10 years. Mr Iwan was born and raised in Natuna islands at Indonesia’s outermost area near the South China Sea, which is rich in fishery resources. Despite an abundance of fishes in the sea, the 44-year-old said he has never benefitted economically in a big way. There were times when Mr Iwan, who works together with two other fishermen on a 6GT (Gross Tonnage) wooden fishing boat, could earn about 5 million rupiah (US$355) per month. But nowadays he usually only earns about 1 million rupiah. “It is now harder to find fish, and the prices are getting cheaper,” Mr Iwan told CNA. He claimed that illegal fishing activities by foreign vessels has played role in depleting the ava...

related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. 2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. WASHINGTON: The Trump administration plans to finalize regulations this week that will bar the US government from buying goods or services from any company that uses products from five Chinese companies including Huawei, Hikvision and Dahua, a US official said. The rule, which was prompted by a 2019 law, could have far-ranging implications for companies that sell goods and services to the US government since they will now need to certify they do not use products from Dahua or Hikvision, even though both are among the top sellers of surveillance equipment and cameras worldwide. The same goes for two-way radios from Hytera Communica...

BEIJING: Heavy rains and landslides in China have left at least 14 people dead or missing over the past day, burying houses and causing scenic areas to temporarily shut. Six people have been unreachable since a landslide in southwestern Guizhou province hit three villages on Wednesday (Jul 8), local authorities said. At least 156 people have been relocated, and six who were trapped had to be rescued after the incident. Photos from the scene showed rescue workers clad in bright orange uniforms combing through mud and rubble in the mountainous regions of Tongren city, where infrastructure had been reduced to a heap. Authorities said 19 houses were buried and 60 others were damaged. Aerial footage showed a vast swathe of greenery replaced by mud. At least 120 people have died or...

BEIJING: China said on Wednesday (Jul 15) it was not afraid of any sanctions the United States might impose over the situation in the South China Sea, and accused Washington of stirring up trouble and destabilising the region. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters during a briefing that Beijing hopes the US will not go further down the wrong path. The remarks came after the top US diplomat for East Asia warned on Tuesday of possible sanctions against Chinese officials and companies involved in what Washington calls coercion in the South China Sea. "Nothing is off the table ... there is room for that. This is a language the Chinese understand - demonstrative and tangible action," David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for East Asia, told a Washingto...