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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 20 February 2018

Philippines: Risks rising with China challenging US at sea

By JIM GOMEZ which China has protested
MANILA, Philippines (AP) as U.S. intervention in an
— The risks of a "miscalcu- Asian conflict.
lation" and armed conflict "Whereas before the South
have risen in the disputed China Sea was dominated
South China Sea with a mili- by the U.S. 7th Fleet, now
tarily stronger China now the Chinese navy is start-
able to challenge the Unit- ing to challenge the domi-
ed States, which used to nance," Sto. Romana told
be the dominant power in a news forum in Manila. "I
the strategic waterway, the think we will see a shift in
Philippine envoy to Beijing the balance of power."
said Monday. "It is not the case that the
Ambassador Chito Sta. Ro- South China Sea is now a
mana said the balance of Chinese lake, not at all,"
power was shifting with the Sto. Romana said. "Look at
two global powers vying the U.S. aircraft carrier, it's
for control of the waters, still going through the South
adding that the Philippines China Sea," he added, re-
should not get entangled in ferring to the USS Carl Vin-
the increasingly tense mari- son that recently patrolled
time rivalry. the disputed waters and
China claims virtually the is currently on a visit to the
entire South China Sea, Philippines. He compared Philippine Ambassador to Beijing, Chito Sta. Romana, speaks at a forum on the South China Seas
Monday, Feb. 19, 2018 in Manila, Philippines.
where the Philippines, Viet- the two powers to ele- (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
nam, Malaysia, Taiwan and phants fighting and tram-
Brunei also have overlap- pling on the grass and said, Filipino marines guarding meeting with his Chinese of mostly Chinese Filipino
ping claims, and it has built "What we don't want is for the disputed area. counterpart a few months businessmen that the Philip-
seven mostly submerged us to be the grass." China has also allowed Fili- after he won the Philippine pines could solve its money
reefs into islands that re- Philippine President Ro- pino fishermen into another presidency in 2016. Duterte problems by being turned
portedly can be used as drigo Duterte's policy of disputed area, Scarbor- said in a speech late Mon- into a province of wealthy
forward air naval bases befriending China has ough Shoal, after Duterte day that Xi promised him China, though he errone-
and have been installed worked, Sto. Romana said, visited Beijing and raised that China won’t build any ously referred to it as “the
with a missile defense sys- citing Beijing's decision to the issue with Chinese Presi- structure on Scarborough Republic of China,” which
tem. lift its blockade around Phil- dent Xi Jinping. Xi report- and added that the Chi- is Taiwan’s official name.
The U.S. Navy has sailed ippine-occupied Second edly told Duterte, "Give me nese leader should be trust- China rejects any insinua-
warships on "freedom of Thomas Shoal, where the a few days, I'll take care of ed because “he’s a man tion that Taiwan, which it
navigation" operations Philippine military can now this," Sto. Romana quoted of honor.” The president considers a province, is an
near the artificial islands, freely send new supplies to Duterte as saying about the jokingly told an audience independent country.q

Maldives president wants vote to extend state of emergency

By M. SHARUHAAN emergency expires. judges annulled the order of conspiring with the op- Mohamed Nasheed, who
MALE, Maldives (AP) — The President Yameen Abdul to release Yameen's oppo- position to overthrow the unseated him in the 2008
president of the Maldives Gayoom declared the nents. The judges on Sun- government. Maldives be- elections.
asked Parliament on Mon- emergency after the Su- day also delayed an earlier came a multiparty democ- Nasheed, Yameen's most
day to extend the state preme Court ordered the order to reinstate 12 pro- racy in 2008 after decades prominent rival, is among
of emergency that has release of a group of his opposition lawmakers who of Gayoom's autocratic the politicians ordered
helped him reinforce his imprisoned political oppo- were expelled after siding rule. But Yameen has rolled freed by the Supreme
power, as political turmoil nents, who had been con- with the opposition. Ya- back much of the country's Court. Maldives is an archi-
continued to churn in the victed in widely criticized meen's party would have democratic gains and free- pelago of more than 1,000
Indian Ocean nation. trials. Yameen asked Parlia- lost a majority in Parliament doms after being elected islands. More than one-
A vote of the 85-member ment to extend the state of had they been allowed to to power in 2013. third of its 400,000 citizens
Parliament was postponed emergency by two weeks. participate in the vote. The country's traditional live in Male, the crowded
pending approval from a Under the emergency law, Yameen's half-brother and political alliances have capital city. Tourism domi-
national security commis- Yameen had two Supreme former dictator Maumoon been upended in recent nates the economy, with
sion. It's likely to be taken Court judges arrested, ac- Abdul Gayoom also was years. Gayoom, now an wealthy foreigners flown
before Tuesday evening, cusing them of corruption. arrested after the emer- opposition leader, is allied directly to hyper-expensive
when the current state of Later, the remaining three gency decree, accused with exiled former President resort islands.q