South China Sea

China and Indonesia ministers will meet Friday to discuss economic, security, and other issues.

China's and Indonesian's defence and foreign ministers will meet on Friday. Security, politics, and economic issues are expected to dominate the talks. Jakarta is trying to maintain a balance between its ties with both Beijing and Washington, amid tensions and trade disputes in the South China Sea. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Jakarta for the first two years and meet with his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono. He will also participate in the "2+2 meeting" between the defence ministers of the two countries. Arifianto Sofiyanto (an Indonesian official in the East Asia division of the foreign ministry) told a Thursday

Refined Products

Southeast Asian leaders look for ways to mitigate the impact of Iran war

ASEAN leaders begin summit with energy crisis at the forefront

Leaders of the ASEAN bloc will be discussing conflicts beyond Southeast Asia at the meeting in the Philippines. The Middle East crisis is a major challenge for the economies of countries that depend on fuel imports. Leaders, foreign and economic ministers from the 11 member grouping will attend the?meetings in Cebu on Friday and Thursday. Energy and food security are top priorities for this region of 700 million people. Many Asian countries are scrambling to find alternative oil supplies due to the Middle East conflict. ASEAN ministers have convened special meetings in advance of the summit and the Philippines is

Energy Markets

Philippines: any energy deal with China must respect Philippine sovereignty

US, Philippine troops shoot down drones in joint defence drills

U.S. soldiers and Philippine soldiers destroyed drones using Stinger missiles in live-fire drills Sunday. The exercises were part of an annual joint military exercise that took place during a time when tensions between Beijing and the Philippines over the South China Sea are simmering. More than 14,000 Filipino and U.S. troops are participating in this year's Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder", exercises, which run until May 9, focusing on a "full battle test" between the two defence treaty allies in response to regional security concerns. China has condemned the drills for being provocative. The drills took place in Zambales, a province located

Climate Change

Lammy, UK's Lammy, says that Britain and the Philippines are committed to rules-based orders

David Lammy, British Foreign Minister, said that Britain and the Philippines are committed to an international order based on rules. Lammy, on an official visit to the Philippines, said that both countries had stood together, supporting Ukraine, and promoting a free, open Indo-Pacific. Lammy and his Philippine counterpart said at a press conference that they were charting a course for their relationship in the face of global instability. They also emphasized that it was important to strengthen ties with other like-minded countries, such as the Philippines. The Philippines and Britain have signed a framework agreement for enhanced cooperation in multiple

United States, Japanese, Philippine leaders discussed China's behavior in South China Sea, White Home says