A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. The waters are a major shipping route for global commerce and rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves.
HAGUE RULING, BASKETBALL FEATURE ON DUTERTE CHINA TRIP
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrives in China on Wednesday for a visit that will include meetings with top Chinese officials over the South China Sea and attendance at a world basketball championship game.
FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2019, file photo, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, right, visits the Hanoi Formula One Grand Prix construction site in Hanoi. (AP PhotoDuc Thanh, File)
Duterte's visit will be his fifth to China but the first during which he plans to finally raise the result of the 2016 Hague arbitration case that mostly invalidated China's claim to virtually the entire South China Sea under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Duterte has long been criticized by nationalists and left-wing groups for not immediately demanding Chinese compliance with the ruling as he seeks warmer ties with Beijing.
China refused to participate in the arbitration case and has ignored the resulting ruling.
Calls have risen in recent weeks for Duterte to take a harder line with Beijing over matters such as the activities of Chinese research vessels and warships in what the Philippines claims as its waters.
AUSTRALIA, VIETNAM, US CONCERNED OVER CHINA ACTIONS
Australia, Vietnam and the U.S. have expressed serious concern over actions by China's gas survey ship they say have infringed on Vietnamese territory and disrupted Vietnam's exploration activities.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison met in Hanoi with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and both leaders called for respect of international law and freedom of navigation.
Earlier the United States said it was deeply concerned that China is continuing to interfere with Vietnam's long-standing oil and gas activities in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety and has deployed a survey vessel with armed escorts into waters off Vietnam, ignoring Hanoi's calls to leave the area.
China has rattled smaller neighbors by constructing seven man-made islands in the disputed waters and equipped them with military runways and outposts.
In Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang did not directly address the U.S. accusations but said China opposed what he described as a U.S. campaign aimed at division.
"This is to drive a wedge between China and other countries and it is ill-intentioned," Geng said. "The aim is to create chaos in the situation in the South China Sea and damage regional peace and stability. China firmly opposes this."
US, 10 INDO-PACIFIC PARTNERS IN SINGAPORE TRAINING
The U.S. Navy began joint training last week with maritime forces from 10 Indo-Pacific partner nations aimed at countering illegal smuggling and piracy.
The 18th iteration of Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) began in Singapore on Aug. 19, emphasizing "realistic training scenarios wherein exercise participants will practice identifying, tracking and boarding of vessels participating in the exercise," The 7th Fleet said in a news release.
"SEACAT is regional maritime security at its best," Rear Adm. Joey Tynch, commander, Task Force 73, was quoted as saying.
"This year, more partner nations than ever have come to SEACAT to share their challenges and best practices. There's no better place to strengthen our abilities to sense, share and respond than working together at sea," he said.
Participating nations include Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.
During the drills, liaison officers will receive simulated reports of suspect vessels in the Straits of Singapore and Malacca, the Andaman Sea or the South China Sea.
Participants will then "develop and implement response plans utilizing aircraft and ships from participating navies and coast guards to investigate and conduct on-scene boardings as necessary," the news release said.
A total of 14 ships and more than 400 personnel will take part in the training, with U.S. Navy units including the staff of Destroyer Squadron 7 and P-8 Poseidon aircraft assigned to Task Force 72.
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
