VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Philippines on Thursday condemned "in strongest terms" the actions of three Chinese coast guard vessels that it said blocked and used water cannon on resupply boats headed towards a Philippine-occupied atoll in the South China Sea.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said no one was hurt during Tuesday's incident at the Second Thomas Shoal but the Philippines boats, which were transporting food to military personnel based there, had to abort their mission.

"China has no law enforcement rights in and around these areas. They must take heed and back off," Locsin said in a statement, reminding China that a public vessel is covered by a Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty.

Locsin said he had conveyed "in the strongest terms" to China's ambassador in Manila "our outrage, condemnation and protest of the incident."

China's embassy did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

The Second Thomas Shoal, 105 nautical miles (195 km) off Palawan, is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and a small contingent of military have occupied it since 1999 having intentionally grounded a navy ship on the reef.

China regards the shoal as its territory as it falls within the "nine-dash line" that it uses on maps denoting its claim to almost the entire South China Sea. A 2016 international arbitration ruling, however, said the Chinese line had no legal basis.

Locsin said China's failure to exercise self-restraint "threatens the special relationship" between the two countries.

The office of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been a staunch supporter of China, said it was aware of the incident at the shoal.

"We will continue to assert our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction," acting spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.

Before the incident, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said authorities had noticed an unusual presence of Chinese maritime militia near the atoll and Philippine-occupied Thitu island. China has denied operating a militia.

There were 19 vessels near Second Thomas Shoal last week, and 45 near Thitu Island, Esperon told reporters, describing those as "very aggressive".(Reuters)

Japan's vice foreign minister pulled out of a planned news conference with his South Korean and U.S. counterparts in Washington on Wednesday over a territorial dispute between the two U.S. allies, a Japanese Embassy spokesperson said.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was left to answer questions on her own in the absence of South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong Kun and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, with whom she had just met for three hours.

Sherman began by noting that "there are some bilateral differences between Japan and the Republic of Korea that are continuing to be resolved," but said the cancellation of the joint news conference was not related to the earlier trilateral meeting, which she called "constructive (and) substantive."

The three officials discussed freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and their countries' commitment to advancing democratic values and human rights, and restated their commitment to maintaining an inclusive, free, peaceful, stable and open Indo-Pacific region, Sherman said.

Japanese Embassy spokesperson Masashi Mizobuchi said Tokyo had "lodged a strong protest" on Tuesday over a visit by South Korea's head of police to disputed islets between the countries, known as Takeshima in Japan. The cluster of windswept volcanic rocks is controlled by Seoul, which calls them Dokdo, but are also claimed by Japan.

"Under these circumstances, we have decided that it is inappropriate to hold a joint press conference," Mizobuchi said in an email.

Choi told reporters in Washington that the Japanese side informed them of its decision not to participate in the news conference shortly before the trilateral talks began.

A spokesman for South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he had nothing to add to Choi's remarks but that Seoul's stance remains unchanged that Dokdo is the country’s territory historically, geographically and under international law.

Ties between the two nations have also frayed over Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea, including over "comfort women," Japan's euphemism for mostly Korean women forced to work in its wartime brothels. The historic dispute has sparked tit-for-tat trade restrictions in recent years.

The trip to the island by National Police Agency Commissioner-General Kim Chang-yong was done in consultation with the foreign ministry given the diplomatic sensitivities, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing unidentified police sources.

But it was not meant to be publicized and only became known when it was inadvertently listed on his public weekly schedule, the report said.

Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in Lithuania on Thursday in a diplomatic breakthrough for the Chinese-claimed island, brushing aside Beijing's strong opposition to the move.

China demanded in August that the Baltic state withdraw its ambassador to Beijing and said it would recall China's envoy in Vilnius after Taiwan announced its office in the city would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania.

Other Taiwan offices in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei, avoiding a reference to the island itself, which China claims as its own territory.

China has stepped up efforts to get other countries to limit their interactions with Taiwan, or cut them off altogether. Only 15 countries have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Beijing has also been angered by Lithuania's decision to open its own representative office in Taiwan, though no firm date has been set for that yet.

Taiwan's foreign ministry said the opening of the office would "charter a new and promising course" for ties between it and Lithuania.

There was huge potential for cooperation in industries including semi-conductors, lasers and fintech, it said.

"Taiwan will cherish and promote this new friendship based on our shared values."

The dispute with Lithuania over Taiwan has also sucked in the United States, which has offered its support to Vilnius to withstand Chinese pressure.

Many other countries maintain de facto embassies in Taipei, including several of Lithuania's fellow European Union member states, Britain, Australia and the United States.(Reuters)

Melbourne's pubs and cafes can have unlimited patrons from Thursday night, while stadiums can return to full capacity as authorities lifted nearly all remaining COVID-19 restrictions for the vaccinated residents in Australia's second-largest city.

Victoria, the state that is home to Melbourne, has been gradually easing curbs when dual-dose inoculations reached 70%, 80% and 90%, with the latest relaxations part of a shift in strategy towards living with the coronavirus. The full vaccination level for the eligible population is expected to reach 90% over the weekend.

"Your life will be back to normal, you will be able to enjoy all the things that you have yearned for and missed," State Premier Daniel Andrews said during a media conference.

Under more relaxed rules, people can hit the dance floor and there will be no limits on home gatherings. But masks will remain mandatory in health facilities, public transport and retail stores.

Eased restrictions mean major summer sports events like the Boxing Day cricket test match and the Australian Open tennis will be able to welcome capacity crowds. 

Australia had largely stamped out infections for most of this year until an outbreak of the Delta variant in late June spread rapidly across Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, and the national capital of Canberra, forcing months-long lockdowns. They have since come out of lockdowns racing through their inoculations.

Even with the Delta wave, Australia has recorded about 194,000 cases and 1,922 deaths, far lower than many comparable countries.

New South Wales, which includes Sydney, logged 262 cases on Thursday and Victoria 1,007 new infections, while the Australian Capital Territory reported 25. Fifteen deaths were registered.

The Northern Territory is battling to contain a fresh outbreak as authorities look to accelerate vaccinations to prevent the spread of the virus in remote communities. Other states and territories are COVID-free.(Reuters)