01/06/2026

MONDAY | JUNE 1, 2026

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China patrols Scarborough Shoal

o Philippines says it remains under threat

The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. China’s patrols took place as defence ministers, military chiefs and policymakers from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond gathered in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Manila remains under “severe threat” from China territorially and politically, despite a recent thaw in US-China tensions following a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping this month. “We have no choice but to be

acts,” the command said. It did not mention specific countries. China’s coast guard said in a separate statement it conducted law enforcement patrols near the Scarborough Shoal, adding that since this month it had dealt with ships engaged in “illegal rights-violation activities in accordance with laws and regulations”, without elaborating. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the exercise with the US from Tuesday to Saturday, including visit-board-search-and seizure drills, underscored both countries’ commitment to stronger defence ties, improved maritime domain awareness and support for a rules-based order at sea.

security, the Philippine military said yesterday. Scarborough Shoal, in waters that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and has become a frequent flashpoint between China and the Philippines over sovereignty and fishing rights. The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command said in a statement on the WeChat platform that its naval and air units carried out combat readiness patrols in the “territorial sea and airspace” of the atoll and its surrounding areas. “Such patrols serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights violations and provocative

resilient and to stand up against aggression,” he said. The Philippines and China have been locked in repeated maritime standoffs in the South China Sea in recent years, at times resulting in collisions between vessels and injuries to personnel. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a “nine-dash line” on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s claims were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects. – Reuters

BEIJING: China’s military and coast guard said they carried out patrols near disputed waters in the South China Sea yesterday, a day after the Philippines said it remained under threat from Beijing despite a recent easing in US-China tensions. Philippine and US forces held a five-day maritime exercise in the same waters last week near the Scarborough Shoal, the third such drill this year, to strengthen interoperability and maritime Japan rejects ‘new militarism’ accusations SINGAPORE: Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi yesterday rejected accusations of “new militarism” by Tokyo and criticised China for rapidly expanding its military with little transparency, underscoring mounting tensions between the two countries. China continues to increase its defence spending at a high level, Koizumi said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, adding: “China’s external approach and military activities are matters of serious concern for Japan and the international community.” Rebutting criticism that Japan was embracing new militarism, he said:“Think about it. There’s a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither, and yet Japan is labelled ‘new militarism’?” Koizumi said Japan’s record since World War Two “speaks for itself”, citing its adherence to international law and commitment to the UN Charter, alongside efforts to uphold a “free and open international order”. China’s Foreign Ministry last month called on Asia-Pacific countries to be vigilant and “jointly resist the reckless actions of Japan’s neo-militarism”. At the forum, Chinese delegate Major General Meng Xiangqing also criticised Japan. “I deeply doubt whether a country that has not thoroughly eradicated the toxic legacy of militarism is qualified to talk extensively about defence cooperation on international occasions, and whether it can win the trust of the international community, especially the Asian countries it once invaded,” he said. Koizumi said he was“sad”he could not meet his Chinese counterpart at the dialogue, Asia’s premier defence forum, but insisted Japan remains open to engagement. “We keep the door open,” he said, reaffirming Japan’s commitment to dialogue with China and other regional players to foster stability. For the second year running, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has given the Singapore security meeting a miss, skipping opportunities to meet his counterparts. – Reuters

The Lapindo mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java. – REUTERSPIC

Java mudflow hazard lingers after two decades SIDOARJO: Harwati clasped her hands and offered a prayer on the edge of a sludge lake in Java, as dozen of residents gathered to mark two decades since mud volcano eruptions began displacing thousands. provide justice for us,” the 50-year old said on Saturday, insisting that the disaster was “far” from over. she was “sad” to relocate to a new place, but added that the family had little choice. “It was tough, but whether we want it or not, we just go on day by day, trying to be able to adapt with this new circumstance,” the 48-year old said.

Lapindo, which has since changed its name to Minarak Brantas Gas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the firm previously said investigations “determined that no correlation could be proven between the drilling activities and the mud eruption”. Environmental groups have found that groundwater in the area has been polluted, said Melky Nahar, a coordinator of NGO Mining Advocacy Network. “After two decades, the destruction of the environment has not ended,” he said. Irsyad, who moved to his current home some four kilometres away from his old one, said he told his friend that he wished to be buried in his old village. “So my child and grandchild will look for me there. And when they visit ... they possibly will have a question: ‘why was grandfather buried here?’” – AFP

She demanded the government conduct a thorough examination of the mudflow’s impacts on the health of residents, saying many locals have suffered from cancers after the incident. An area of over 600ha was swallowed by the mud, according to the government, as efforts to plug it, including with huge concrete balls, have proved ineffective. The disaster forced Muhammad Irsyad to leave his village in 2012, as he could no longer tolerate pollution that seeped into the well his family relied on for cooking and bathing. Two decades since the disaster, Irsyad, 62, said he was still “rearranging” his life, with his family surviving on income earned from their food stall and drinking water sales. Irsyad’s wife Siti Chusniawati said

On May 29, 2006, the earth in the Sidoarjo district of East Java province opened up, ejecting pungent, steaming hot mud that swallowed villages and factories. Thirteen people died when an underground gas pipeline in the disaster zone exploded. The eruptions, which continue to occur, destroyed at least a dozen villages and have displaced tens of thousands of people. Harwati said the gathering, held on Friday to mark two decades since the disaster, was organised to remind the government that residents are still feeling the impact of the mudflow. “Even though presidents change, we still hope (the government will)

Independent studies alternate blame between oil and gas company PT Lapindo Brantas, which was drilling in the area at the time, and an earthquake that struck two days earlier about 260km away. Lapindo was eventually ordered to compensate victims, but payments took years, triggering angry protests. The government eventually intervened and loaned the company the funds to expedite the remaining payments. Irsyad called the use of public money to pay for damages following the disaster an “injustice”. He said the company should take responsibility.