China has dismissed the recent decision by Google to rename parts of the disputed South China Sea, which now labels maritime areas near the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea.
This change, made on Google Maps on Monday, has sparked mixed reactions, with the Philippines welcoming the shift, while China maintains its stance over the region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian addressed the matter on Tuesday, stating that the term "South China Sea" has been universally recognized and used by the international community, including the United Nations and various international organizations. "The South China Sea has long been used as a universal location name recognized by the international community," Lin said, dismissing the renaming as a minor change.
Despite the update, the South China Sea label still appears on Google Maps to the north and west of the newly designated West Philippine Sea area.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed support for the update, calling it a positive step towards accurate representation. "As defenders of national sovereignty, the AFP sees this as a valuable contribution to truthful representation and public awareness," said AFP spokeswoman Francel Margareth Padilla, as reported by the state-run Philippine News Agency.
Meanwhile, tensions continued to simmer in the region. China accused the Philippine Coast Guard of provoking a confrontation near Huangyan Dao, known as Panatag Shoal in the Philippines. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that a Philippine vessel allegedly maneuvered close to a Chinese patrol ship, attempting to stage photographs. The Chinese Coast Guard stated that the Philippine vessel crossed near its ship four times before being ordered out of the area.
The South China Sea remains a hotly contested region, with overlapping territorial claims from China, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian nations. China asserts control over nearly the entire area, which includes vital shipping lanes and potential underwater resources.
A restaurant fire in northeast China killed 22 people and injured three others on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, without giving any details on the cause of the blaze.
Germany is steadily losing export market share to China within the European Union, according to a report released Monday by the KfW Development Bank.
SIPRI’s annual report, released Monday, said global military expenditure reached $2.72 trillion in 2024, a 9.4% increase from 2023 and the largest year-on-year rise since the Cold War's end. This marks the tenth straight year of growth.
China has announced that it has taken control of Sandy Cay reef, a disputed landform in the South China Sea, located just a few kilometers from a key Philippine military outpost. The reef, which China refers to as Tiexian Jiao, is also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Donald Trump's cabinet members sent mixed signals on whether tariff talks with China are underway, despite Trump's claims, fueling confusion as market instability and recession fears grow amid ongoing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Amazon says it never planned to display Trump-era tariffs on product pages, disputing a report that drew a sharp response from the White House.
Nearly 39,000 people have been deported to Mexico since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and 33,000 of them are Mexican nationals, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Prince William and Princess Kate marked their 14th wedding anniversary Tuesday with a rare joint appearance on Mull and Iona, their first major public trip since the princess’s cancer treatment.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Mark Carney walked into the Prime Minister’s Office on Wellington Street Tuesday morning, his first official act after steering the Liberals to a decisive election triumph and reclaiming the reins of Canada’s government.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
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For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
Three people were killed in a shooting in central Uppsala on Tuesday, police confirmed, as the city began celebrations for Walpurgis Night.
Amazon says it never planned to display Trump-era tariffs on product pages, disputing a report that drew a sharp response from the White House.
Nearly 39,000 people have been deported to Mexico since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and 33,000 of them are Mexican nationals, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Prince William and Princess Kate marked their 14th wedding anniversary Tuesday with a rare joint appearance on Mull and Iona, their first major public trip since the princess’s cancer treatment.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Amazon says it never planned to display Trump-era tariffs on product pages, disputing a report that drew a sharp response from the White House.
Nearly 39,000 people have been deported to Mexico since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and 33,000 of them are Mexican nationals, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Prince William and Princess Kate marked their 14th wedding anniversary Tuesday with a rare joint appearance on Mull and Iona, their first major public trip since the princess’s cancer treatment.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur says the U.S. will keep its 80,000 troops in Europe, calling bases like Ramstein and Naples crucial to NATO’s eastern shield and American power projection despite Washington’s growing Indo-Pacific focus.
Mark Carney walked into the Prime Minister’s Office on Wellington Street Tuesday morning, his first official act after steering the Liberals to a decisive election triumph and reclaiming the reins of Canada’s government.
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