China invades another Phil. Island.

[Aepsilons]

calling for immediate strike. where the hell is uncle sam?

They will do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

 

[MarveL]

I would say Japan is expecting this. The retreat of America from Asia is not really antagonistic to Japan's calculus.

Quirino Shoal a.k.a Jackson Soal is along the supply route between Palawan and Pagasa Island.


Philippine officials say China blocking access to disputed South China Sea atoll


China has stationed several ships near a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, preventing Filipino fishermen from accessing traditional fishing grounds and raising tensions in the volatile region, Philippine officials said on Wednesday.

China had deployed up to seven ships to Quirino Atoll, also known as Jackson Atoll, said Eugenio Bito-onon Jr, the mayor of nearby Pagasa Island in the Spratly Islands.

The Spratlys are the most contested archipelago in the South China Sea, a resource-rich region and critical shipping lane linking North Asia to Europe, South Asia and the Middle East.

"This is very alarming, Quirino is on our path when we travel from Palawan to Pagasa. It is halfway and we normally stop there to rest," Bito-onon Jr told Reuters.

"I feel something different. The Chinese are trying to choke us by putting an imaginary checkpoint there. It is a clear violation of our right to travel, impeding freedom of navigation," he said.

Fishermen told the mayor one Filipino boat had run aground in the area and was still there but was not being harassed by the Chinese vessels.

Chinese authorities did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment.

The Philippine military said it was trying to verify the presence of Chinese ships near Jackson Atoll, where a Chinese warship allegedly fired warning shots at Filipino fishermen in 2011.

"We know there are Chinese ships moving around the Spratly area," spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla told Reuters. "There are also ships around Second Thomas Shoal so we want to make sure if the presence is permanent."

Second Thomas Shoal is where the Philippine navy has been occupying and reinforcing a rusting ship that it ran aground in 1999 to bolster its claims to the disputed reef.

TENSIONS ON THE RISE

A military source from Palawan said a surveillance plane had seen four to five ships in the vicinity of Jackson Atoll last week. The source could not say if the ships were passing through or permanently stationed there because the area is close to Mischief Reef, where China is busy building an artificial island.

"There are no indications China will build structures or develop it into an island," said the source, who was not authorized to speak to the media about the South China Sea.

The Philippines Star newspaper, which earlier reported the story, quoted an unidentified fisherman as saying Chinese boats chased them away when they tried to enter the area last week.

"These gray and white Chinese ships, around four of them inside the lagoon, prevented us from entering our traditional fishing ground," he said.

Along with China and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the waters, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year.

Tensions in the region have been building recently, with the United States and others protesting against Beijing's land reclamations, along with the recent deployment of surface-to-air missiles and fighter jets in the Paracel Islands.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned China on Tuesday against what he called "aggressive" actions in the region, saying there would be "specific consequences" to militarization of the South China Sea.

Beijing, for its part, has been angered by "freedom of navigation" air and sea patrols the United States has conducted near the islands it claims in the South China Sea and says it needs military facilities for its self defense.

Philippine officials say China blocked access to disputed South China Sea atoll| Reuters

 

[Sneaker]

It wasn't surprising.. after upto 5 million layoffs, CCP needs something to ward of social unrest..

 

[Aepsilons]

They don't have a treaty with the US?

But if this is how China can be expected to behave in the future, all these little countries of South East Asia need to lock in protective treaties with great powers...US ...Japan....or even just each other.....maybe luck in regional sanctions if any one country is attacked.....they have a right to keep their own land after all

The problem with the Philippines’ approach to the South China Sea challenge is that its military aspect is not anchored on the Philippines’ own capabilities but rides on the “ironclad” security guarantee under the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty. The brighter other side of this challenge, of the proverbial Chinese coin, could be the possible opportunities that await the country’s awakening to the need to upgrade its own armed defense services, which have suffered from neglect from, among other factors, focusing on local insurgencies, and which furthermore today face new security concerns such as terrorism sans borders and massive natural disasters brought by climate change. Also on that other side might hopefully be the realization of the need to reexamine the country’s mutual defense arrangements with the United States for their validity and relevance to the country’s needs and interests.

The Philippines appears to infuse credibility to its military option by invoking the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty when there is not even a mutual understanding between the two countries on the application of the treaty. In what might have been a fit of strategic ambiguity, the US Ambassador to the Philippines refused to clarify how “ironclad” the MDT guarantee was, raising questions on the true intensions of the treaty ally. One can recall that at the early onset of the potential conflict situation in the Spratlys involving China, the US declared that the PH-US MDT did not apply as the Spratlys archipelago was not part of the “metropolitan territory” of the Philippines.

The MDT Article IV defines the subject of the Treaty as being “ that (of) an armed attack in the Pacific Area on either of the Parties” and Article V defines armed attack on either of the Parties in the Pacific Area as deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific (N.B.: The Philippines has no island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Area) or on the armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific. Much later in the intensifying conflict situation and after both Parties to the MDT had been mutually invoking the MDT, the US suddenly announced that it was not taking sides in the South China Sea disputes and insinuated into the situation its very own vital national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation in the area.

The Philippines must see its way clear to realizing that the PH-US MDT is not mutual and therefore is hardly of any value in addressing its own national security interests, not to mention that it is not relevant to the position of the Philippines in the conflict situation in the South China Sea. One must be in a desperate state of denial to construe the express terms of the treaty and the pronouncements of US senior officials otherwise.

The PH-US MDT has long been anachronistic and belongs to a bygone era as shown by its references to the collective security arrangement under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and to the development of a system of regional security in the Pacific. The preambular paragraph 3 of the MDT provides the raison’etre for the treaty as “Desiring (further) to strengthen their present efforts for collective defense for the preservation of peace and security pending the development of a more comprehensive system of regional security in the Pacific area.” That system of regional security took the form of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) which was effectively dead soon after its birth as what happened to its counterpart in Central America, the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO). The ANZUS may still be active but it covers another part of the Pacific area of hardly any concern to the Philippines.

It is now 64 years since the MDT came into effect and clearly time has passed it by; the continuing validity and duration of the treaty are subject to a condition that has failed to materialize. True the MDT has a provision (Art.VII) that “This treaty shall remain in force indefinitely.” This is a rather curious effectivity clause. In geopolitics, a State has no permanent friends nor enemies, only permanent interests.

In contemporary lingo, there is no such thing as a BFF treaty alliance. The MDT as an alliance treaty merely formalizes indefinitely the protectorate status of the Philippines, a country whose fortunes ebb and flow with the geopolitical and economic vicissitudes of the protector-State. At best the MDT is an unequal treaty with a one-way application. Abrogating the MDT might thus be a matter of national self-respect for the Philippines as it appears to compromise the primary State policy enunciated in its 1987 Constitution for the country to “pursue an independent foreign policy” (Section 7).


To be sure, an independent foreign policy does not necessarily mean neutrality or a neutralist policy. It does not necessarily call for eschewing bilateral or multilateral security alliances. The MDT may be abrogated in order for it to be replaced by a new one or none at all in keeping with contemporary realities and a reasonable projection of the future.

 

[SrNair]

I would say Japan is expecting this. The retreat of America from Asia is not really antagonistic to Japan's calculus.

That old Samurai spirit

All the Best .I hopes our govt will do whatever within our limit to help Japan .

 

[Cossack25A1]

Quirino Shoal a.k.a Jackson Soal is along the supply route between Palawan and Pagasa Island.


Philippine officials say China blocking access to disputed South China Sea atoll


China has stationed several ships near a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, preventing Filipino fishermen from accessing traditional fishing grounds and raising tensions in the volatile region, Philippine officials said on Wednesday.

China had deployed up to seven ships to Quirino Atoll, also known as Jackson Atoll, said Eugenio Bito-onon Jr, the mayor of nearby Pagasa Island in the Spratly Islands.

The Spratlys are the most contested archipelago in the South China Sea, a resource-rich region and critical shipping lane linking North Asia to Europe, South Asia and the Middle East.

"This is very alarming, Quirino is on our path when we travel from Palawan to Pagasa. It is halfway and we normally stop there to rest," Bito-onon Jr told Reuters.

"I feel something different. The Chinese are trying to choke us by putting an imaginary checkpoint there. It is a clear violation of our right to travel, impeding freedom of navigation," he said.

Fishermen told the mayor one Filipino boat had run aground in the area and was still there but was not being harassed by the Chinese vessels.

Chinese authorities did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment.

The Philippine military said it was trying to verify the presence of Chinese ships near Jackson Atoll, where a Chinese warship allegedly fired warning shots at Filipino fishermen in 2011.

"We know there are Chinese ships moving around the Spratly area," spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla told Reuters. "There are also ships around Second Thomas Shoal so we want to make sure if the presence is permanent."

Second Thomas Shoal is where the Philippine navy has been occupying and reinforcing a rusting ship that it ran aground in 1999 to bolster its claims to the disputed reef.

TENSIONS ON THE RISE

A military source from Palawan said a surveillance plane had seen four to five ships in the vicinity of Jackson Atoll last week. The source could not say if the ships were passing through or permanently stationed there because the area is close to Mischief Reef, where China is busy building an artificial island.

"There are no indications China will build structures or develop it into an island," said the source, who was not authorized to speak to the media about the South China Sea.

The Philippines Star newspaper, which earlier reported the story, quoted an unidentified fisherman as saying Chinese boats chased them away when they tried to enter the area last week.

"These gray and white Chinese ships, around four of them inside the lagoon, prevented us from entering our traditional fishing ground," he said.

Along with China and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the waters, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year.

Tensions in the region have been building recently, with the United States and others protesting against Beijing's land reclamations, along with the recent deployment of surface-to-air missiles and fighter jets in the Paracel Islands.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned China on Tuesday against what he called "aggressive" actions in the region, saying there would be "specific consequences" to militarization of the South China Sea.

Beijing, for its part, has been angered by "freedom of navigation" air and sea patrols the United States has conducted near the islands it claims in the South China Sea and says it needs military facilities for its self defense.

Philippine officials say China blocked access to disputed South China Sea atoll| Reuters

So I guess for many it is okay for China to blockade Pag-Asa island from Palawan, and to shoo away Filipino fishermen...

 

[Ind4Ever]

A unilateral strike is antithetical to Chinese defense policy in modern years, which has largely been built upon strategic defense. We have to try to understand that the Chinese, themselves, are not really expansionist powers, given how they have conducted territorial settlments with their nieghbors in the past. As in regards to Korea and Japan --- disagreement is merely on maritime territoriality, which is slowly being de-fissured as we speak through careful mediation and through intergovernmental approach.

In fact the way China (Mainland) works to de-escalate with Tokyo is to utilize the conduit , which is the Chinese Province of Taiwan, as the channel to develop mutually comprehensive and inclusive mechanisms of joint fisheries cooperation, joint exploration, and joint development, joint patrol of the Senkakus/ Diaoyutais. This is an indirect recogntion on Tokyo's part of Chinese legitmacy of their claims, and Tokyo's willingness to collaborate, cooperate. Just this week, in fact , @Ind4Ever bhai, both Tokyo and Taipei (Beijing) convened on a new round of Bilateral Joint Fisheries agreements involving the Senkakus / Diaoyutais --- and relations between Greater China and Japan is slowly, gradually developed comprehensively and holistically.

Taiwan, Japan holding fishery talks in Taipei | Politics | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

I suppose , and i would deign to conjecture that as time progresses and as with China's tacit recognition of cooperative bilateralism, we will see more integration in political and inter-governmental mechanisms between Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul. As for China's development in the South China Seas , well Japan is a non-claimant and thus will not involve herself directly in that situation. However, we do hope and pray all relevant parties cooperate peacefully for a mutually inclusive and developmentally-inclined, peaceful approach to the situation. We hope to see a win-win scenario. And we know that China is instrumental to this liberational philosophy.

Bhai I appreciate your kind and innocent heart you have . kudos. But dont you see what just happend ? Chinese have this habit of back stabbing . They first speak about cooperation create illusion like Stronger hope for friendship in future ect but all of a sudden you this kind of invasion happens. They do it bterritoryy.

One way : First populate the area with their people .In such a way they claim the territory .Its slow process

Another. : They show some real change of heart. Playing innocent and all of a sudden they invade with full force with surprise as their main ploy

Another: They give you money in form of free loans. They flood your market with their cheap goods killing your industries.So in future you will relay on them for your basic needs and hav to repay your massive debt for decades. Example Pakistan gave away their occupied territory of Kashmir .

Either way its their game and trap. All of a sudden they will far Japan or major military force in the region for war. As they already prepared while you still plucking rose pellets saying'She loves me ' 'She loves me not' 'She loves me ' 'She loves me not' 'She loves me ' 'She loves me not' ...
Good luck with that bro. We already being back stabbed by China in 1962

 

[Tea addict]

They really can't do anything.

true, they should have started their own islan reclamation when they had time. also should have populated them by philippinos and some armed forces detachment.

Political response? It is evident. The Philippine Election 2016 will see the rise of a pro-China presidential elect. What is clear is that this new President-elect will be greatly cooperative with Tokyo ( ) and also with Beijing.

America we remain through VFA (visiting forces agreement), but they will be limited to that. I would even say that the Filipino Congress, which really has a split agenda (there are many anti-Americans in the Philippine Congress; as there are many pro-American). A rise of a pro-China president would consolidate the base and implement a more equidistant policy.

Pro china presidential elect in 2016? how so? as sovereignty can be a big political ace for anti china political parties. whichever party going to ensure a tough stand against china can use this incident in their favour.

 

[Indos]

Just to show folk here about SCS and the countries that has its part of SCS

 

[Nike]

I would say Japan is expecting this. The retreat of America from Asia is not really antagonistic to Japan's calculus.

do you thing Japan can do a shit? heck you guys even doesn't have any logistical means to support your long range deployment unless the US giving their logistic infrastructure to support your fleets deployment

 

[Sky lord]

The Philippines appears to infuse credibility to its military option by invoking the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty when there is not even a mutual understanding between the two countries on the application of the treaty. In what might have been a fit of strategic ambiguity, the US Ambassador to the Philippines refused to clarify how “ironclad” the MDT guarantee was, raising questions on the true intensions of the treaty ally. One can recall that at the early onset of the potential conflict situation in the Spratlys involving China, the US declared that the PH-US MDT did not apply as the Spratlys archipelago was not part of the “metropolitan territory” of the Philippines.

Thanks for the informative post....so looks like Philipines government is as much to blame for not thinking this through on behalf of their own people.

 

[Cossack25A1]

true, they should have started their own islan reclamation when they had time. also should have populated them by philippinos and some armed forces detachment.

Pro china presidential elect in 2016? how so? as sovereignty can be a big political ace for anti china political parties. whichever party going to ensure a tough stand against china can use this incident in their favour.

There was this "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, 2002" that stopped SEA nations from building any artificial islands but it didn't stop China.

One president is pro-China while another agrees for a bilateral talks with China.

Thanks for the informative post....so looks like Philipines government is as much to blame for not thinking this through on behalf of their own people.

So now it is the Filipino people's fault now, eh?

 

[Aepsilons]

Thanks for the informative post....so looks like Philipines government is as much to blame for not thinking this through on behalf of their own people.

Yes. Of course.

 

[Viet]

There was this "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, 2002" that stopped SEA nations from building any artificial islands but it didn't stop China.

One president is pro-China while another agrees for a bilateral talks with China.



So now it is the Filipino people's fault now, eh?

the chinese are trying to grab as many islands as they can. they can´t steal from VN, so they do from a weaker opponent which is the Philippines. only delusional people believe to chinese words. you should consider placing the islands and atolls you control under our protection. we can station missiles and artillery on them.

 

[Tea addict]

There was this "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, 2002" that stopped SEA nations from building any artificial islands but it didn't stop China.

hmmm, all i see is lack of political will. what was stopping philippines from violating the declaration after china did that? only lack of political will.

.
So now it is the Filipino people's fault now, eh?

kind of yes, you had all the time in the world to take some independent measures but you guys relied on USA, didnt worked out well.

 

[Sky lord]

So now it is the Filipino people's fault now, eh?

Read what Nilijohn has written....looks to me like your government did not tie down US in a treaty to protect all islands. You know as a small country, you cannot do it yourself, you know there is a shark in the ocean. China probably picked you out as the weakest link, the country least likely to fight back.