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Reply With QuoteConsidering the proximity of Scarborough shoal to the Philippines proper, is there a chance the US could get involved if China brings in PLAN vessels? (not that it's likely to)
war over fish... who woulda thunk it.
Quite interesting to watch.
Philippines, China Naval Standoff Enters Third Day « VOA Breaking News
The Philippines has withdrawn its biggest warship from a disputed area in the South China Sea, in an apparent attempt to lessen tensions with China over a naval standoff in the disputed waters.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said Thursday that a smaller coast guard boat will replace the warship at the Scarborough Shoal, located about 230 kilometers off the northwestern Philippines.
The standoff began Tuesday when two Chinese surveillance vessels blocked the Philippines warship, the U.S.-built Gregorio del Pilar, from arresting a group of Chinese fishermen there.
Considering the proximity of Scarborough shoal to the Philippines proper, is there a chance the US could get involved if China brings in PLAN vessels? (not that it's likely to)
war over fish... who woulda thunk it
Have you forgotten the long & bloddy Cod Wars?
I wasn't even a glimmer in my father's eye at that time, its all ancient history to me!Originally Posted by Tarek Morgen
China to Philippines: Quit Scarborough Shoal | Inquirer Global Nation
China has asked all Philippine vessels to leave immediately Panatag Shoal and sent a second aircraft buzzing over the area to scare away Filipino fishermen, officials said Tuesday.
On Monday night, the Chinese Embassy in Manila insisted that Panatag, which it calls Huangyan Island and which is internationally known as Scarborough Shoal, belongs to Beijing.
“As of now we still have a standoff because we are told to leave but we won’t leave, and we tell them to leave but they don’t want to leave,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said. He admitted the presence of the Chinese ships was affecting activities of Filipino fishermen.
It's not just about fish. Scarborough Shoal, just like other contested territories, are believed to hold vast amounts of natural gas beneath the sea. Make that "known to hold vast amounts," judging by China's actions. China was allowed by Pres. Gloria Arroyo (Aquino's predecessor) to do a near-complete maritime survey, of which the Philippines participated in some parts. And since the Malampaya gas fields off the coast of Palawan (western Philippines) are estimated to hold less than 20 years' worth of gas reserves, Scarborough being the next nearest major deposit is of course of strategic interest to the Philippines.
If one observes media editorials and reader comments on news sites, one recurring sentiment of Filipinos is that had the Philippines not kicked out the US bases in 1990, China would not be so aggressive in its territorial claims. That point is debatable, as the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo buried Pampanga, where the Clark Air Base was located, under several feet of ash and other pyroclastic material, which hardened like cement. Hurray for China's soft power push, it seems to be shooting itself in the foot for short-term strategic gain.
Editorial from Global Times worth a good laugh or two...
http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid...China-Sea.aspx
DFA exec: Phl can compel China to accept int'l arbitration - The Philippine Star » News » Headlines
I am not well versed in UNCLOS or ITLOS or however many of these acronyms have to do with maritime law and territorial law but, actual enforcement aside, could the Philippines bring the case forward and see a court decision made without China's consent?
Would a shoal be considered under the jurisdiction of territorial or maritime law?
The reason I ask this is because on another forum i've seen a poster refer to the shoals as not being covered under maritime law.
I am aware that the answer to the first question might render the answer to the second question redundant, but I feel like I should specify that as well.
see Argentina, this is how you kick people off islands you want for resources
On a related note, how come the Philippine navy lack any significant anit-ship missile capability?
On their largest few classes of vessels, from coast guard cutters, to corvettes, they lack any significant missile capability. Its all guns.
$$$$$On a related note, how come the Philippine navy lack any significant anit-ship missile capability?
That's what the ships came with.On their largest few classes of vessels, from coast guard cutters, to corvettes, they lack any significant missile capability. Its all guns.
To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway
I'd say more than a money issue, its an issue of national priorities. The Philippines has a larger GDP than Vietnam, yet the Vietnamese prioritize defense and it shows. I have some sympathy when they plead that they have been preoccupied with internal insurgencies and that they have a history of coups, but seriously, the Philippines have dropped the ball in a major way when it comes to external defense.
Last edited by HKDan; 02 May 12, at 03:56.
I doubt the U.S. would get involved. We avoided the Spratley's like the plague. With all the Freedom of Navigation we did, we steered wide and clear.
That's because for decades, the Philippines was preoccupied with fighting off Communist New People's Army insurgents and Islamic separatists. The Phil. Army, focused on fighting local insurgents, is much bigger at about 80,000 men than the navy, which has 26,000 men thereabouts. The country doesn't share land borders with any other country, and these maritime disputes only started gaining front-page attention relatively lately, hence the skimping on naval defense. Add to that the corruption in Philippine military ranks (the US has donated about $500 million in military aid since 2000), and you get the idea why we're the lousiest defense force in SE Asia.
It is not uncommon to hear Phil. military commanders selling guns and ammo to the other side--both to the NPA insurgents and Moro Islamic separatists, to keep the fight--and the military aid--going. Kinda like the symbiosis between the Pakistani military and al-Qaeda.
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