This is all very alarming. It appears Filipino irredentism is the spark that could trigger an all-out SEA war. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail, although given how hysterical, emotional, irrational Filipinos are, we cannot expect too much.
Do you know whether under international law, if modern China is the legal succesor to the Ming and Qing dynasties? The Qing was recognized in the international system and existed while international law was developed. The Republic of China was recognized as the legal succesor to the Qing, the Qing government signed instrument of abdication handing over the entire state legally to the Republic of China government, then the current government of China is the succesor to the Republic of China. And the Qing was the legal succesor to the Ming.
The Moro Sulu Sultanate was a protectorate of the Ming and Qing dynaties. That means China was obligated to defend the Sulu Sultanate from foreign invasion. China fought Japan when they invaded Korea when it was a protectorate and fought France when they invaded Vietnam, also a protectorate. But the American violation of the Bates Treaty and invasion of the Sultanate in the Moro rebellion happened right after the Boxer Rebellion in China, and China could not send any forces to Mindanao to fight the Americans. China didn't have the navy or transport ships and most of the southern viceroys didn't listen to the central government. That is why it was mostly private Chinese citizens who provided the Sulu Sultanate with guns and ammunition in the 19th century when Sulu was fighting the Spanish invasion.
The Americans violated the Bates Treaty and launched an illegal invasion of the Sultanates on Sulu and Maguindanao. There was clear international law at the time and also the Bates Treaty itself which the Americans broke, which guaranteed the sovereignty of the Sultanates. The Sultanate of Sulu was a state recognized by all the major world powers in the 19th century. The Philippines current annexation of the Moro territories and incorporation of the Moro lands into the Philippines is based on a violated treaty, and an illegal invasion in which the Americans committed war crimes and massacres upon the Moros.
If China is the legal succesor of the Qing dynasty, then it can challenge the Philippines occupation of the former territories of the Sulu Sultanate on the grounds that it was a protectorate of China and the Philippines is the invading and conquering power based on an illegal annexation without the consent of the Sultanate. Many war crimes like the killing of tens of thousands of civilians during the burning of Jolo were committed by Marcos against the Moros during his Presidency.
Remember the fuss over that Global Times article about China potentially challenging Japan's sovereignty over Okinawa, which used to be the Ryukyu Kingdom and also a protectorate of China before the Japanese invasion and annexation? Why just Okinawa, why not Sulu?
The Sulu Sultan claimaint Jamalul Kiram III is an ally of Nur Misuari's MNLF faction. Misuari's MNLF recognizes the Spratlys as Chinese territory and warned that they would oppose the Philippines if there was a war between China and the Philippines.
