Hafizzz
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2010
- Messages
- 5,041
- Reaction score
- 0
U.S. and Philippines test China's military nerves
U.S. and Philippines test China"s military nerves: Voice of Russia
The U.S and the Philippines are carrying out large scale military exercises near the Spratly Islands in South China sea, which are reported to be an energy trove. Washington and Manila say that the exercises do not pose a threat to Beijing. The ownership of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and even Taiwan.
The U.S and the Philippines agreed to carry out the exercises towards the end of June immediately after the escalation between Beijing and Manila in the region of the Spratlys. The Philippine navy deliberately removed some Chinese installations in the disputed region, declaring a readiness to robustly defend the region. Beijing responded by staging large scale military exercises, speaking about plans to increase the number of patrol boats in the disputed archipelago. The situation in the area has worsened significantly in recent years, says Vladimir Portakov, deputy Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute for the Far East:
The escalation is due to two factors. The first is the expiration of the UN moratorium on the submission of ownership claims over the shelf adjacent to the islands. The second factor is the discovery of huge reserves of gas and oil in the region. That is why the situation has worsened and why the Philippines and Vietnam have stepped up their activities. In May this year, Chinese fishing trawlers and geology research vessels were hounded out of the area. Vietnam and the U.S. have used the opportunity to strengthen their position in the region. Some countries, among them the Philippines have started to use their connection with the U.S to push their ownership claims over the disputed islands. The joint training exercises by the U.S and the Philippines should be seen in this context, Vladimir Portakov said.
The U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has blessed the exercises, speaking of Americas unqualified support of the Philippines in the ownership dispute with China. Alexei Maslov of the Higher School of Economy looks at another vital feature of the joint military exercises:
"The U.S is rapidly losing its influence in South East Asia, and is trying to keep the status quo not through diplomacy, but with the flexing of military muscles. The exercises are designed to prevent a likely Chinese invasion of the disputed territory. Of course, Beijing has no such intentions, but it is important for America to show that it still has allies in the area. Chinas reaction will be extremely negative. Beijing usually defends its territories very robustly, and will do the same over the disputed Spratly archipelago."
The Philippines remains, in essence, the only real ally of the U.S in South East Asia, but it is taking a great risk by teaming up with America to conduct military exercises, which are obviously meant to annoy Beijing. Manila wants to show that it is not a lapdog of China, that it pursues independent policy in South Easth Asia.
Check out how "tough" the Filipinos are :
No PHL apology necessary for incident with Chinese ship
DFA: No PHL apology necessary for incident with Chinese ship - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said there is no need for the Philippine government to issue an apology for the Navy's accidental ramming of a Chinese vessel earlier this week.
No apologies were necessary and none was given," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in an interview on Thursday.
He issued the statement after the Department of National Defense said that Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexandar Pama immediately ordered the Navy to send an apology to the Chinese Embassy after it accidentally rammed a Chinese vessel which was towing smaller boats off Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on Tuesday morning.
"I think there was already an apology to the Chinese Embassy here in Manila. It's in the form of incident information to the Chinese Embassy here. At the same time, we are saying that the damage is not intentional. The minor incident was unfortunate, that was a result of unforeseen circumstances," said Defense spokesman Zosimo Paredes.
Secretary del Rosario also said there was no need for the apology because it was the Chinese vessel that veered into Philippine territory.
As I understand it, there was a Chinese fishing vessel towing 35 unmanned dinghies that strayed in our waters," he said.
No casualties
Earlier, Paredes explained the Navy ship BRP Rizal was patrolling Reed Bank when it spotted a Chinese fishing vessel Tuesday morning suspected of poaching.
He said BRP Rizal encountered a problem with its steering mechanism and got entangled with one of the small boats, which then resulted in the accidental ramming.
Paredes said there were no casualties.
The disposition of the small boats left will be in accordance with a legal process," said del Rosario.
The Philippine government has maintained that the Reed Bank is part of the Kalayaan municipality in western Palawan, the territory within the Spratly Islands claimed by the country.
The Reed Bank is about 80 nautical miles west of southwestern Palawan province and is within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, according to the DFA.
Both China and the Philippines are claimants to the disputed Spratlys, a chain of islands and islets believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits. Also laying claim to the Sprtalys in part or as a whole are Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.
Also a Filipino killed many Chinese tourists in the Philippines :
BBC News - Hong Kong falls silent for Manila victims
People gathered on Hong Kong's waterfront to honour the eight killed in the hijack
People across Hong Kong have observed three minutes' silence for the eight tourists killed in a bus hijack in the Philippines on Monday.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang led a sombre mourning service on Hong Kong's waterfront as flags flew at half mast.
Emotions are running high in Hong Kong after coffins bearing the victims of the siege arrived home.
Philippine police have admitted to poor handling of the siege and several officers have been removed from duty.
But Hong Kong residents remain angry at what they see as the incompetence of the Philippine authorities.
"There's no way that we can participate in the investigation of the event," Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee said, ahead of a debate by Hong Kong legislators later on Thursday.
"But we will urge the Philippine authorities to conduct a thorough, just and transparent investigation and we want the report to be ready as soon as possible."
Hong Kong people have criticised the Philippines police for failing to respond quickly or effectively enough after the bus was hijacked by an armed former police officer who wanted his job back.
In scores of blogs, protest letters and talk shows they have puzzled over how a tour could have gone so badly wrong
Some comments have become inflammatory, attacking any Filipinos, but the overall mood is grief; many of Hong Kong's 200,000 Filipino residents have also attended mourning services.
Human shield
Thursday's service followed a ceremony held at Hong Kong's International Airport when the bodies were returned.
The BBC's Hong Kong correspondent Annemarie Evans said relatives of those who died were overcome.
As bagpipes played, the mother of one of the victims, Hong Kong tour guide Masa Tse, laid a wreath and then hugged his coffin.
Mr Tse, who was 31 years old and wanted to be a yoga teacher, had made a quick call to his tour agency Hong Thai Travel on his mobile phone from the back of the hijacked tour bus on Monday.
He was then used as a human shield by the hijacker at the front door of the bus and was later shot dead.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Philippine police said that four officers who led the assault on the bus had been suspended pending an investigation.
Manila police chief Rodolfo Magtibay has also said he will take a leave of absence.
And yet the Chinese people continue to hire as many Filipino maids as possible and about to give them permanent resident status.
Is China still living with the tag "Sick man of Asia" around her neck ???????
I feel sad for the Chinese people who are still bullied by small countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan or large countries such as India , Japan, Europe etc etc....
