South China/West Philippine Sea

[Larry]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/01/china-ships-enter-waters-off-disputed-islands-201411275619353616.html

 

China ships enter waters off disputed islands

Japanese defence minister says country cannot overlook "repeated incursions" by Chinese vessels into disputed waters.

 

Japan's defence minister has vowed to defend the country's territory after three Chinese government ships entered disputed waters off Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea.

 

The Chinese coastguard vessels sailed at about 8:30am local time on Sunday (23:30 GMT on Saturday) into territorial waters off one of the Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus, Japan's coastguard said.

 

The ships left less than two hours later.

 

"We can never overlook repeated incursions into territorial waters," Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters.

"We need to make diplomatic efforts on one hand. We also want to firmly defend our country's territorial sea and land with the self-defence forces cooperating with the coastguard," he said.

 

Chinese state-owned ships and aircraft approach the disputed islands from time to time in an effort to demonstrate Beijing's territorial claims, especially after Japan nationalised some of the islands in September 2012.

 

Sunday marked the first time Chinese ships were spotted there since December 29, when three coastguard ships entered the zone and stayed for about three hours, Japanese officials said.

 

Japanese coastguard patrol boats have tried to chase Chinese vessels away, fuelling tensions that some fear could spiral into an armed clash. Japan's conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed no compromise on the sovereignty of the islands and recently announced a boost in military spending.

 

Tensions were heightened in recent months after Beijing announced an air defence identification zone covering a large swathe of the East China Sea, including the disputed islands.

 

----

 

well looks like China is an equal opportunity bully.

 

They're doing to Japan what they did to us in the Scarborough shoal. I won't be surprised if they erect structures off that rock in the near future.

 

Let's see what Japan does, and if they have a bite to go along with that bark

[tk421]

Isn't it strategically unsound to open up multiple fronts? What if West and South China Sea tensions blow up all at the same time? How would China defend against that? Then they also have their own internal problem in the East.

[Larry]

well they're technically not engaging yet, more of a feeling out phase for them.

 

it looks like they have a deadline where they have to square up their new settlements by such and such date. I'm not sure when that is though, or if it's a deadline for what.

[dos8dos]

Japan holds military drill as S. China Sea islands dispute widens

 

http://rt.com/files/news/21/cf/b0/00/2.jpg

Edited January 13, 2014 by dos8dos

[Bugatti Veyron]

http://www.aljazeera...5619353616.html

 

China ships enter waters off disputed islands

Japanese defence minister says country cannot overlook "repeated incursions" by Chinese vessels into disputed waters.

 

Japan's defence minister has vowed to defend the country's territory after three Chinese government ships entered disputed waters off Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea.

 

The Chinese coastguard vessels sailed at about 8:30am local time on Sunday (23:30 GMT on Saturday) into territorial waters off one of the Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus, Japan's coastguard said.

 

The ships left less than two hours later.

 

"We can never overlook repeated incursions into territorial waters," Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters.

"We need to make diplomatic efforts on one hand. We also want to firmly defend our country's territorial sea and land with the self-defence forces cooperating with the coastguard," he said.

 

Chinese state-owned ships and aircraft approach the disputed islands from time to time in an effort to demonstrate Beijing's territorial claims, especially after Japan nationalised some of the islands in September 2012.

 

Sunday marked the first time Chinese ships were spotted there since December 29, when three coastguard ships entered the zone and stayed for about three hours, Japanese officials said.

 

Japanese coastguard patrol boats have tried to chase Chinese vessels away, fuelling tensions that some fear could spiral into an armed clash. Japan's conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed no compromise on the sovereignty of the islands and recently announced a boost in military spending.

 

Tensions were heightened in recent months after Beijing announced an air defence identification zone covering a large swathe of the East China Sea, including the disputed islands.

 

----

 

well looks like China is an equal opportunity bully.

 

They're doing to Japan what they did to us in the Scarborough shoal. I won't be surprised if they erect structures off that rock in the near future.

 

Let's see what Japan does, and if they have a bite to go along with that bark

And to think Japan was the big bully about 70 years ago. China (especially Nanjing) was brutalized by the Japanese back then.

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

And to think Japan was the big bully about 70 years ago. China (especially Nanjing) was brutalized by the Japanese back then.

 

 

And this makes me think, who will the bully be 70 years from now?

[Larry]

And this makes me think, who will the bully be 70 years from now?

 

 

well we all know the answer to that.

 

China Set to Seize South China Sea Island by Force

 

Beijing claims island “illegally occupied” by the Philippines

 

Reports out of Chinese state media indicate that Beijing is set to invade an island in the South China Sea “illegally occupied” by US ally the Philippines, stoking concerns that the tension filled region could explode.

 

Relying on US support, the Philippines is so arrogant as to announce in the New Year that it will increase its navy and air force deployment at Zhongye Island, a Chinese island that it has illegally occupied for years.

 

It will be an intolerable insult to China

 

According to experts, the Chinese navy has drawn a detailed combat plan to seize the island and the battle will be restricted within the South China Sea.

 

The report goes on to state that the “battle” will not include a Chinese invasion of Filipino territories, although the Philippines will undoubtedly view Beijing’s attack on Zhongye Island as precisely that since it has been occupied by Filipino troops for over 40 years.

 

“Of course, claims that “battle will be restricted” are nothing but taunting and should China launch an offensive here, we suspect the already dry and brittle tinder box in the South (and East) China Sea could rapidly escalate,” reports Zero Hedge.

 

 

The report arrives hot on the heels of Japan’s announcement that it will “nationalize” around 280 islands in the disputed region, the latest shot across the bow in a tit-for-tat build up that experts have warned heralds the beginning of a new cold war.

 

China’s latest act of aggression arrives after months of military posturing and bellicose rhetoric.

 

In October, China sent a surveillance ship to Hawaiian waters for the very first time in an unprecedented move which was described as a provocative retaliation to the U.S. naval presence in the East China Sea.

 

A lengthy editorial which appeared in Chinese state media last month explained how the Chinese military’s current reformation process was part of a move by President Xi Jinping to prepare the People’s Liberation Army for war in response to US aggression in the Asia Pacific, developments which have prompted “major changes” in China’s national security situation.

 

Strident rhetoric about Beijing’s ability to attack US military bases in the Western Pacific, as well as the release of a map showing the locations of major U.S. cities and how they would be impacted by a nuclear strike launched from the PLA’s strategic submarine force also turned heads.

 

Following discussion in state media about plans to to turn the moon into a Star Wars-style “death star” from which the PLA could launch missiles against any target on Earth, a display to promote China’s Jade Rabbit Moon rover also included a background photograph of a mushroom cloud over Europe.

 

http://www.infowars.com/china-set-to-seize-south-china-sea-island-by-force/ sourced directly from Source: qianzhan.com “Sudden major move of Chinese troops this year to recover Zhongye Island by force

[Ryuji_tanaka]

This is very bothering:

 

Japan Plans To "Nationalize" 280 More "Ownership-Unknown" Islands

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-08/japan-plans-nationalize-280-more-ownership-unknown-islands

 

 

China Plans To Seize South China Sea Island From Philippines, Says "Battle Will Be Restricted"

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-12/china-plans-seize-south-china-sea-island-philippines-says-battle-will-be-restricted

 

Why is this not being picked up by the Phillipine media? Pag nagkaroon ng invasion ng China sa Spratlys or a Japan-China war, maiipit tayo.

[Larry]

This is very bothering:

 

Japan Plans To "Nationalize" 280 More "Ownership-Unknown" Islands

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-08/japan-plans-nationalize-280-more-ownership-unknown-islands

 

 

China Plans To Seize South China Sea Island From Philippines, Says "Battle Will Be Restricted"

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-12/china-plans-seize-south-china-sea-island-philippines-says-battle-will-be-restricted

 

Why is this not being picked up by the Phillipine media? Pag nagkaroon ng invasion ng China sa Spratlys or a Japan-China war, maiipit tayo.

 

philstar ran an article on this just the other day

[Larry]

MDT or not

 

The US will spring to action should sh1t hit the fan.

 

It can't risk a huge shift in power in the region.

 

But make no mistake, they won't do it for the safety of the Philippines.

[tk421]

In my opinion and to answer your question, yes it is. I mean after all, there is a strong historical tie between RP and the US. If worse comes to worst, RP can always invoke the MDT and the US will enforce it.

 

 

What is the American concept of "face"?

 

MDT doesn't cover disputed territories, I think.

 

Call me pessimistic, but based on past actions, the Philippine government nor the international community won't be able to do anything about this if China does take Pag-asa by force.

 

The most likely scenario would be that China will surround the Pag-Asa island, land heavily armed troops there and our forces would... surrender peacefully.

 

All these will happen before we can send our reinforcements through. But they would have set up a blockage even before the main invasion.

 

Again, I would be extremely happy to be proven wrong.

 

If we're really serious about defending our claims there. It should be right now. But sadly, that is not happening. We're much more interested with Kris Aquino being 'celibate' (BS, btw).

[dungeonbaby]

In my opinion and to answer your question, yes it is. I mean after all, there is a strong historical tie between RP and the US. If worse comes to worst, RP will invoke it and the US will enforce it.

 

 

What is the American concept of "face"?

 

at the moment, America is weakened and is generally seen to have lost face in the world, its own citizens saying the same in surveys, its frenemies flouting red lines, sanctions, and whatnot.

 

is its decreased standing enough to completely wipe out its belief in american exceptionalism? probably not. the US will likely come to our aid, as it has done in the past. but it'll need a good old moral imperative to take up the cudgels for us, such as China behaving really, really badly.

 

China's smart enough to know not to do anything so drastic it'll be indefensible. so it'll creep up on us, get us used to relinquishing control over our own islands, our own waters. next thing you know, when we take a dip in the Lingayen Gulf, we'll be illegally entering Chinese territory.

[fatchubs]

The Philippines can't handle China one on one. We can always invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty. When push comes to shove, the US will always come to the aid of its former colony. Of course, this is my opinion.

 

Its like little bro taking on a fight with someone and when its time to rumble he suddenly calls big bro for resbak

 

IMHO the US will always look at its interest first before anything else in making a decision. That will decide the kind of "aid" we are to receive.

 

US aid / support may not come in the form of being there physically with us in case of war ...

[Larry]

what I really want to find out, is the end game to all of this.

 

what does china look to achieve, they're doing fine without these islands, and it doesn't seem worth it to me to test the resolve of the US by continuously pushing its buttons.

 

I mean they know an all out war with the US is a conflict they can't hope to win, not at this time at least, so why keep playing with the tiger's tail? and very aggressively at that.

[dos8dos]

^in case people here havent noticed a new cold war is happening in our midst

 

china is egaging USA in shadow boxing by directly engaging its neighbors in asserting its interest in the region. people expect america will automatically engage china in behalf of its allies is totally a defunct presumption

Edited January 15, 2014 by dos8dos