The shoal sits about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines' main island of Luzon. The nearest major Chinese landmass is 1,200 kilometres northwest of the shoal, according to Filipino navy maps.
But China claims virtually all of the South China Sea as its territory, even waters close to the coasts of the Philippines and other Asian countries.
Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia also claim parts of the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas resources. The rival claims have for decades made the waters one of Asia's potential military flashpoints.
The Philippines, which admits to having an extremely weak military, has repeatedly said it wants to solve the stand-off over the shoal through diplomatic means.
But it has also said it secured a pledge from the United States, its main military ally, to protect the Philippines from attacks in the South China Sea.
With Obama in the White House and the Democraps controlling the Senate that pledge is not worth the breath Obama used to utter the words.
It is not good be a potential enemy of the USA. But to be a stated friend and ally dependent upon the America’s word for assistance when international power plays are being made, can be truly dangerous.
It is not good be a potential enemy of the USA. But to be a stated friend and ally dependent upon America’s word for assistance when international power plays are being made can be truly dangerous.
Add South Korea, which has a plurality of Christians though not an absolute majority, and we agree.
I agree with others on this thread that this may be a case of “let's see how far we can push things” with an eventual goal of forcing Taiwan into submission, but the issue of oil and natural gas fields could be enough to prompt action against the Philippines entirely on its own.
We will not go to war over the Phillipines.
Heck, we won’t go to war over Hawaii right now.
They, and all of Asia, are on their own. Sadly.