Posted on 07/02/2020 9:55:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has recently suspended a decision that was described by analysts as one of the geopolitical shocks of the decade.
In February, the President announced he would rip up the long-standing Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, which operationalises the two countries' Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT), signed in 1951.
The MDT is similar to Australia's ANZUS security pact with the US — also signed in 1951 — as an attack in the Pacific threatening either party's "territorial integrity, political independence, or security" will automatically trigger a consultation process between Manila and Washington.
The cancellation of the VFA, signed between the two countries in 1998, means the MDT is effectively nullified, as American troops and military hardware wouldn't be allowed on, or to pass through, Philippine territory and waters.
By early June, however, Mr Duterte surprised members of his own administration when he suspended his decision to cancel the VFA.
"We had until early August to finalise the [termination], so we were all waiting for a plot twist," Richard Heydarian, a Filipino writer and analyst in South-East Asian politics, told the ABC.
The twist came on June 1 when a Government statement said the cancellation of the VFA would be suspended for six months and offered the US another six-month extension from January 1, 2021 without elaboration.
The Philippine-American military alliance is one of the oldest in the Asia-Pacific region, which has its origins in America's annexation of the Philippines in 1898 following US victory in the Spanish-American War.
After independence in 1946, Manila continued its close security relationship with Washington, with American bases in the Philippines remaining active until the early 1990s.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc.net.au ...
Looks like even Vietnam is anxious for us to help them.
The title of the article asks — WHY?
It gives it answer which can be summarized with one word -— CHINA
In recent months, China’s neighbours and the US have argued that Beijing has sped up its militarisation of the South China Sea, which has included regularly flying fighter patrols over the disputed waters, and sending Chinese Coast Guard vessels into the area.
In April, the Chinese Navy also sailed a battle group, led by the country’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, past Taiwan’s east coast.
China claims sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea — the area is marked by a ‘nine-dash line’ which cuts through a swathe of its neighbours’ territorial claims.
The title of the article asks — WHY?
It gives it answer which can be summarized with one word -— CHINA
In recent months, China’s neighbours and the US have argued that Beijing has sped up its militarisation of the South China Sea, which has included regularly flying fighter patrols over the disputed waters, and sending Chinese Coast Guard vessels into the area.
In April, the Chinese Navy also sailed a battle group, led by the country’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, past Taiwan’s east coast.
China claims sovereignty over the majority of the South China Sea — the area is marked by a ‘nine-dash line’ which cuts through a swathe of its neighbours’ territorial claims.
Covid and the BLM (ie international communist) unrest were unleashed on the West to pre-occupy us while they consolidate the Pacific. Their fingerprints appear to be all over this. Too bad the intel communities are too busy trying to dig up dirt on POTUS to investigate
Now he's decided he'd rather not learn to speak Chinese.
Ho Chi Minh said it best in the past that he was rather eat French shit for 5 more years than Chinese shit for 100 years.
I guess he thought Trump was a Dem - and would offer $$$ for the US to stay there.
Turns out, the cat made a bad bet. And with the PLA-Nary prowling around the back yard, I think he wants back under our umbrella.
I would support Trump if he told the little jerk to pound sand...The PI needs us (US) a hellva lot more than we need them...
LOL, I just used that quote in another related thread. And it’s true, no love lost between the two countries, they had a brief war in 1979.
What’s interesting is that modern-day Vietnam still commemortates defeating the French, but there’s relatively little mention of the war against the Americans, and from what I understand Vietnamese are very friendly towards Americans.
china.
LOL.....that’s about it in a nutshell!
Except for Mail Order Brides
Only Duterte loves Winnie Xi Pooh. The Filipino people absolutely hate Chekwa. Maybe jetski Duterte doesn’t want another EDSA. The Chicom ramming and sinking of yet another Filipino fishing boat right off the coast of Palawan didn’t play well in the remaining uncensored Filipino news outlets.
If LBJ and the deep state hadn’t created Gulf of Tonkin episode, the Viets might stood against the Chi-Coms with us.
Problem is, Ho Chi Minh was always a Soviet agent loyal to Moscow, it was right in the middle of the Sino-Soviet split.
Duterte has problems of his own domestically, saying he botched Covid.
Duterte loves China
China’s very busy lining up their own successors to Duterte for 2022 election and he knows it. Plus all China’s behavior in the South China Seas has Duterte re-thinking as well. Additionally the UN courts are hot on his heels for how he’s handling the drug use and trafficking in his country.
There are no friends, only interests.
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