Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Philippine MPs visit Spratlys amid China warnings
The United States has risen to the defence of its ally Manila, pledging help to modernise its navy, and calling on China to help lower the temperature in the region. The United States has defence pacts with Taiwan and the Philippines and says it has a “national interest” in the free movement of shipping.
Five members of parliament, joined by a small party of soldiers, local officials and journalists, arrived on Thitu island aboard two private planes, and raised two Philippine flags above a government building. Legislator Walden Bello said the delegation came to promote a peaceful solution to the territorial dispute, but stressed that Filipinos who know the island as "Pag-asa" are ready to defend Philippine territory. "We come in peace, we support a diplomatic solution. But let there be no doubt in anybody's mind, in any foreign powers' mind, that if they dare to eject us from Pag-asa... Filipinos will not take that sitting down," he said. "Filipinos are born to resist aggression. Filipinos are willing to die for their soil."
Chinese forces have allegedly opened fire on Filipino fishermen, shadowed an oil exploration vessel employed by a Philippine firm and put up structures in areas claimed by the Philippines.
IMO: Not a nice situation. Maybe Obama and the "Tea Party" wimps will eventually just let China take Hawaii next. Firm action should be taken by the US to defend their ally the Phillipines. I really cannot see all that much relevance in the fact that a lot of US consumers have got hooked on cheap Chinese goods and made some paltry differences to the balance of trade. China is heading for yet more Japan-tsunami type annoyances and is likely to either destroy the remaining rights of many of its own people, and/or beg the USA for help. Russia had bad harvests for years and the US did help out, China is now too fat, greedy and selfish for its own good or anyone else's. Obviously Russia was much like the US anyway and that is why it got support. Is China like the US ? I think not.
Five members of parliament, joined by a small party of soldiers, local officials and journalists, arrived on Thitu island aboard two private planes, and raised two Philippine flags above a government building. Legislator Walden Bello said the delegation came to promote a peaceful solution to the territorial dispute, but stressed that Filipinos who know the island as "Pag-asa" are ready to defend Philippine territory. "We come in peace, we support a diplomatic solution. But let there be no doubt in anybody's mind, in any foreign powers' mind, that if they dare to eject us from Pag-asa... Filipinos will not take that sitting down," he said. "Filipinos are born to resist aggression. Filipinos are willing to die for their soil."
Chinese forces have allegedly opened fire on Filipino fishermen, shadowed an oil exploration vessel employed by a Philippine firm and put up structures in areas claimed by the Philippines.
IMO: Not a nice situation. Maybe Obama and the "Tea Party" wimps will eventually just let China take Hawaii next. Firm action should be taken by the US to defend their ally the Phillipines. I really cannot see all that much relevance in the fact that a lot of US consumers have got hooked on cheap Chinese goods and made some paltry differences to the balance of trade. China is heading for yet more Japan-tsunami type annoyances and is likely to either destroy the remaining rights of many of its own people, and/or beg the USA for help. Russia had bad harvests for years and the US did help out, China is now too fat, greedy and selfish for its own good or anyone else's. Obviously Russia was much like the US anyway and that is why it got support. Is China like the US ? I think not.
# posted by uv : 1:37 AM
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