Philippines eyes greater US military presence

SajeevJino

Long walk
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
Messages
6,017
Likes
3,364
Country flag
Philippines eyes greater US military presence


US and Philippine officials will meet this week to discuss expanding American presence in the Asian nation, a senior diplomat said, amid tensions with China over its claims to vast waters in the region.





The meetings in Manila on Tuesday and Wednesday will have a special focus on defence and regional matters, Philippine Assistant Secretary for US affairs Carlos Sorreta told reporters.

"Foremost in the agenda is the increased rotational presence" of US forces in the Philippines, he said Monday.

This refers to US troops and ships passing through the country for training or exercises, circumventing a constitutional ban on foreign bases in the Philippines.

He said the meetings with US assistant secretaries for defence and state was not about the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.

But he said "as public officials answerable to their people and their security, its very difficult not to discuss the West Philippine Sea," using Manila's term for the South China Sea.

The two countries' officials will discuss boosting the number of visits of American troops, ships and aircraft while increasing US defence aid to the poorly-equipped Philippine military, Sorreta said.

The discussions will also look at more training for Filipino troops and increased help in humanitarian and disaster relief.

A rotating force of 600 US Special Forces has been stationed in the southern Philippines since 2002 to help train local troops in how to combat Islamic militants.

The Philippines has sought to boost its ties with the United States in recent years following increasing aggressiveness by China in claiming virtually the entire South China Sea, even up to the coasts of its neighbours.

In October, a Philippine official said a former US naval base in this country, facing the South China Sea could play a key role as a hub for American ships as Washington moves to strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific.

Tensions with China have increased since April following a standoff between Philippine and Chinese ships over South China Sea shoal which both claim as their territory.

Sorreta said China should not be alarmed by the effort to improve Philippine-US ties.
But, he stressed, "with our without the Americans, we will take our stand".

Philippines eyes greater US military presence
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
China with her belligerency is isolating herself.

It will only make the US presence in the area more aggressive and that would do neither China nor those of the region any good.

It appears that the US is slow pedaling, one wonders if it is a clever ruse to make China bolder in its belligerency whereby the US become the 'saviour' and then rules the waves, which they, in any case do, but in this case, it would be more visible and aggressive!

Almost as a slap to tell China to stuff the dots and dashes that China has conjured to indicate what China owns, up where China wants.

The situation is not very conducive to peace and China is responsible to upgrading the tensions without any strength behind its claims.
 
Last edited:

Virendra

Ambassador
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
4,697
Likes
3,041
Country flag
Furthermore Huangyan will be built into Diego Garcia on SCS to keep PH+JP from any adventure.
Sorry I don't folllow you.
Huangyan is not a wedge island sitting between Philippines and Japan. It is a district inside the East China coast. What unique advantage does China expect from militarising Huangyan?
 

amoy

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
5,982
Likes
1,849
Sorry I don't folllow you.
Huangyan is not a wedge island sitting between Philippines and Japan. It is a district inside the East China coast. What unique advantage does China expect from militarising Huangyan?
ah, U must have mixed up Diaoyu (meaning Phishing) and Huangyan (Yellow Rock).

Below is a comparison btwn Huangyan and Diego Garcia

Huangyan


a triangle-shaped chain of reefs and rocks or very small islands 55 kilometres (34 mi) in circumference with a total area including shallow water areas of 150 square kilometers. The shoal encompasses a shallow lagoon measuring 130 km² and approximately 15 metres (49 ft) deep. The shoal is a protrusion from a 3,500 m deep abyssal plain. Several of the rocks or small islands including "South Rock" are 1/2 m to 3 m high, and many of the reefs are just below water at high tide. To the east of the shoal is the 5,000 - 6,000 meter deep Manila Trench.
Now the lagoon has been blocked by Chinese from access



Diego Garcia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


being an atoll occupying approximately 174 square kilometres (67 sq mi), of which 27.19 square kilometres (10 sq mi) is dry land.[64] The continuous portion of the atoll rim stretches 40 miles (64 km) from one end to the other, enclosing a lagoon 13 miles (21 km) long and up to 7 miles (11 km) wide, with a 4 miles (6 km) pass opening at the north. There are three small islands located in the pass.[65]
 

Oblaks

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
Messages
372
Likes
123
Last edited:

Oblaks

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
Messages
372
Likes
123
China's Foreign Ministry will issue another statement condemning Philippines' provocative mischief and it's futile for PH and Japan to cozy up.



Furthermore Huangyan will be built into Diego Garcia on SCS to keep PH+JP from any adventure.
Diego garcia is an island.. goodluck on your plans. Send me a postcard.
 

amoy

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
5,982
Likes
1,849
I guess only old people in the Philippines remember the Japanese when they were armed.
really terrible after a search
In Southeast Asia, the Manila massacre resulted in the death of 100,000 civilians in the Philippines. It is estimated that at least one out of every 20 Filipinos died at the hand of the Japanese during the occupation.[39][40]
And Japanese followed no war rules at all. They even killed Chinese diplomats in Manila :shocked:

Vice Consul Mok | Inquirer Opinion
Vice Consul Mok and the other members of the consulate staff were first detained in the house of the UP president, where they could still receive visitors. Uncle Fred was only 12 then, but he remembers his father's stories about resisting offers of freedom in exchange for an endorsement of the Japanese occupation. Mok quoted the American patriot Patrick Henry about having only one regret, which was to have only one life to offer for his country.

The Japanese transferred the Chinese consulate staff to Fort Santiago, which was notorious for the torture of prisoners. And then the staff disappeared. Uncle Fred's mother, like many other Chinese, supported the anti-Japanese guerrillas all throughout the war, hoping that her husband was still alive, perhaps in the underground. Alas, as the war came to an end, she learned that he was executed together with the other members of the consulate staff in April 1942.
 

asianobserve

Tihar Jail
Banned
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
12,846
Likes
8,556
Country flag
By the time the Japanese were driven out, the city was in ruins, becoming the second most destroyed Allied capital city during the war, the first being Warsaw in Poland. Manila massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




The willingness of the Philippines to officially endorse the remilitarization of Japan only means 1 thing: the danger of the current China far outweighs any historical barbarity of the Japanese...
 

W.G.Ewald

Defence Professionals/ DFI member of 2
Professional
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
14,139
Likes
8,594
By the time the Japanese were driven out, the city was in ruins, becoming the second most destroyed Allied capital city during the war, the first being Warsaw in Poland. Manila massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




The willingness of the Philippines to officially endorse the remilitarization of Japan only means 1 thing: the danger of the current China far outweighs any historical barbarity of the Japanese...
No, it means people do not remember history.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -- George Santayana

If I am not mistaken, the victims of historical Chinese barbarity have been Chinese.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sob

W.G.Ewald

Defence Professionals/ DFI member of 2
Professional
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
14,139
Likes
8,594
And Japanese followed no war rules at all. They even killed Chinese diplomats in Manila
Bill Clinton killed Chinese diplomats in Belgrade.
 

asianobserve

Tihar Jail
Banned
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
12,846
Likes
8,556
Country flag
No, it means people do not remember history.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -- George Santayana
Not means people decide based on current exigencies.


If I am not mistaken, the victims of historical Chinese barbarity have been Chinese.
The Vietnamese would be the right people to address this...
 

Zero_Wing

Regular Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
386
Likes
67
China's Foreign Ministry will issue another statement condemning Philippines' provocative mischief and it's futile for PH and Japan to cozy up.



Furthermore Huangyan will be built into Diego Garcia on SCS to keep PH+JP from any adventure.
Lair one it is you who are going around claiming islands and areas that dont belong to china this claim is noting more than a threat to world peace and you telling us a country who has no history of invading other people who as a very small fleets of old ship and 10 flying airforce trying to defend its self provocation? really how stupid can one country be well in case no one believes you people anyway expect your client states and we never foget our past but unlike chinese we filipino blame the old Japanese for World War 2 not the current Japanese are just defend their country against Chinese imperialism we have common threat so as Vietnam it brought us closer thanks to the Chinese bullying but the fact is the alliance is not to blame but your country for being arrogant and aggressive and you for blindingly obeying them you people are being disenfranchise in your own country while they get richer you get little and hell its not only in your people they steal but from other people too minerals Resources in Africa here In ASEAN Myanmar and here in the Philippines not paying taxes and destroying the Environment and snuggling recourse out of my country tax free so please really we are evil we are the bad guys calling the victim the criminal while evidence is everywhere and anywhere is just an insult to any Justice system and to all so please who believes this really?
 

s002wjh

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
1,271
Likes
153
Country flag
Lair one it is you who are going around claiming islands and areas that dont belong to china this claim is noting more than a threat to world peace and you telling us a country who has no history of invading other people who as a very small fleets of old ship and 10 flying airforce trying to defend its self provocation? really how stupid can one country be well in case no one believes you people anyway expect your client states and we never foget our past but unlike chinese we filipino blame the old Japanese for World War 2 not the current Japanese are just defend their country against Chinese imperialism we have common threat so as Vietnam it brought us closer thanks to the Chinese bullying but the fact is the alliance is not to blame but your country for being arrogant and aggressive and you for blindingly obeying them you people are being disenfranchise in your own country while they get richer you get little and hell its not only in your people they steal but from other people too minerals Resources in Africa here In ASEAN Myanmar and here in the Philippines not paying taxes and destroying the Environment and snuggling recourse out of my country tax free so please really we are evil we are the bad guys calling the victim the criminal while evidence is everywhere and anywhere is just an insult to any Justice system and to all so please who believes this really?
here is the thing both china/vietnam/ph/japan/taiwan has historical influence in scs or diaoyu island so what make claims from japan/taiwan/vietnam/ph more legit than china. especially these islands hasn't inhabit for long time. vietnam has overlapping claim with phillippine, is there claim also false, only claim from ph are legit. so is it claim from japan legit but not from china/taiwan.
 

no smoking

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
5,000
Likes
2,302
Country flag
Bill Clinton killed Chinese diplomats in Belgrade.
Yes, when people knows their action won't receive any punishment, they certianly don't follow the rules.

American could afford spitting on Chinese face since they are the sole superpower. Does Japan have that power? I don't think so.
 

Zero_Wing

Regular Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
386
Likes
67
here is the thing both china/vietnam/ph/japan/taiwan has historical influence in scs or diaoyu island so what make claims from japan/taiwan/vietnam/ph more legit than china. especially these islands hasn't inhabit for long time. vietnam has overlapping claim with phillippine, is there claim also false, only claim from ph are legit. so is it claim from japan legit but not from china/taiwan.
Overlapping yes but both are not trying to outdo one other and both are willing to use international law so that problem as at less a solution while china likes to claim all even the waters which is illegal in international law
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top