And so it begins - Philippine warship in standoff with China vessels

trackwhack

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The Associated Press: Philippine warship in standoff with China vessels

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government says its largest warship is engaged in a standoff with Chinese surveillance vessels that blocked it when it attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen anchored at a South China Sea shoal where both sides claim sovereignty.
Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario on Wednesday summoned Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing to resolve the dangerous impasse diplomatically. His office said in a statement that the Scarborough Shoal "is an integral part of Philippine territory" and Filipino authorities would assert sovereignty over the offshore area.
The shoal lies off the northwestern Philippine province of Zambales. China and the Philippines have been disputing ownership of the shoal, in addition to the Spratly Islands and other areas in the South China Sea.
Lets see if barking dogs really bite :lol:
 

badguy2000

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CHinese vessels are marine surveilance vessels...however,those vessles are even bigger than most navy warships of most 3rd world countries,such as Philippine's ones.

Morever, those mairine surveilance vessels are backed by PLAN...
 

pmaitra

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^^

Ha ha ha, so you think PRC is a 1st world country? Pffft!

Last time your ship was rammed by a Vietnamese ship, have you forgotten?
 

H.A.

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The Phillipines has got some serious guts to engage with China....
 

Ray

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It is surprising the Philippines is challenging China!

Does it mean that all nations around the South China Seas are really fed up with China's hegemonic pursuits and are ready to take them on with whatever little they have?

Is it a fallout of the recent ASEAN meeting in Kampuchea where the Chinese General walked out in a huff?

China, of late has been threatening all - India, Russia, US, Philippines, Vietnam et al.

I am sure they have built their strategic muscle to take on the world and that is why they are doing what they are doing!
 
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Galaxy

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Philippines, Vietnam to hold 'fun games' in Spratlys

MANILA (April 10, 2012): Philippine and Vietnamese troops plan to hold joint "fun games" in the Spratlys to calm tensions over the disputed island chain in the South China Sea, the Philippine navy chief said Tuesday.

The islands, also claimed by China, are regarded as one of Asia's most dangerous potential flashpoints but there will be no weapons involved, said Vice Admiral Alexander Pama.

"We will be sending some of our boys to their occupied islands and they will also be sending their boys to our occupied islands," Pama told correspondents, dubbing it "fun games."

"They will actually be doing games, like basketball or soccer (and) there will be no firearms (training) involved."

Pama said the joint activity was part of an agreement with his Vietnamese counterpart who accompanied President Truong Tan Sang on a visit to Manila late last year.

Apart from the games, he said troops from both sides would also boost information sharing on the weather and search and rescue operations involving fishermen who may run into trouble in disputed areas.

Asked whether other claimants to the Spratlys could also be invited to take part in the games, Pama replied: "There are no discussions along those lines."

The Spratlys is a group of islets and atolls believed to be potentially rich in mineral and gas deposits.

China and Taiwan both claim the entire South China Sea, which is called the West Philippine Sea by Manila, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam have overlapping claims to parts of it.

The Philippines and Vietnam have both accused China of increasingly flexing its military muscle in the region, despite a pledge from all claimants to avoid actions that could further stoke tensions.

Manila last year accused the Chinese military of firing on Filipino fishermen, laying buoys and harassing an oil exploration vessel in waters that fall within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Regional leaders at a summit in Cambodia last week reaffirmed a commitment to settle the row peacefully by crafting a code of conduct in the area, but were divided over China's participation in the discussion. — AFP

Philippines, Vietnam to hold 'fun games' in Spratlys | theSundaily
 

W.G.Ewald

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More from the article, indicating that there is more than the territory issue:

On Tuesday, Filipino sailors from the warship boarded the Chinese [fishing ] vessels for an inspection, discovering large amounts of illegally collected coral, giant clams and live sharks inside the first boat, the department said in a statement.
 

cir

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China's tactics should be to create "incidents" of this nature by the dozens a day week after week month after month year after year, so as to make the Filipinos realize that fooling aorund in the South China Sea is gonna be a very very expensive exercise for a resource limited country such as the Philippines. :rofl:
 

Mad Indian

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China's tactics should be to create "incidents" of this nature by the dozens a day week after week month after month year after year, so as to make the Filipinos realize that fooling aorund in the South China Sea is gonna be a very very expensive exercise for a resource limited country such as the Philippines. :rofl:
Your govt should keep doing that and it will cause all the ASEAN countries to screw your country as a single entity and the world will show the Chicoms their right full place in gutters:taunt:
 

nrj

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Philippines and China Commit to Diplomacy in Naval Standoff

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines and China agreed to resolve an ongoing naval standoff diplomatically, but neither side was ready to back down Wednesday in the most dangerous confrontation in the disputed South China Sea in years.

Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said he warned Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing that the Philippines would defend itself if provoked. At their meeting, both insisted the Scarborough Shoal location was part of their own country's territory.

Despite the impasse, "we resolved to seek a diplomatic solution to the issue," Del Rosario told a news conference.

"Nobody will benefit if violence breaks out there," President Benigno Aquino III said.

The Philippine government said its navy tried to detain Chinese boats fishing in its waters, but was stopped by two Chinese surveillance craft. The Chinese Embassy accused the Philippine warship of harassing the fishermen.

The South China Sea is home to a myriad of competing territorial claims, most notably the Spratly Islands south of the shoal, that are believed to be in rich in oil and gas. The region is also prime fishing ground and one of the world's busiest sea lanes.

Both China and the Philippines flexed their muscles Wednesday. Del Rosario said that he warned China's ambassador that "if the Philippines is challenged, we are prepared to secure our sovereignty."

The Philippine navy was sending more vessels toward the shoal, which lies about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the nearest Philippine coast, a Philippine navy official told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss the situation with the media.

The standoff began Sunday when a Philippine navy surveillance plane spotted eight Chinese fishing vessels anchored in a lagoon at Scarborough, the Philippine navy said. That prompted the military to deploy its largest warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which was recently acquired from the United States.

On Tuesday, armed Filipino troops from the warship boarded the Chinese vessels for an inspection, finding large amounts of illegally collected coral, giant clams and live sharks inside the first boat. Del Rosario said the Chinese fishermen had been "engaged in illegal fishing and harvesting of endangered marine species."

The Filipino troops did not make any arrests and returned to the warship.

Two Chinese maritime surveillance ships later arrived and positioned themselves between the Philippine warship and the Chinese fishing vessels "thus preventing the arrests of the erring Chinese fishermen," the Philippine statement said.

The two Chinese ships told the Philippine warship by radio that it had intruded into Chinese territory and ordered it to leave. Philippine navy officials aboard the warship resisted, saying the area was not part of China's territory and well within Philippine territorial waters, the Philippine navy said.

"This resulted to the standoff which is still ongoing," the navy said.

The Chinese Embassy said the fishing boats had taken shelter from a storm in the lagoon, and that Philippine troops, including some who were armed, harassed the fishermen.

"Two Chinese marine surveillance ships are in this area fulfilling the duties of safeguarding Chinese maritime rights and interests," it said in a statement.

It said the shoal "is an integral part of the Chinese territory and the waters around it the traditional fishing area for Chinese fishermen."

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said China lodged a protest, saying the Philippines violated an agreement to maintain peace and stability in the region and prevent any escalation of disputes.

"We hope the Philippines can focus on China-Philippines friendship, peace and stability, and won't make new disturbances," Liu said.

Last year, the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of intruding into other parts of what it considers Philippine territory in the South China Sea. China has regularly dismissed the protests, saying Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over those areas on historical grounds.

The United States has insisted it takes no sides in the territorial dispute but says it should be solved peacefully. China has balked at what it considered U.S. interference in the region.

The disputes over the Spratlys have settled into an uneasy standoff since the last major clash involving China and Vietnam killed more than 70 Vietnamese sailors in 1988.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/201...outh-china-sea.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss?
 

trackwhack

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If GOI had any balls we would get involved directly by signing a strategic treaty with the Philippines and Vietnam right away. Within 2 years we can open naval bases in both countries.

I would even go so far as calling its "Treaty of Nations Against China" :lol:
 

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