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At Large
Braving the China Seas
It’s called the “South China Sea” and China wants everyone to recognize it that way. The only problem? A few other countries feel differently.
It’s called the “South China Sea” and China wants everyone to recognize it just that way. There is no question in Beijing’s official mind that this body of water is entirely within Chinese sovereignty. The problem is that Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan all have claims to a portion of that immense body of water by virtue of the fact that portions of their countries are bordered by that sea. This is to say nothing of the competing claims over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. The Chinese attitude is that these are all spurious claims and only they — and their navy and air force — can lawfully operate on, in, and above these, up till now, international waters. Everyone else should get their permission. By the way, this assertion is now extended to include the East China Sea, much to the consternation of Japan.
Admiral Robert Willard, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, in most diplomatic terms characterized the increasingly assertive Chinese claims to these waters and islands in the region as “generating increasing concern broadly across the region and require address.” When you have the firepower available to Admiral Willard you can afford to speak that softly. An Indian Navy official wishing to remain anonymous responded to a Chinese warship’s demand that an Indian assault vessel visiting Vietnam identify itself. He put the matter in more stark terms: “Any navy in the world has full freedom to transit through these waters or high seas [South China Sea]. For any country to proclaim ownership or question the right of passage by any other nation is unacceptable.”
The Vietnamese were furious over the incident but allowed foreign diplomats to muster the appropriate aggressive tone without comment from Hanoi. There was no question in Vietnamese diplomatic circles that what had happened was a clear challenge by the Chinese not only to New Delhi and Hanoi but to all who enter their pond without notification.
The American/Chinese military exchanges are very carefully managed and Admiral Willard’s attendance at the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing was noteworthy as the first military bilateral contact on an upper level since China suspended such meetings in January 2011 after U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. During this carefully maintained and ostentatious non-contact, there has been a flurry of Chinese publicity over its defense capability.
Beijing’s space program along with its shore-based, anti-ship intermediate missile development has brought significant comment. A prototype of an advanced stealth jet fighter has been rolled out. Most importantly, the beginning of sea trials was announced for the now reconstructed Soviet era aircraft carrier obtained from Ukraine in 2007. Supposedly this remodeled ship will be the centerpiece of a blue water Chinese Navy battle group within several years.
The PLA Navy has used every occasion to utilize the American call for “transparency” to boost its own profile. As quoted nearly a year ago, Tang Jianqun, a military expert at the China Institute of International Studies, said, “For China, transparency means transparency of strategy, not of operational detail.” Frankly, some would say that is an overly convenient definition.
Countering the Chinese attempt to dominate the whole of the South China Sea is Vietnam’s decision to reopen the Cam Ranh Bay base to foreign naval vessels. Engineering efforts with Russian aid began this past summer to accommodate visiting ships. It’s rumored in Hanoi that this means visits by both Russian and U.S. vessels. There’s been no public announcement, but the Chinese naval intelligence attachés certainly can catch the drift.
Meanwhile the economic aspects of China’s ambitions in the South China Sea proceed apace. Continuing conflict exists over the various areas of oil and gas deposits. Fishing rights and key trade routes are also high on the list of contested issues. In addition to these very important economic matters is the highly strategic value to China of the control of this immense body of water that borders so much of its mainland. Of course the same could be said about the other countries in this multi-party contest; but such arguments do not register with Beijing at all.
Since the end of the war with Japan in 1945 the United States Navy and its allies have maintained a de facto authority over the Pacific. China has given notice that it does not accept any sense of this Pax Americana and implicitly intends to challenge the concept through its declared naval buildup. The result of this is that the other nations of the South and East China Seas have to take into strategic consideration existing and future Chinese ambitions even while deferring to the traditional predominant role of the U.S. Navy.
In other words, the South and East Asian nations are asking themselves, “Will the big dog of today still be the big dog tomorrow? And how far away is tomorrow?”
About the Author
George H. Wittman writes a weekly column on international affairs for The American Spectator online. He was the founding chairman of the National Institute for Public Policy.
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Michael Tomlinson| 9.16.11 @ 6:47AM
America can thank Bill Clinton for China's technological leap. A typical Democrat selfishly undermining America for his/her own interest.
As China's military grows and becomes more belligerent Democrats and so-called fiscal conservatives are ready to gut the military so as to maintain the failed welfare state.
Has the time come to arm Japan with nuclear weapons? It is time we developed closer ties to India against China and strengthened Taiwan’s military. A win, win for Taiwan’s defense and our industrial base. Of course, Obama is dragging his feet about modernizing Taiwan’s defense system.
Timothy L. Pennell| 9.16.11 @ 8:44AM
Don't blame Bill Clinton. After all. Bernie Schwartz was the #1 Contributor to the Democrat Party. ANY Democrat would have done the same thing. They would slit their Mother's throat, for a Contribution.
So, he SOLD US OUT, for a few pieces of Silver? So, he RAPED Quanita Brodrick, Molested Kathleen Willey, and used the Fat Intern as a Humidor, and a DNA Collection Recptacle?
He's a good guy.
He's the Democrat's FAVORITE POLITICIAN.
Like I said: Any one of them, would have done the same thing. The Half Breed Muslim, is doing it as we speak.
Occam's Tool| 9.17.11 @ 10:24PM
Yup, the Paulbots would say we need to retreat from that area, too.
You know, I remember reading an email from a columnist for the NZ Post Herald (Auckland). He stated that the US was in decline and China would be taking over. He seemed quite fine with it.
Of course, one should remember that Kiwis, politically, are ankle-biting idiots who have no real clue about major power politics. Their moment of greatness as a Nation expired almost 70 years ago.
The Taiwanese don't deserve to live under the Chinese, but the Kiwis sure do.
Melvin| 9.16.11 @ 7:33AM
I personally have deep ties to that area for a long number of years now. Currently there is no balance of power to offset the Chinese. Spratly Islands are being contested by Vietnam and the Philippines. China has all but said, "Sorry about your luck, these islands are ours now.
China plays on the weaknesses of many of these Asian Countries. One thing the Chinese exploit is the rampant corruption within these governments. Most notably the Philippines. Currently through crony-ism, former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was so deep into the Chinese pockets, through what everyone in the Chinese and Philippine governments call, "Development Projects."
You see the Chinese don't have to do as the Japanese did prior and during World War Two, militarily occupy a country and exploit its resources, today the Chinese being Chinese and spendthrift they buy sitting governments, and re-colonize with massive amounts of Chinese citizens to completely change the demographics of a Country.
The Chinese did this type of colonization warfare in Tibet and it was officially called, " Incorporation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China."
The current President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, himself half Chinese, and whose father had unofficial ties to Communism has all but removed any barriers that may have at least slowed down the Chinese march across Asia.
Even if the Philippines had the desire to confront China, after former President Marcos the military has so deteriorated to the point of not even able to defeat local guerrillas of Abu Sayef in the field.
The Philippine Navy has numerous aging World War Two Destroyers, that would not even amount to being a speed bump.
As Japan was China even as huge as it is, is basically recourse poor.
Even here in the United States China is buying ship after ship of our domestic coal, and in some cases, I read somewhere but I cannot confirm it that China is getting rid of the middle man and through defunct US companies controlled by Chinese interests are buying many coalfields.
My wife who has attended Chinese Schools and worked for Chinese summed it scarily up. "Early on Chinese children have hammered into them, the Dragon will devour the Eagle." The Chinese hammer this mantra home into those kids day after day, after day.
In my humble opinion.....China is going to do what Stalin and Lenin only dreamed of doing, and that is to dominate and enslave, and they are preparing for war.
Hmmp. I wonder if Barrack's Super Committee is going to take that into account.
Dan Hirsch| 9.16.11 @ 7:01PM
In the early 1990's I visited two state-owned Chinese shipyards as a representative of a domestic designer-builder of specialty welding systems.
The Chinese told me then that Japanese would not sell them specialized welding systems. When I got there I saw why - the Chinese were building nothing but warships, for themselves and for export. Their manufacturing processes were puny, crude, and low quality. We never managed to do business with them, I believe we were a little too tight with our technology.
But the impression never left me that they looked at us upstart Americans as a temporary obstacle. I say they still hold the same view...
Grains| 9.17.11 @ 3:58AM
Melvin, they are also doing full-scale colonization here, England, northern Europe, Canada, and I suspect Australia and New Zealand.
Look at just the number of Chinese 30-somethings wandering about our university campuses on the 3, 5, 7, and more-year long programs. Open-ended stays? (Open-ended visas?) Not sure, but they stay a long, long time.
The married ones are popping out those "anchor babies." Just visit the maternity wards.
A cousin of mine who is the eternal bachelor recently pointed out to me the number of Chinese women posting on online dating sites as singles -- again mid 30's range -- in just the Washington D.C. to Boston corridor. Where'd all of them come from? These posts will tell you that they're newbies in the USA. They often come right out and say it in their get-to-know-you narratives.
This summer saw a bevvy of Chinese "students" doing typical summer teens and college kids jobs at vacation spots across the nation. Anybody notice that teens struggled to find bare bones minimum wage jobs this summer. Um....so why we got foreign 20 somethings with bad English coming from Red China on these visa work programs?
Oh, right. The very colonization you speak of.
But nobody wants to touch this subject. Nobody. Journalism is dead in America. American Spectator, you going to step up to the plate and ask DHS/ICE just what the ________ we're doing?
(no we're not talking the offspring of Chinese families that have been in San Francisco's Chinatown for 115 years)
Every 20th grad student in our higher level academies is Red Chinese.
Why?
Mike Graham| 12.26.11 @ 3:30PM
Just about, hit it on the head, except for one thing. The Anti-Christ; It is inevitable; that the rise of china and their need for the world's natural resources, also their need to push their underlying mantra. Will help bring the world to what the bible calls Armageddon. The holy bible is not only a history of how and when the world began, but is also an insight as to how the world as we know it will end. We are not in a fight with forces like China or Iran, Russia, Korea, etc. We are in a battle with Powers, and Principalities in the unseen (spiritual world) who know their end is near. The bible says look to Israel and when you see the budding of the fig tree. Which symbolized her return as a nation again in 1948. That this generation would not pass away from earth before all that is in the book of revelation would be fulfilled. I believe this prophecy and in it say’s the Bear; (Russia) not the Dragon; (China) will be the first to attack Israel with all of the Muslim nations at her side. Isreal will not be aided by her allies (America). However' God Almighty himself will defend Israel and destroy the Bear (Russia) and her allies with Fire from the heavens to fulfill prophecy. I believe that this will leave Israel once again victor and in total control of that entire region. Then their will be great fear all across the world because of this great void of who will control the resources in the entire middle east and that will bring a fear of a world war that will usher in the Anti-Christ who will mysteriously bring peace and make people believe that he is a man of peace. But’ beware for he is of Satan himself and will turn on Isreal and the Nations to destroy them and pronounce himself God! This is the Imam or Allah that Iran and most of the Muslim world will except as God's return. Now, before you say I am just another hate mongered or some religious nut. Look at what is getting ready to take place right before our eyes. Isreal will attack Iran's nuclear facilities and that will so enrage the Russian's and the Arab world that they will attack Isreal. I believe it will happen this coming year. (2012) I am not going to use this forum to try to convert anyone to Jesus Christ. However, I will share with you his warnings of what is to come for those that will live during this time of great tribulation as the world has never heard or saw before. Jesus Christ is Lord!!!
Negro X| 9.16.11 @ 8:07AM
I too have spent many years in the region, unfortunately the US in the far east can do little to intervine thanks to politcal correctness and bungling of the last three administration's asian policy "experts".
Timothy L. Pennell| 9.16.11 @ 8:50AM
I see no Andrey here. They will soon be the British Royal Navy of the early 20th Century.
We will soon be the British Royal Navy of this period.
The American Naval Presence, in that part of the world, will soon be little more than a topic for Nostalgic.
We have traded our Security (GUNS) for a Nanny State. (Low Fat Margarine)
maximumrandb| 9.16.11 @ 9:05AM
The Philippines will eventually wake up to the threat from China; I can see the reopening of Subic Bay and Clark AB to US Forces.
Melvin| 9.16.11 @ 10:12AM
Maxi, I last visited Subic Bay two years ago. Can't even recognize the old place in which I spent so much time there.
Across Subic Bay is really humongous Korean shipyard. Where the old Naval Base is full of Korean Karaoke bars, and hostess bars for all the welders and workers from the shipyard.
Unfortunately this shipyard is a magnet for illicit and illegal weapons and drugs to enter the country.
Philippine government officials are supposed to check these ships, but many are on the dole of the Korean shipyard owners.
For us to be invited back to Subic and Clark would take an enormous cost. The shipyard equipment as I have been told had been removed by the US Navy and probably scrapped.
Clark was dismantled after the eruption of the volcano, after the Air Force just picked up and flew off.
After we didn't renew our lease thanks to Jimmy Carter giving the bases back, some say the Koreans and also the Chinese paid Philippine Senators and Congressmen to vote against the bases remaining. I'm not sure but I wouldn't doubt it as the Philippine Senate and Congress are one of the most corrupt bodies on this earth.
I myself think that our Navy is so weakened we couldn't fight our way back, but then again, I hope I am wrong.
davelnaf| 9.16.11 @ 9:18AM
A good part of PLAN’s South China Sea gambit is about minerals, but it is also practicing a nascent area denial strategy for all that it is worth. In the years to come it will be counting on having access denial weapons—or the credible threat of them—rather than the kind of weapons needed to win a protracted war. On this score it will be many years before the Chicoms have anything close to a Nimitz class carrier and they will always be behind in the necessary technology. They are rattling sabers a little now to see if it rattles nerves enough for them to get their way without firing a shot.
diviz| 9.16.11 @ 12:39PM
Carrier based naval strategy is well on the way out .The coming strategy will be based on flexibility, modularity and automation.
Politicians want carriers becuase they are a nice big piece of pork. Admirals want something smaller so that their fleet won't be wiped out with one shot and they'll have half a chance of winning a confrontation.
Dan Hirsch| 9.16.11 @ 7:22PM
This summer we visited the South Dakota class battleship USS Massachusetts in Fall River. It was spectacularly impressive. But a little thought revealed to me that the cost in lives and treasure to operate such a platform to blindly lob projectiles twenty miles rendered it as threatening as a smooth bore musket.
Now think about our carriers; could a simultaneous attack by five cruise missiles overcome a carrier's defenses? No? Okay, could ten? Fifteen? Twenty? I'm sure that Chinese and Russian minds have addressed this question.
Compare the cost of launching twenty cruise missiles to the loss of a carrier. I'd sell carriers and buy cruise missiles. Put nuclear warheads on those cruise missiles and I believe the twenty required falls to one or two missiles per carrier.
Carriers were critical to projecting force around the globe. The militarization of space is the replacement technology for carriers. The ability to deliver weapons from orbit within a ninety minute orbit will make dock the carriers next to the battle ships, supersonic, long range aircraft notwithstanding.
So what are we doing about space, these days?
Oh yea, we charter from the Russians with their rickety program.
We are so screwed! We better find another Reagan and damn quick!
I wonder that the Chinese bought the Russian carrier for later target practice...
DTOM!!!
BackToBasics| 9.16.11 @ 10:22PM
It's interesting too that within weeks of our last Shuttle flight, the Russians "lost" one of their most reliable rockets that was to supply the Shuttle.
TrueBlue| 9.16.11 @ 7:25PM
Not true, nothing changes political policy overnight like a carrier battlegroup showing up off a country's shore and knowing there is more firepower on the one carrier than most countries have in their entire military. Carriers, and the planes they carry, will continue to be important until we can develop aircraft capable of quickly getting around the world, and without the need for refueling. The Chinese are not stupid, if carrier strategy was on the way out they wouldn't be investing in it, they'd be bypassing it, which they have the ability to do.
Relying entirely on automation is itself a foolish idea, all it takes is someone to jam the signal and either take control or cause the automated equipment to crash, neither of which is nearly as difficult as people think.
rendite| 9.17.11 @ 3:37AM
True Blue, I am not disagreeing with you. But the Chinese are refitting that Soviet aircraft carrier post haste so that they can sail it out with carrier group to bully the non-nuclear smaller fry of the Pacific -- fully calculating that we'll stand back and try to "State Department and emissary/commission negotiate" just like we do with Iran and North Korea.
Meanwhile, in real time, they'll bully and do "flyovers" off their carriers to eventually overtake Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia. Thailand, New Zealand, and, yes, Japan.
That's why they're building those navy ships. They know we are spineless.
rongordo | 9.17.11 @ 8:51PM
They know OBAMA is spineless. They have another year and a half before American spine re-enters the picture. Yes, we owe them money, but it won't stop better poker players from forcing China's hand. In the meantime, they'll try to normalize their border desires with these weaker countries.
Quartermaster| 9.16.11 @ 8:32PM
CVs will remain important for a very long time to come. The question to ask, however, is "will they maintain their current position in Naval strategy?" I think the answer is "no." I think the Nimitz class, and the follow on are the last hurrah for the super carrier. We will end up going back to something along the size of the old Essex class or, perhaps, as large as the Midway class, but no larger. Having about 20 of those will far more cost effective and flexible.
What we really need to be turning out like sausages is fast attack subs. If we could get about 150 in service, we could deny the ocean to anyone we wanted to deny. ASW capability has been falling behind as the subs have gotten more capable, and teh next major war will turn on the the ability to stealthily deny ocean passage to our enemy. No one can build fast attack subs like we can, and we had better get busy.
MOS 1 1 2 | 9.17.11 @ 9:35AM
How does that translate into new ships, weapon systems?
Petronius| 9.16.11 @ 10:28AM
Unmentioned here are the new Chinese carrier killer missiles and submarine flotilla so quiet they regularly surface inside the vessels screening our flat tops. This is the oriental method of flipping US off. But nothing will come of it until we no longer have enough money to buy the junk they make at Walmart and the interest on the bonds held over there doesn't get paid. What we need to watch closest is the schizoid savages in Pyong Yang. You do not fight an enemy who has nothing to lose or care about without sufficient forces to obliterate him to a man.
TrueBlue| 9.16.11 @ 7:27PM
Those missiles aren't that new, they've had them for years. Thankfully they still haven't quite gotten the technology perfected so they still have issues hitting the target. The Taiwanese versions however ARE new, not sure on how reliable they are yet. Though one of the things they did to thumb their noses at the Chinese was to make an advertisement for them showing the destruction of China's new carrier.
William L. Gen sert| 9.16.11 @ 11:23AM
Today, the Chinese Navy is a paper tiger, but it will not always remain so. America must be more aggressive with policy and alliances to challenge them while we still have the power. A military alliance with Vietnam, the Philippines, Korea, Japan and most importantly, India, our brother state, to challenge Chinese hegemonic policies will temper the affect of their 30-year-old aircraft carriers and ersatz stealth fighter. Make no mistake, the paramount danger to humanity in the next 100 years is China’s low self esteem.
Occam's Tool| 9.17.11 @ 10:27PM
We need to contain the Chinese over the next 30 years---after that, Demographics will do it for us---but the next 30 are going to be dicey, and we need people who put America first and aren't afraid to be PRO-ACTIVE (I'm not talking about nation building here; I'm talking about good old fashioned Reagan era sabotage of the Russkies type stuff).
Dmac| 9.16.11 @ 11:26AM
The saddest part about what China is up to in regards to her military build up is, that the American manufacturers, and our own corrupt senators are to blame. They are the ones who have given China the manufacturing base that genrates their wealth. We keep hearing people say, "quit buying Chinese goods", but where else are American consumers to buy from when we have no choice. We have no choice because this is where the so called American manufacturers have their goods made. This is just ludicrus. It has nothing to do with trying to be competative and everything to do with profit margin and bonuses for the executives at the companies that do this. It's time our government realized there will be no economic turn around in this country until we start bringing jobs back to America. It will do many things for the good of our country. Bring our economy back, weaken China finacially which will also weaken them militarily. Thats just some of the good things that could happen if we had a government that actually gave a damn about America. Unfortunetly our own government doesn't give a damn about America, it only gives a damn about who puts money in pockets.
TrueBlue| 9.16.11 @ 7:29PM
They have their goods made over there because China doesn't have thousands of regulations preventing the manufacture of such goods like we do, a couple of bribes and you're good to go. If we got rid of the EPA and their hundreds of new regulations a year (along with the majority of their current ones) we MIGHT see manufacturing return to the states. Of course, we'd have to massively reduce our corporate and private income taxes so they aren't larger than the rest of the modern world too.
Quartermaster| 9.16.11 @ 8:34PM
Not to mention the Fed laws that stack the odds against the company and for the leftist unions owned by the Dems. Unions have done as much, if not more, damage as the regs have.
Petronius| 9.17.11 @ 3:13PM
You left out the primary reason; product liability lawsuits. That one knocks labor costs down to a poor 4th.
Stefan Stackhouse| 9.16.11 @ 12:42PM
Other than asserting our right to exist as a free and independent nation, asserting our right to freedom of navigation on the open seas is the most fundamental and consistent foreign policy that the US has held since its founding. We should not and cannot back down from that now.
The truth is, what happens or doesn't happen in any dusty backwater halfway around the world doesn't really matter all that much to our national security. Whether or not we can continue to have freedom of maritime navigation anywhere in the world does matter crucially to our national security. Let's get our priorities straight, and let's be willing to stand up for what really matters. If the Chinese insist on fighting us over this, then it is just as well that the fight comes sooner rather than later, so bring it on!
TrueBlue| 9.16.11 @ 7:30PM
Better now than before the libs have had the chance to completely dismantle the military. At least now we still have one to use.
JA| 9.16.11 @ 12:49PM
with satellite technology and anti-ship missiles that can be launched from land, sea or air, the invincibility of a US carrier based fleet is gone.
Imagine that an enemy launches, simultaneously, 25 anti-ship missiles, all aimed at ONE carrier. Then ten minutes later, repeat.
If only 3 or 4 get thru (probably more like 10), and just disable a carrier (no need to sink it), well there goes the raison d'etre of a carrier task force.
As for US bases in Okinawa or where ever in the Pacific, within the first 10 minutes of a conflict, they will be toast, courtesy of longer range missiles.
This is no longer the 1940s.
Missile and satellite technology will do to the carrier group what aircraft did to forts and battleships.
JR| 9.16.11 @ 1:58PM
This whole scenerio was pretty much played out in Tom Clancey's "SSN" from 1997. The Spratley Island group had been taken over by China and enforced using their sub fleet. Even though the US came out on top (the UN designated the US to step in and boot em out!) today's situation is politically and technologically different. I don't think anyone would have an easy time if push comes to shove. POTUS would definitely choose golf over enforcing boundaries!
Ed| 9.16.11 @ 2:21PM
The one bright spot in all of this is that China, like Germany, Japan, and the Atlantic side of Russia, lives in a maritime choke point. All the U.S. Navy would have to do is pull back their surface forces a thousand miles or so and interdict Chinese shipping. U.S. Navy submarines could get a lot closer to China and could pick off the shipping that leaks through. The Chinese would run out of petroleum very quickly. During WWII, very little maritime trade got into Germany or Japan after the Allied navies set up their interdiction forces.
cicero| 9.16.11 @ 3:10PM
The more things change. . . Historically, China has sought to dominate or conquer its neighbors. It has invaded both Viet Nam and Korea several times, and always been thrown out. It is feelling its oats agin.
However, 80% of its population is near destitute; it has virtually no original technology, and relies almost exclusively on pilfered technology for its manufaccturing sector. (See where G.M is finally waking up, and refusing to produce electric vehicles in China, because it is tired of having its patents rippedd off.)
China can try to intimidate other countries all it wants. It has very little ability to do much more. They need their army to control the near daily riots in their various provinces. They can't attack U.S. interests without bankrupting themselves - we abrogate our debt to them. Currently, their economy is controlled by th Central Committee, and is based on accounting gimics.
Our major problem is that we are being governed by people who are more interested in insuring their seats of power than in insuring the well being of this country.
Dan Hirsch| 9.16.11 @ 7:26PM
Wouldn't it be better for us if they did rip off the stupid electric vehicle technology?
I'm just sayin...
DTOM
Copernicus| 9.16.11 @ 9:17PM
This is way cool. Only 40 years ago China/Vietnam were BigBro/Little Bro. Now they are enemies. I predict Vietnam will , in time, become a great USA ally.
Dan Hirsch| 9.17.11 @ 8:53AM
Read or watch "The Mouse That Roared."
Gotta know your history or it'll be deja vu all over again...
DTOM
D Roamer | 9.17.11 @ 1:02AM
Our navy is expanding its operation in Guam, will not ever need Philippine Subic Bay. We were kicked out of there and now perhaps the Philippines regret that. We can strengthen our alliances with trustworthy India and Japan. Viet Nam, Malaysia will see it is their advantage to join the alliance as well. Philippines has no navy, and is too busy fighting the Moros in Zamboanga province; a never ending conflict.
rongordo | 9.17.11 @ 8:44PM
It's hugely sad to watch the international scene fall apart under Obama. As our allies find themselves more and more isolated, and our enemies grow more and more emboldened, spreading their doctrines and extending their power and reach (Iran in Venezuela springs to mind).
POST American| 9.18.11 @ 12:19AM
---AS the world nuclear disaster and DEPOP
OP in FUKISHIMA is set to pulse on for
the next decade (--ALL buried from view
by Globalist media) ----the South China Sea
is fast emerging as the 'eco safest' place
to be in the fallout saturated northern hemisphere.
MEANWHILE, again, those GE flawed reactors
are unmentioned, and Jeff I-Melt----down
dances the world building more dirty
plants------ TAX FREE, and some at US
taxpayer expense.
------------------Are you vomiting yet?
-----------------------You will be...
Dan Mathewson| 9.19.11 @ 5:38PM
Nah, I'm not vomiting. I have a strong stomach.
Summer| 9.19.11 @ 10:13AM
The Taiwanese don't deserve to live under the Chinese, but the Kiwis sure do.
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Denise| 9.19.11 @ 10:14AM
Philippines has no navy, and is too busy fighting the Moros in Zamboanga province; a never ending conflict.
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