Philippines and China in Standoff–former USCGC Center Stage

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https://i0.wp.com/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Scarborough_Shoal_Landsat.jpg

Photo credit, NASA Landsat 7 image of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea

The former USCGC Hamilton, now BRP Gregorio del Pilar, is at the center of a standoff with the Chinese over a remote atoll shaped group of rocks and shallows called variously Scarborough (or Panatag) Reef or Shoal.

Both the Chinese and the Philippines claim sovereignty.

A Philippine patrol plane located eight Chinese fishing vessels inside the atoll. With the Gregorio del Pilar now on scene, two Chinese Maritime Surveillance vessels are blocking Philippine fisheries enforcement action against the fishing vessels and the Chinese are demanding the Philippine Navy depart their waters; while the Philippines is asserting it will enforce its sovereignty. Diplomacy is given lip service, but the standoff is ongoing. The US has a treaty obligation to the Philippines (subject to interpretation of course) and there are calls for US assistance.

A long discussion from the Philippine point of view here.

Photo: Philippine flag planted on Scarborough Shoal, Photographed by Adel Rosario, 05:11, 2 May 2010 (UTC)

File:Panatag Shoal.jpg

358 thoughts on “Philippines and China in Standoff–former USCGC Center Stage”

  12. Threats from China if US goes inside 12 miles of artificial islands, http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1865414/beijing-alert-us-navy-incursion-near-artificial-islands?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=SCMPSocialNewsfeed

    “The navy would issue verbal warnings, demanding the US vessels leave,” Shanghai-based naval expert Ni Lexiong said.

    Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, said the navy would send warships to intercept the US vessels if they ignored the warnings.

    Another source close to the PLA said Beijing had several more “cost-effective” solutions to such a confrontation.

    “We could scramble drones to expel the vessels, or simply order the Second Artillery Corps to fire from distance,” he said.

    Note Second Artillery Corps is China’s Strategic Missile Service.

    Reply ↓

    • I read the responses on that site, and it looks like the people responding have a over inflated opinion of the Chinese compared to the rest of the world. It was like reading or watching North Korean propaganda films. Was the site monitored and censored by the Chinese govt?

      Reply ↓

    • since the islands are artificial, couldn’t we just launch a volley of Torpedoes at it to create a underwater quake among other things?

      Reply ↓

      • We can always hope for a strong Typhoon to return things to their natural condition, but would not count on it. More probably we would beach a very valuable torpedo with a lot of technology they would love to copy. We don’t seem to have any cheap simple torpedoes.

      • All you would have to do is drop a Seismic bomb class weapon on the target. And there is nothing special about those

  41. A look at Woody Island and the changes China has made, including the recent apparent installation of AAW missile batteries. https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/glimpse-chinas-military-presence-south-china-sea?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_term=weekendtest&utm_campaign=20160219&utm_content=bodylink&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=26460452&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_zNi6GrhCwjxI_ikMjs16zFmXSmUeBu1ap_pHaE1DAHmH-gd8XOw8HAIwRktkfn8WLNSS4QpPeKHGWoc2a3BCGQaTs1w&_hsmi=26460452

    Reply ↓

  45. China claims their vessels were at Jackson Atol only to assist a grounded vessle and had since left. It may be remarkable they bothered to give an explanation at all. ttp://www.marinelink.com/news/disputed-vessels-waters406015.aspx

    Reply ↓

  46. http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/south-china-sea-coming-chinese-land-reclamation-at-scarborough-shoal/

    “…. Speaking to Reuters, Admiral John Richardson, the U.S. Navy’s chief of naval operations, noted that there is increased Chinese “surface ship activity” near Scarborough Shoal. He adds that there is additionally some “survey type of activity” in the area, noting that it was “an area of concern … a next possible area of reclamation.””

    The CNO is concerned that Scarborough Shoal, off the coast of Palawan, Philippines, the location this post started with, may be the next target for Chinese “reclaimation.”

    This may result in another unsinkable aircraft carrier close to the former and prospective US base at Subic and the former Clark Air Force Base.

    I see this a part of a series of moves to isolate Taiwan.

    Reply ↓

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