this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2023
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The United States renewed a warning Monday that it would defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack under a 1951 treaty, after Chinese ships blocked and collided with two Filipino vessels off a contested shoal in the South China Sea.

Philippine diplomats summoned a Chinese Embassy official in Manila on Monday for a strongly worded protest following Sunday’s collisions off Second Thomas Shoal. No injuries were reported but the encounters damaged a Philippine coast guard ship and a wooden-hulled supply boat operated by navy personnel, officials said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called an emergency meeting with the defense secretary and other top military and security officials to discuss the latest hostilities in the disputed waters. The Philippines and other neighbors of China have resisted Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims over virtually the entire South China Sea, and some, like Manila, have sought U.S. military support as incidents multiply.

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[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 25 points 2 years ago (13 children)

I think they’re probably worried about more than shipping lanes.

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 19 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (12 children)

Their three island chain policy is mostly secured, in theory, by their A2/AD (anti-access area denial) strategy of land based anti-ship cruise missles and sea, air, and satellite ISR.

But yes, I agree that the ethos that underpines their perceived need of A2/AD is also what partially motivates these kind of moves.

Well, that and their inability to recognize that one the main factors of American power is our alliances, and ability to apply softpower pressure and true alliance benefits to other nations. We don't just ram our ships into there's to literally beat them into submission.

This doesn't mean that the dark parts of American neo-imperialism don't exist and aren't real, they do and they are, just that you can't be all bad bully all the time and still maintain those kinds of alliance based power structures which are necessary to be a true global superpower, or to at least a large enough regional power capable of dislodging America's role in the Pacific. The former being their long-term goal, and the latter their short to medium term objective.

At this point, all of their neighbors hate them. Not like how South American governments dislike the American government, but really really hate them. Many are building up their militaries and reaching out to America to strengthen their alliances, in anticipation of further Chinese aggression and expansion.

[–] kautau@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (7 children)

“Soft Allies” is annoyingly relevant here. My girlfriend is an officer in the Philippine Air Force. She was denied a U.S. tourism visa twice to come visit me. In the meantime, half of her unit was just sent to Hawaii for a multi month joint training exercise. So she can’t come here to travel and try American food with me or go to Disney World or whatever, but at any point she could be sent to a military base here for defense purposes.

[–] figaro@lemdro.id 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Dude that's so frustrating, that sucks. Is the wait for an interview for a visitor visa to the US still like 9 months?

I was in a similar situation for a while. It sucks.

[–] kautau@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I’m not sure at this point. I’ve been to the Phillipines to visit her a few times, and we’re not planning on going the tourist visa route again. We are planning a trip to Japan early next year, and I’ll propose to her there. From that point we’ll begin the K1 visa process

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