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The Kalayaan, Panatag & other disputed islands; Future conflict zones?
Topic Started: Feb 2 2005, 08:00 PM (155,983 Views)
Parastriker
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alexu
Apr 8 2012, 12:25 AM
So what do you suggest parastriker, any idea or plan?
we just sit or acquire some Military hardware.

We could acquire, yes, but I'm just saying that at the rate we are acquiring weaponry, we might never bridge the gap between us and China.
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Mckoyzzz
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Vietnam backs Phl's multilateral approach to Spratlys row
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated April 09, 2012 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Vietnam, one of six claimants to the Spratly Islands, has categorically supported Philippines’ proposal for a multilateral approach to the territorial problem, by way of resolving it through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Quoting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Prime Minister Tan Dung made the declaration during last week’s 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

During the summit, President Aquino proposed to his fellow heads of state that ASEAN countries, particularly claimants to the potentially oil-rich islands, should settle the issue first among themselves before China can be invited for the discussions.

“When it was the turn of Vietnam to speak, Prime Minister Tan Dung stated that ASEAN should rush the drafting of the elements of the code of conduct after which China can be invited to discuss the COC,” Lacierda related.

He said that, “in essence, Vietnam supported the Philippines’ position.”

“There cannot be a bilateral solution to a multilateral problem,” Aquino reiterated to reporters in a sit-down interview at Sofitel Hotel in the Cambodian capital, where he was billeted for his two-day stay for the ASEAN summit.

Other than the Philippines and China, those with claims to the reportedly mineral-rich Spratlys include Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.

Beijing prefers a bilateral approach to the problem, but stressed it was open to such a setup. It promised to “abide” by the collective action of the ASEAN with regard to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties and COC in the South China Sea.

Full Article...
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"Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong -- Dandemis"
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Tsukiyomi
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Now if we can keep Pnoy backing those words up with continued and resolute actions. The chicoms are thinking we will be bought out or intimidated. They are not expecting us to actually fight for these islands and they know in the world court they will lose if this comes to blows.

Certain groups in the US leadership would love for a fight to happen as it would give the US forces to sink the growing Chinese fleet and set them back a couple decades. That significant loss would destabilize the communist party and most likely bring about radical change.
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Ayoshi
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Forum Energy to drill at Recto Bank this year, says MVP

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MANILA, Philippines - Philex Mining Corp. expects to commence with drilling activities in the Recto Bank petroleum block in offshore Palawan this year.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, Philex Mining chairman, said unit Forum Energy Plc. is on track in its commitments with the Department of Energy for the development of Service Contract 72.

"So far we are on schedule with respect to our work program in SC 72. We hope we do not get delayed," Pangilinan said.

SC 72 contains the Sampaguita field, which is said to be on a par with the country's largest natural gas producer to date, the Malampaya.

A 248-square kilometer 3D seismic survey acquired by Forum Energy on the petroleum block in 2006 indicated a mean volume of 3.4 trillion cubic feet gas-in-place. The Malampaya, in contrast, has an estimated three trillion cubic feet of gas and 40 million barrels of recoverable oil reserves.

In 2011, Forum Energy acquired additional 2D and 3D seismic data on the license area to allow it to identify optimal drilling locations and new prospects in the field.

The findings are being interpreted with the results expected to come out by the middle of the year.

Pangilinan said the company is arranging the relevant financing for upcoming drilling activities, which they "hope" to start this year.

"We have not finalized it yet, but definitely it will be funded in the main by Philex Mining. There are other shareholders in Forum and 30 percent of the concession is owned by Monte Oro [Resources Energy Inc.]. Most likely equity funding," he said.

Philex Mining, through subsidiaries FEC Resources Inc. and Philex Petroleum Corp., controls 70 percent of UK-listed Forum Energy.

The area covered by SC 72 was earlier included in the marine seismic study over the Spratlys under a tripartite agreement among the Philippines, China and Vietnam, which led to delays in the petroleum block's development

SOURCE
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matrix
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Chinese General: Philippines Faces ‘Last Chance’


A Chinese general warned the Philippines that it was facing its “last chance” to resolve simmering territorial disputes in the potentially resource-rich South China Sea, a rhetorical uptick in what has emerged as the region’s hottest potential military flashpoint.

Luo Yuan, a Chinese major general known for his hawkish views, in a commentary published Monday in the popular Global Times newspaper, accused the Philippines of hijacking a recent ASEAN summit and said Manila’s continuing provocations were bound to fail.

“The biggest miscalculation of the Philippines is that it has misestimated the strength and willpower of China to defend its territorial integrity,” Gen. Luo wrote (in Chinese).

Gen. Luo’s comments, appearing in a tabloid published by the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, demonstrate a growing impatience within at least some parts of the People’s Liberation Army and the ruling Communist Party over disputes in the South China Sea, which are claimed in whole or part by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

Nonetheless, Mr. Luo’s remarks don’t necessarily reflect wider government thinking. While Beijing hasn’t ceded its claims of complete sovereignty over the sea, it continues to seek diplomatic resolutions with other claimants.

Mr. Luo’s hawkish stance is somewhat odd coming at a time when China already faces military and diplomatic pressure over escalating tensions in neighboring North Korea as well as in relation to Iran, a key Middle East ally.

The Philippines and Vietnam have emerged as the most aggressive opponents of China’s claims over the South China Sea, and allege Chinese naval vessels have harassed their oil-exploration ships there.

The sea is thought to hold large oil and natural gas reserves, though exploration has been hamstrung by ongoing territorial disputes. China National Offshore Oil Corp. last year said it was opening bidding to help develop 19 blocks in the South China Sea. Vietnam subsequently lodged a protest.

At last week’s ASEAN summit, southeast Asian leaders struggled to find common ground on how to deal with disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines urged leaders to draft an ASEAN “code of conduct” for resolving sea disputes.

A unified “code of conduct” would help smaller southeast Asian states present a stronger front in negotiating with regional powerhouse China. Vietnam backed the Philippines’ proposal, but it remains unclear whether calls to draft a joint code were supported by Cambodia, an ally of China in the region.

China has long said it opposes what it calls attempts to “internationalize” territorial disputes in the China Sea, and says it wants to resolve conflicts with claimants on a bilateral basis.

–Brian Spegele. Follow him on Twitter @bspegele.

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/04...es-last-chance/
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shoot_to_kill
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NUTS
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matrix
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US Marines poised for more Philippine tours

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Apr 8, 2012 15:22:05 EDT


As the U.S. military ramps up training throughout Southeast Asia, a new generation of Marines and sailors will get the chance to experience the Philippines as previous generations have.

Today, the primary U.S. presence there is limited to Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, a clandestine unit that for the past decade has deployed troops to assist the Philippine military in counterterrorism and humanitarian missions in the southern region of Mindanao. But soon that will change, as more troops, ships and aircraft visit the archipelago nation, U.S and Philippine officials have said.

Speaking March 29 at the Marine Corps Association Ground Logistics Awards dinner in Arlington, Va., Assistant Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford said that in coming years hundreds of Marines are expected to regularly deploy to the Philippines as part of the service’s growing focus on the Pacific. Although the details of this partnership have been slow to emerge, it would appear that plans call for temporary deployments, not increased permanent basing.

“We would like the Americans to come more often,” Albert del Rosario, the Philippines foreign affairs secretary, told Reuters on March 29. “Let’s have these joint training exercises more frequently and on a bigger scale — as many times as we can, in different places if we can.”

Del Rosario was referring to the annual exercise Balikatan, which runs April 16-27. This year, visiting U.S. forces will conduct humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief training in Palawan and Luzon provinces. About 4,500 U.S. and 2,300 Filipino troops will participate.

Beyond Balikatan, though, a greater U.S. presence in the region is seen as a show of support for a longtime ally wary of a growing Chinese military and influence. China views it as provocation from Washington, where President Obama is scheduled to meet with Philippine President Benigno Aquino II on April 30, presumably to discuss plans for greater military cooperation and the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets and a naval vessel.


THREATS, EXERCISES AND LIBERTY

The U.S and Philippine governments have had a mutual defense treaty for 60 years, and the Philippines have been a regular port stop for Marines and sailors for years. The U.S. had a major naval base there, Naval Station Subic Bay, for much of the 20th century, but it closed in 1992 after the host nation asked U.S. forces to leave.

Today, terrorist and transnational threats plague the Philippines. Its military is battling ethnic rebels and insurgents in the southern islands, as well as the Abu Sayyaf terror network, an Islamist separatist movement linked to al-Qaida. Militants have carried out bombings, kidnappings and assassinations since the 1990s.

The country also has an ongoing dispute with China over claims in the South China Sea, some rich with oil and gas resources.

English and Tagalog are the official languages. Marines and sailors who travel there experience a tropical climate, lush with jungles, mountains and coastal lowlands that are home to mangroves and swamps. All that beauty is tempered by devastating typhoons and mudslides that strike the region.

Marines who travel there for training participate in a variety of live-fire exercises at military ranges, sometimes working alongside their counterparts with the Philippine marine corps. A specialized force of the Philippine navy, it numbers about 7,000 and includes:

• Force Reconnaissance Battalion.

• Field Artillery Battalion.

• Marine Escort and Security Group.

• 4th Marine Brigade (Reserve).

The Philippines also are known for their raunchy party atmosphere. Places such as Olongapo and Angeles City feature notorious red-light districts where alcohol and scantily clad women have attracted many Marines and sailors over the years.

“Whatever you heard was probably true,” said Dave Francisco, a retired sergeant major whose off-duty experiences in the Philippines came during liberty calls with Marine units during western Pacific cruises with the Navy. “It was awesome. That’s what WestPac is: a lot of fun, a lot of good partying and a lot to do.”


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/...s-tours-040812/
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Santi Kampilan
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Last chance to what? To side with China? Well, fat chance!
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Maubanin70
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Santi Kampilan
Apr 10 2012, 03:09 AM
Last chance to what? To side with China? Well, fat chance!

Or give our RIGHTS.. :headbang:
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seWer Rat
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Football diplomacy coming to disputed South China Sea islands


The Associated Press
Date: Tuesday Apr. 10, 2012 6:39 AM ET



http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Politics/2012041.../#ixzz1rdWn2gih

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine and Vietnamese navies have agreed to let their sailors play football and basketball on disputed South China Sea islands to ease tension and build trust in a troubled region long feared as Asia's next flashpoint for armed conflict.

Philippine navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said Tuesday that the "fun games" were part of a broader agreement he signed with his Vietnamese counterpart in October. The accord calls for their navies to undertake confidence-building steps and share more information to allow them to better respond to maritime accidents in the disputed Spratly Islands.

China, which claims virtually the entire South China Sea, is likely to protest such a show of military alliance in the disputed region. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

Last year, the Philippines and Vietnam separately accused Chinese vessels of intruding into their territorial waters and disrupting oil explorations. China has dismissed the protests, saying Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over those areas on historical grounds.
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Under the naval agreement, Pama said Filipino navy men could visit the main Spratly island occupied by their Vietnamese counterparts and vice versa, then play football and basketball although no date has been set for the friendly games. They can exchange information on a variety of issues and plan how best to respond to accidents such as those involving fishermen, he said.

Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr., who heads a small civilian community on Pag-asa, a Spratly island occupied by Philippine forces, welcomed the warming ties between the Filipinos and the Vietnamese. Vietnamese troops occupy Southwest Cay island several kilometres from Pag-asa island.

"This will lessen the tension and apprehension about a shooting war," Bito-onon told The Associated Press by telephone. "It's good if they'll play games, eat on the same table ... than not have a line of communication."

The battle over the resource-rich Spratlys has settled into an uneasy standoff since the last fighting, involving China and Vietnam, that killed more than 70 Vietnamese sailors in 1988.
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