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South China Sea: Tensions as Manila condemns Beijing over 'threatening' boats
Express (U.K.) ^ | Sat, Apr 24, 2021 | Oliver Trapnell

Posted on 04/25/2021 11:29:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway

MANILA has condemned China over its failure to withdraw a fleet of "swarming and threatening" boats that have been anchored in the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) since early March.

More than 200 vessels moored off the Whitsun reef back to shelter from “bad weather”, but most remain anchored in the area more than a month later. In a statement issued on Friday, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said 165 Chinese fishing, coast guard and maritime militia vessels were observed in the area.

The statement read: “The presence of these vessels blatantly infringe upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

“The continued swarming and threatening presence of the Chinese vessels creates an atmosphere of instability and is a blatant disregard of the commitments by China to promote peace and stability in the region.”

The statement comes as Philippine armed forces promised to enforce action after suggesting China had “not honoured” agreements.

Cirilito Sobejana, leader of the nation's armed forces, told reporters China had been building structures in the West Philippine Sea and that, in response, they would build their own.

Manila also lodged two new diplomatic protests against China on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned the presence of the Chinese boats could ignite “unwanted hostilities” between two nations with historic rifts.

Manilla has been urging Beijing to withdraw the “maritime militia” since the incident was first reported, claiming the incursion into the nation’s EEZ is illegal.

However, China has denied any wrongdoing. The eastern superpower says the fishing boats are allowed to be there on historic rights despite the Hague stating Beijing’s claims are “without merit”.

The Philippine government announced a South China Sea task force would be established in an attempt to increase the nation’s military presence and respond to acts of Chinese aggression.

The task force will contain more vessels and an aircraft that will be deployed to protect the country’s maritime sovereignty.

Growing tension between the two countries also prompted the US to send an aircraft carrier to the region in support of their Philippine allies.

US ambassador to the Philippines, Jose Manual Romualdez, said Washington was waiting for the Philippines to ask for help.

Speaking on the deployment of the US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, he added: “We were working round the clock, so to speak, in terms of being able to navigate or making sure that there’s the freedom of the sea and the Code of Conduct that we are pushing.”

China claims over 90 percent of the resource-rich South China Sea as its own territory.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asia; china; philippines; southchinasea; whitsunreef

1 posted on 04/25/2021 11:29:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
"US ambassador to the Philippines, Jose Manual Romualdez, said Washington was waiting for the Philippines to ask for help."

Good luck with that with Xi's meatpuppet Plugs the Pedo in the White House.

2 posted on 04/25/2021 11:32:14 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (DEFEAT THE COUP D'ETAT BY THE STALINAZI DERP STATE !)
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To: All

Philippine armed forces can’t do squat. As for the United States military, screw the Philippines until President Duterte has been replaced.


3 posted on 04/25/2021 11:51:04 PM PDT by Doofer (The Lockdowns Will Continue Until Your Morale Improves! )
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To: nickcarraway

4 posted on 04/26/2021 12:33:03 AM PDT by BroJoeK ((a little historical perspective...) )
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To: Doofer

screw the Philippines until President Duterte has been replaced.
—————
2022 Presidential ticket: 2022 to 2028 6-year term

Sara Duterte - President
Xi’s other Buttbuddy - Rodrigo Duterte - Vice-President
BiteMe is Xi’s primary buttbuddy

I see her ugly mug on posters all over the Philippines

It’s one way around term-limits


5 posted on 04/26/2021 12:35:07 AM PDT by Starcitizen (So Indian H1B crybaby trash runs Free Republic moderation??? Seems so. )
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To: Doofer

You don’t like Trump?


6 posted on 04/26/2021 12:38:33 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
You don’t like Trump?

Trump has nothing to do with the current situation.

7 posted on 04/26/2021 2:25:42 AM PDT by Doofer (The Lockdowns Will Continue Until Your Morale Improves! )
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To: Starcitizen

I’ve seen the some of the posters myself and it makes me sad.


8 posted on 04/26/2021 2:27:56 AM PDT by Doofer (The Lockdowns Will Continue Until Your Morale Improves! )
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To: nickcarraway

Doesn’t “tensions” imply some sort of conflict that’s winnable or achievable for either side? The PLA Navy isn’t far from having complete dominance of their Eastern and Southern seas. Don’t think they’ll be much “tension” where a CinC Sleepy Joe or his muppets are involved. It’ll be over fast.


9 posted on 04/26/2021 3:06:50 AM PDT by No_Mas_Obama
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To: nickcarraway
So China's getting aggressive in the Pacific with a moron in the US White House, the US Congress and Supreme Court under the control of the woke mob, and a US military whose mission is diversity and inclusiveness, not national defence, and is manned by transvestites, pregnant fighter pilots, and affirmative action recipients!

Hey Australia! Are you feeling vulnerable now???

Hey People of the World, how do you like the US nuclear arsenal in the control of these people???

Hey pro-Democrat Voters, is there ANYTHING that could shock you out of your delusions and into reality???

Hey Illegal Immigrants, do you know what you're getting into???

10 posted on 04/26/2021 4:04:51 AM PDT by Savage Beast (“Morality, like a chameleon, tends to take on the color of the circumambient society.” P. Yogananda)
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To: Savage Beast
"Hey pro-Democrat Voters, is there ANYTHING that could shock you out of your delusions and into reality???"

You're kidding, right?

When dead people vote...
When illegal aliens vote...
When underage teenagers vote...
When out of state citizens vote...
When ballot boxes are stuffed...
When machine tallies are changed...
When the news is censored...
When Soviet style agit-prop replaces straight reporting...
When law-abiding citizens feel intimidated...
When anything nefarious goes on...

Then Democrats win elections.
Otherwise, subtract out all those "votes" and what's left?
A conservative-Republican landslide.

11 posted on 04/26/2021 4:54:48 AM PDT by BroJoeK ((a little historical perspective...) )
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To: BroJoeK

12 posted on 04/26/2021 5:36:00 AM PDT by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: nickcarraway
Didn't the Phillipino’s kick tour navy base out of the country?
13 posted on 04/26/2021 6:00:06 AM PDT by SMARTY ( "Force always attracts men of low morality. " Albert Einstein)
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To: nickcarraway

China owns Phillipines intra-island ferry system. The country and Duterte could be starved out in 2 weeks.


14 posted on 04/26/2021 8:26:57 AM PDT by StAnDeliver (Eric Coomer of Dominion Voting Systems Is The Blue Dress)
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To: nickcarraway
One of the dumber things the Flips did was kicking the US Navy out of
Subic and Cubi Point...that flight line was built to launch B-52's at the old
Soviet Union...it would have done just as well for Beijing...
15 posted on 04/26/2021 9:05:16 AM PDT by major_gaff (University of Parris Island, Class of '84)
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To: BroJoeK

Exactly! And well said.


16 posted on 04/26/2021 9:20:33 AM PDT by Savage Beast (“Morality, like a chameleon, tends to take on the color of the circumambient society.” P. Yogananda)
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To: nickcarraway

So sink them.

L


17 posted on 04/26/2021 9:24:12 AM PDT by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is. , )
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To: nickcarraway

Who was the American idiot to banned Neutron bombs again?


18 posted on 04/26/2021 10:16:26 AM PDT by Glad2bnuts (“If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer, )
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