The Philippines will develop its own bases in the South China Sea, opposite China
The Philippines will develop islands in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops, Manila military chief Romeo Brawner said Monday .
The plans come as tensions heighten between the Philippines and China, which both claim territory in the South China Sea and have exchanged accusations of aggressive behavior in this strategic waterway.
In addition to the Second Thomas Shoal, known locally as Ayungin, the Philippines occupies eight other spots in the South China Sea and considers them part of its exclusive economic zone. Here is the area in question:
“We would like to improve all nine, especially the islands that we are occupying,” Brawner said after attending a command conference led by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the military headquarters.
Among these is Thitu Island, the largest and most strategically important in the South China Sea. Known locally as Pag-asa, Thitu is located about 300 miles (480 km) west of the Philippine province of Palawan.
Thitu Island
The military wants to bring a desalination plant for troops living aboard a warship that the Philippines deliberately ran aground on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its sovereignty. So what, for now, is a temporary and difficult to protect installation, given that it must be continuously supplied, would become a more independent and stable structure.
The Sierra Madre, Philippine landing ship hosting some soldiers on Second Thomas Shoal
In addition to the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a shipping conduit for cargo worth more than $3 trillion a year.
The military's modernization plans also include the acquisition of more ships, radars and aircraft, as the Philippines shifts its focus to territorial defense from internal defense, Brawner said.
Meanwhile, China has developed several artificial islands in the South China Sea, equipped with ports and landing strips, to confirm its control and sovereignty in the area.
China and the Philippines have arrived in the area on the edge of armed conflict several times. In December, as many as 135 Chinese fishing boats surrounded the Second Thomas Shoal, sparking an angry Philippine reaction .
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new Economic Scenarios articles.
The article The Philippines will develop its own bases in the South China Sea, opposing China comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/le-filippine-svilupperanno-le-proprie-basi-nel-mar-cinese-meridionali-opposte-alla-cina/ on Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:30:14 +0000.