China, Philippines locked in naval standoff

[Leatherneck 693]

I doubt China will NOT bully the Philippines have the bases not been closed. Last year China was enraged when the Japanese CG arrested a Chinese fishing vessel...and there is a strong US presence in Japan.

Besides "enraged," what other physical action did China take in Japanese waters/territory?

[Leatherneck 693]

That case being, the area is owned by the US? Kidding

Eh, remove China from the list

Well, the Philippines should just give it up and become the 51st state or another possession.

Edited April 12, 2012 by Leatherneck

[Kang 22]

Besides "enraged," what other physical action did China take in Japanese waters/territory?

This...

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE7A823C20111109

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/09/japan-china-fishing-boat-collision

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/09/japan-china-fishing-boat-collision

Well, the Philippines should just give it up and become the 51st state or another possession.

You want an additional burden of 94M people, most of which living below $2 a day? That would easily make the Philippine state the "most bankrupt" state

Edited April 12, 2012 by Kang

[MyLittlePony 340]

Philippines have a Navy? too funny.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Maybe the US should do what Russia has.

Lets put the Enterprise on the auction block to a few countries instead of scrapping her. (I know she has no spare parts and the reactors are a pain)

Edited April 12, 2012 by Sousuke

[Leatherneck 693]

This...

http://af.reuters.co...E7A823C20111109

http://www.guardian....-boat-collision

http://www.guardian....-boat-collision

You want an additional burden of 94M people, most of which living below $2 a day? That would easily make the Philippine state the "most bankrupt" state

Yes and the most corrupt. The bright side of it - there's lots of educated talent in the Philippines, most of which are forced to leave to find employment. With a change of the bad management, dumping the stupid anti-investment and property ownership laws for foreigners and with a gradual change of attitudes regarding corruption, the Philippines could become an economic force in Asia.

[Kang 22]

Yes and the most corrupt. The bright side of it - there's lots of educated talent in the Philippines, most of which are forced to leave to find employment. With a change of the bad management, dumping the stupid anti-investment and property ownership laws for foreigners and with a gradual change of attitudes regarding corruption, the Philippines could become an economic force in Asia.

Scenario: the brightest would move to the other states and the most corrupt in other states would move to the Philippines

Kidding!

And the Philippines, for what it is now, is a hotbed for illegal Chinese immigrants (government estimate is at 100,000), more so if it were a state. They'd beat the border states in terms of illegals

Edited April 12, 2012 by Kang

[Leatherneck 693]

Scenario: the brightest would move to the other states and the most corrupt in other states would move to the Philippines

Kidding!

And the Philippines, for what it is now, is a hotbed for illegal Chinese immigrants (government estimate is at 100,000), more so if it were a state. They'd beat the border states in terms of illegals

Maybe the most corrupt would move to D.C.

The border states would be happy and lucky to only have an estimated 100.000 illegals, surely the border states would gladly trade Manila a few million in exchange for her few 100.000.

You be surprised at the number of folks that would remain in the Philippines if the lure of citizenship was no longer an issue. Look at Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands as examples - those folks are not are dying to live stateside. Sure a number of Filipinos would want to come stateside, but many would return to the Philippines once they realized living stateside as compared to the Philippines is challenging.

Besides, look at all of the new nurse the U.S. would suddenly have.

[unlockingsky 94]

Yes and the most corrupt. The bright side of it - there's lots of educated talent in the Philippines, most of which are forced to leave to find employment. With a change of the bad management, dumping the stupid anti-investment and property ownership laws for foreigners and with a gradual change of attitudes regarding corruption, the Philippines could become an economic force in Asia.

let just put every phillippine adult into the marine corp training and those who fail are recycled in the army training.

for the nerds, we should have them building nuclear weapons to threaten china.

[Leatherneck 693]

let just put every phillippine adult into the marine corp training and those who fail are recycled in the army training.

for the nerds, we should have them building nuclear weapons to threaten china.

Except the Army and the Army vets on VJ might not like that idea, but other than that, it was good for a laugh.

[X Factor 1,110]

Philippines have a Navy? too funny.

Maybe a few fishing boats

[unlockingsky 94]

Maybe a few fishing boats

ever seen a tomahawk launching from a fishing boat?

[Dan and Judy 614]

With a fist full of dollars, courtesy of the American taxpayer, sent to Marcos by the boat load by foolish politicians.

No it didn't cost him dollars, Just 1 peso. He was a very shrewd bargainer.

In 1947, Cloma, a Filipino adventurer and a fishing magnate, found several uninhabited and unoccupied groups of islands/islets in the South China Sea. This is the principal basis for justification of Spratly islands territorial claims by the Philippines, along with basis from 1982 UNCLOS archipelagic doctrine.^[2] Cloma, owner of a fishing fleet and a private maritime training institute, the PMI Colleges (formerly known as Philippine Maritime Institute), aspired to open a cannery and develop guano deposits in the Spratlys. It was principally for economic reasons, therefore, that he "discovered" and claimed islands in the Spratlys.^[3] The Philippines justifies its Spratly Islands claims principally on Cloma's claim of the discovery.

On May 11, 1956, together with 40 men, Tomas and his brother Filemon took formal possession of the islands, lying some 380 miles west of the southern end of Palawan and named it Freedomland. Four days later, on May 15, 1956, Cloma issued and posted copies of his "Notice to the Whole World" on each of the islands as a decisive manifestation of unwavering claim over the territory. On May 31, 1956, Cloma declared the establishment of the "Free Territory of Freedomland", ten days after he sent his second representation to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, informing the latter that the territory claimed was named Freedomland. On July 6, 1956, Cloma declared to the whole world his claim and the establishment of a separate government for the Free Territory of Freedomland with its capital on Flat Island (Patag Island). Cloma introduced a distinction between his Freedomland and the Spratlys further west. This distinction later became part of the Philippines foreign policy. This distinction was never fully clarified. It seems that "Freedomland" encompasses most of what others call the Spratly Islands, but not Spratly Island itself, nor the banks and reefs lying to the west of it.^[4]

Cloma's declaration was met with hostile reactions from several neighboring countries, especially the Republic of China. On September 24, 1956 the ROC reoccupied nearby Itu Aba Island (also known as Taiping Island), which it had abandoned in 1950, and intercepted Cloma’s men and vessels found within its immediate waters. The People's republic of China also restated its own claim.^[4]

In the 1970s, after being jailed by Ferdinand Marcos for being popularly called "Admiral,"^[1] Cloma "ceded" his claim to the Philippine government for one peso.^[

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%C3%A1s_Cloma

[Leatherneck 693]

No it didn't cost him dollars, Just 1 peso. He was a very shrewd bargainer.

In 1947, Cloma, a Filipino adventurer and a fishing magnate, found several uninhabited and unoccupied groups of islands/islets in the South China Sea. This is the principal basis for justification of Spratly islands territorial claims by the Philippines, along with basis from 1982 UNCLOS archipelagic doctrine.^[2] Cloma, owner of a fishing fleet and a private maritime training institute, the PMI Colleges (formerly known as Philippine Maritime Institute), aspired to open a cannery and develop guano deposits in the Spratlys. It was principally for economic reasons, therefore, that he "discovered" and claimed islands in the Spratlys.^[3] The Philippines justifies its Spratly Islands claims principally on Cloma's claim of the discovery.

On May 11, 1956, together with 40 men, Tomas and his brother Filemon took formal possession of the islands, lying some 380 miles west of the southern end of Palawan and named it Freedomland. Four days later, on May 15, 1956, Cloma issued and posted copies of his "Notice to the Whole World" on each of the islands as a decisive manifestation of unwavering claim over the territory. On May 31, 1956, Cloma declared the establishment of the "Free Territory of Freedomland", ten days after he sent his second representation to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, informing the latter that the territory claimed was named Freedomland. On July 6, 1956, Cloma declared to the whole world his claim and the establishment of a separate government for the Free Territory of Freedomland with its capital on Flat Island (Patag Island). Cloma introduced a distinction between his Freedomland and the Spratlys further west. This distinction later became part of the Philippines foreign policy. This distinction was never fully clarified. It seems that "Freedomland" encompasses most of what others call the Spratly Islands, but not Spratly Island itself, nor the banks and reefs lying to the west of it.^[4]

Cloma's declaration was met with hostile reactions from several neighboring countries, especially the Republic of China. On September 24, 1956 the ROC reoccupied nearby Itu Aba Island (also known as Taiping Island), which it had abandoned in 1950, and intercepted Cloma's men and vessels found within its immediate waters. The People's republic of China also restated its own claim.^[4]

In the 1970s, after being jailed by Ferdinand Marcos for being popularly called "Admiral,"^[1] Cloma "ceded" his claim to the Philippine government for one peso.^[

http://en.wikipedia....om%C3%A1s_Cloma

I say that tongue-in-cheek considering how much foreign aid Marcos looted. Yes he was a good negotiator, Cloma held out for the best price he could get - considering he wasn't going anywhere. Maybe Marcos made a last and final offer - give up the islands or disappear. That Marcos was such a wonderful fella - Not!

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Maybe one of them shot down North Korea's rocket.