A US Navy aircraft carrier conducted joint patrols and exercises with the Philippine military in the South China Sea in the latest US provocation in the region aimed at China.
The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group, which includes a cruiser and two destroyers, participated in the operations on Wednesday and Thursday along with four Philippine vessels, including two former US Coast Guard cutters.
“The maritime cooperative activity marks a significant leap in our alliance and interoperability with the United States. It also demonstrates our progress in defense capabilities and development as a world-class armed force,” said Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin was asked about the joint drills and denounced them as a provocation. “We would like to stress that the US and the Philippines’ muscle-flexing, provocative military activities in the South China Sea are not conducive to managing the situation on the sea and handling maritime disputes,” he said.
The US and the Philippines relaunched joint patrols in the South China Sea in November, marking the first in seven years. But this week’s patrols were a much larger show of force as only one American littoral combat ship and a surveillance plane participated in November.
The US and the Philippines restarted the patrols amid soaring tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea, where the two countries and several other Southeast Asian nations have overlapping claims. In 2023, the frequency of Chinese and Philippine encounters near disputed reefs skyrocketed as the US and the Philippines boosted their military alliance.
Some of the encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels resulted in collisions or the Chinese Coast Guard firing water cannons. The incidents mainly took place when the Philippines was trying to resupply a ship it had grounded on Second Thomas Shoal, a reef claimed by both sides.
Philippine President Marcos Ferdinand Jr. has taken a much harder line against China’s claims to the South China Sea, and he’s been emboldened by increasing support from the US. After each encounter in the South China Sea, the US usually reiterates that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty applies to attacks on Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, meaning the US is ready to intervene if the dispute turns hot.
That is international waters. China needs to get the F out.
That’s like the US taking over the Atlantic.
But since annexing is trendy, why not. Let’s start invading and annexing at will. Venezuela already working on it.
How do you think we attained our States and Territories? How is it any of OUR business in the South China Sea. Is it China’s business that we have the Monroe Doctrine?
It is our business, it’s international waters and we use that to navigate, genius.
I don’t think the Chinese want a war with the US, or with the Philippines. But if they change their minds, the world will discover how “ancient history” gunboat diplomacy has become in this day of nimble, hypersonic missiles.
Good luck poking the Panda while you are poking the Bear while you are poking various Middle Eastern groups while you are poking everyone else you want to dictate to.
Billions spent dictating how other nations shall think and live! The evil empire has no moral high ground remaining.
Except Green Day is caping for Biden.
Are they? I know they pissed the MAGA crowd off with them changing their lyrics to bash Trump. I don’t know if you’re basing it on that or if they actually have come out in support of Biden.
First off, I’m not maga, but Biden’s entire campaign is driven on the narrative of “scary scary magas”.
Actually, my comment was a question. I know Green Day bashed Trump. I just don’t think that automatically makes them Biden supporters. So, I was wondering if they had said something to the effect that they did support Biden. One can hate both.
I guess but when you don’t mention both, you are tipping the scales.
I just looked it up. He does support Bliden. F*cking idiot.
See?
I didn’t realize it at the time but the information that I got about Green Day’s lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, supporting Biden was from 2020. This is what he said back then.
“Our democracy is at stake,” he said. “Our earth is at stake. We need health care for all. We need justice. We need peace. We need police reform. If you are 18 and over PLEASE register to vote!! This is urgent. This is a national emergency.”
I couldn’t find anything current. Armstrong renounced his US citizenship when Roe v. Wade was overturned. But if he thought Biden was the answer back in 2020, that tells me he was woefully uninformed.
Who is he supporting? Are Nikki Haley supporters not ignorant/idiots? Are Biden supporters not idiots?
Why target magas? It’s like trying to be popular with prevailing propaganda.
Paying off a foreign leader again so we can “ratchet up the tensions”.