Why is there a Chinese military vessel in Reed Bank?

The question now is, why is China’s military vessel in Reed Bank?

Reed Bank is 800 nautical miles from mainland China. But it’s included in the all encompassing nine-dash-line map, which no other country recognizes.

China has always coveted Reed Bank.

Many years ago, the Philippine Navy found Chinese markers near Reed Bank.

Reed Bank was what China wanted in exchange for the massive loans that it granted the government of Gloria Arroyo who entered into the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam to explore that area.

The legality of the JMSU has been questioned before the Supreme Court which has not decided on it.

Reed Bank is not mentioned in the November 2018 PH-China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Gas and Oil development signed by Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. But it is the understanding that it is the location of MOU, which has not yet evolved into agreement.


In 2010, under the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, the Department of Energy awarded Service Contract 72 to Forum Energy Plc. (FEP) exploration rights to a basin within Reed Bank. Manuel B. Pangilinan’s Philex owns 64.45 percent of FEP, a London-based listed oil and gas exploration firm focused on the Philippines,

Earlier seismic surveys showed that Reed Bank holds vast natural gas reserves with estimates ranging from billions to trillion cubic feet.

From Ellen Tordesillas.

FLASHBACK: China behaving like Nazi Germany in South China Sea, says Benigno Aquino

“I’m an amateur student of history and I’m reminded of ... how Germany was testing the waters and what the response was by various other European powers,” he said, referring to the Nazis’ territorial conquests in the months before the outbreak of the second world war.

“They tested the waters and they were ready to back down if, for instance, in that aspect, France said (to back down).

But unfortunately, up to the annexation of the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, the annexation of the entire country of Czechoslovakia, nobody said stop.

If somebody said stop to Hitler at that point in time, or to Germany at that time, would we have avoided World War II.”

From the Guardian.

Duterte to Xi Jinping: No U.S. troops on Pag-Asa Island

Source article:

In a television interview, Duterte recalled telling Xi not to waste gasoline in sending ships to Pag-asa island.

“‘Why are you surrounding my island with so many ships? You’re wasting your gasoline.’ That’s my exact words. ‘You’re wasting your gasoline. You might as well give it to us,’” the President said.

“I told you I will not allow, as long as I am President, any American to set foot on that Pag-asa. Because I know that it will create really trouble. And I will not allow their arms. If it’s a Philippine government arms given to us by America, well that’s another story. If you want, you can give us a better one,” he added.

But if China does it, it's okay? Ah, maybe because the 2019 midterm elections' over and Duterte is back to his default mode on China.

 “I told him, ‘Did I not tell you, Mr. President (Xi), that I will never allow the Americans to set foot on any of the islands controlled by the Philippines? That we will not start any war and that I will never allow American weapons to be stationed in that island?’” he said.

“Do not deprive them [Filipino fishermen] because you know we are poor. You prohibit us, you will just create the inflation to go higher,” Duterte added.

Begging?

FLASHBACK: China’s Spratlys intrusions connected to Gloria Arroyo deal

 from GMAnews:

The current word war between the Philippines and China is another proof of the continuing curse of Gloria Arroyo on the Filipino people. The latest series of diplomatic protests lodged by the Philippines with China and submitted also to the United Nations have its roots to the controversial Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking entered into by the Arroyo government with China in 2004 which allowed China and later on Vietnam to explore not only the Philippine-occupied islands in the disputed mineral-rich Spratlys but areas that are clearly Philippine territory. The JMSU was signed during Gloria Arroyo’s 2004 visit to China which paved the way for the signing of at least two graft-riddled deals: North Rail and national broadband network with ZTE agreements.

Basically, Arroyo sold our territories to China for crooked deals.

More: Arroyo: I know ZTE contract tainted but can’t cancel deal

 

China wants the Duterte Model in settling SCS disputes with other ASEAN countries

Beijing wants to apply the Duterte Model of finding a solution to its South China Sea disputes with Malaysia. Negotiating a bilateral deal with Kuala Lumpur, that is, rather than a multilateral deal that could involve all countries having an interest in the region.

That’s according to an article that appeared in The South China Morning Post, which claims that “Beijing is pushing for mechanism like it has with Manila… rather than go directly to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”

That "Duterte Model" is going to get Duterte executed for treason.

Flashback: President Aquino Should Avoid Inflammatory Rhetoric On South China Sea: China Is Not Nazi Germany!

Garbage article minimizing the threat of China from 2015. How much are the Chicoms paying that guy?

Trump orders national emergency on information security; Commerce Department follows with Huawei restrictions

• Trump’s order bars the use of telecoms equipment made by companies deemed a threat to US national security, threatening Huawei

• Move would stymie Huawei’s efforts to expand into critical 5G market, giving US a chance to play catch-up 

from the South China Morning Post.