MANILA (DWDD) – The United States of America and China might end up in a military confrontation if the latter would push through with its dredging activities in the Scarborough Shoal.
According to retired US Navy Admiral Dennis Blair, China’s maritime expansionism and adventurism in the South China Sea, claiming almost 90% on the territory through their flawed nine-dash line theory is continuously flaring tensions in the region.
Beijing has illegally encroached on territories well-within other countries boundaries and exclusive economic zones and converting former shoals, atolls and reefs into man-made islands in an effort to expand its influence in the South China Sea, through their military facilities disguised as development projects.
Further, aside from using their Coast Guard, China has also unleashed fishing militias in contested waters, protecting Chinese fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and poaching activities.
A shooting war would ensue if Beijing would pursue its dredging in the Scarborough Shoal, and they would be on the losing end of a maritime clash since both Philippine and American forces are properly placed in the region.
In the past few months, the US and China has been trading tirades on the issue of freedom of navigation and overflight in which Beijing has vested interest, where they plans to impose an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to further take control of vital shipping lanes thus controlling world trade, similar to what they tried to impose in the East China Sea.
America has stepped up with its naval and air patrols within the contested areas, where Chinese planes and ships have been shadowing them in an effort to intimidate, but to no avail, although the possibility of conflict is low.
Admiral Blair believes that the Philippines has a strong legal case over China that they filed in the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands since it is clear that the shoal is close in proximity, roughly 150 miles from the nearest Philippine shore compared to 500 miles from Beijing.
The decision is expected to handed down late June or early July. Although China has earlier stated that they won’t recognize the decision of the UN court because this will nullify their claim in the disputed region.
Meanwhile, the alliance between the US and the Philippines remains strong with the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and further enhanced by Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (ECA) where we could implore their help militarily if the need arises, like if we are attacked by an external party. AES / MCAG
http://dwdd.com.ph/2015/potential-flashpoint-u-s-vs-china-over-scarborough-shoal/
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