Thread: China 'building runway in disputed South China Sea island'

China ‘already in possession’ of South China Sea, says Duterte

‘So why do you have to create frictions?’

As the US continues to ramp up its criticisms of China’s activity in the South China Sea, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is cozying up ever closer to Beijing.


Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Singapore, Duterte criticized the US for provoking China, while shrugging his shoulders at China’s expanding presence on islands also claimed by the Philippines.


“China is already in possession (of the South China Sea). It’s now in their hands,” he was quoted by the Straits Times as saying.


“So why do you have to create frictions… that will prompt a response from China?” he said. “China is there… That’s a reality, and America and everybody should realize that they are there.”


Duterte specifically called for the US to let China and ASEAN countries decide how to resolve territorial disputes while criticizing US-led freedom of navigation exercises.


“Everything’s been excellent between China and the rest of Asean, except for the fact that there’s friction between Western nations and China,” he said.


Duterte’s comments were a rebuke of US Vice-President Mike Pence’s speech at the summit, during which he said that “empire and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific,” in a veiled reference to China.


“We will defend freedom of the seas and skies. This is especially important in the South China Sea,” Pence said, according to his prepared remarks released by the White House.


“Let me be clear: China’s militarization and territorial expansion in the South China Sea is illegal and dangerous. It threatens the sovereignty of many nations and endangers the prosperity of the world,” he said.


Since taking office, Duterte has taken measures to scale down military cooperation between the US and the Philippines, which are still bound by a treaty alliance. Meanwhile, he has worked to strengthen ties with Beijing, and his administration is currently in talks with Beijing on a joint oil exploration deal.

China ?already in possession? of South China Sea, says Duterte | Asia Times

Can't imagine it cost China much to buy him.

Chinese lackeys.... couldn't have put it better myself.

Two years after Philippines' pivot, Duterte still waiting on China dividend

Karen Lema, Martin Petty
6 MIN READ

MANILA (Reuters) - Two years after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced a divorce with old ally the United States in return for bumper business ties with China, he doesn’t have much to show for it.

Duterte left Beijing in 2016 with $24 billion of Chinese loans and investment pledges for his ambitious infrastructure overhaul, a few weeks after saying the Philippines was being treated like a dog by Washington and would be better off with China.

But only a fraction of China’s pledged support has materialised, exposing Duturte to criticisms he has been complicit in allowing China to pose threats to Philippines’ sovereignty, and been left high and dry by Beijing.

When Xi Jinping visits the Philippines this week, Duterte will need the Chinese president to put his money where his mouth is and help Duterte justify his geopolitical concessions to a historic rival, according to Richard Heydarian, a Manila-based defence and security analyst.

“Otherwise, we can definitely conclude that there’s really nothing much in the rhetoric and the Philippines has been taken for a ride,” Heydarian said.

“Duterte’s naivety with China has been a slam dunk strategic coup for China, no doubt about it.”

Philippine’s Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said it would be unreasonable to expect all the Chinese pledges to come through after only two years, but officials were hopeful intervention by Xi after his visit could help.

“We’re very optimistic this will, their head of state, will pressure their bureaucracy to speed up the process,” he said last week.

Duterte’s signature “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure programme, the centrepiece of his economic strategy, involves 75 flagship projects of which about half are earmarked for Chinese loans, grants or investments.

But according to publicly available Philippine government documents reviewed by Reuters, only three of those - two bridges and an irrigation facility worth a combined $167 million - have so far broken ground.

The rest, including three rail projects, three highways and nine bridges, are at various levels of planning and budgeting, or are awaiting Chinese government approval for financing, or the nomination of Chinese contractors.

China’s foreign ministry said major projects agreed by both sides “are proceeding smoothly and continue to achieve positive results”. China wanted to boost trade and investment and “promote the early commencement of building of even more agreed upon projects,” the ministry said in a statement to Reuters.

Chinese committed investments in the Philippines in the first half of this year were just $33 million, about 40 percent of that of the United States and about a seventh of Japan’s, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, tracking a similar trend the previous year.

Trade between China and the Philippines has picked up significantly, but data suggests mostly in China’s favour.

Chinese exports to the Philippines grew 26 percent in the first nine months of 2017 from the same period a year earlier, outpacing its imports from Manila, which grew 9.8 percent.

Net foreign direct investment from China has, however, surged to $181 million for the first eight months of this year, from $28.8 million for all of 2017, according to the Philippine central bank.

Duterte has made a point of praising China effusively and confessing his “love” for Xi. He even jokingly offered his country to Beijing as “a province of China”.

Many ordinary Filipinos as well as international lawyers and diplomats are incensed by Duterte’s refusal to even raise with China the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) 2016 award that ruled in the Philippines’ favour, and invalidated Beijing’s claim to most of the South China Sea.

Instead, Duterte is seeking an agreement with China to jointly explore offshore gas at the disputed Reed Bank in the resource-rich and strategic waterway. Some lawmakers fear that could be tantamount to recognising Beijing’s claim to a site that the PCA ruling said China has no sovereign rights to under international law.

Duterte has also been against Southeast Asian countries taking a united stand against China militarisation and at a regional summit last week, he warned against causing friction, because the South China Sea was “now in their (China’s) hands”.

Heydarian said if Duterte was unable to show an economic dividend from his China gambit, it could weaken his hand ahead of 2019 mid-term elections that might determine the success or failure of his presidency.

To stand a chance of delivering on his policy agenda, Duterte needs his allies to command a majority in Congress and the Senate to ensure key legislation is passed to enable reforms aimed at generating revenue, attracting investment and creating higher-quality jobs.

“If after Xi Jinping’s visit, there’s still no big move by China to invest in the Philippines, if China’s militarisation and reclamation will just continue unabated, you’re going to have a situation where Duterte will come under extreme pressure,” he said.

“The opposition is going to use that to pin down Duterte and his allies as Chinese lackeys.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ph...NN0V0?rpc=401&

Ah, instant results required in your world 'arry.

Leave it to the countries democratically elected leaders to comment and explain, not some known biased, propaganda rag.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Ah, instant results required in your world 'arry.

Leave it to the countries democratically elected leaders to comment and explain, not some known biased, propaganda rag.

Exactamundo!

Originally Posted by OhOh

Ah, instant results required in your world 'arry.

Leave it to the countries democratically elected leaders to comment and explain, not some known biased, propaganda rag.

Don't be stupid HoHo, it's obvious he's been paid off. Either that or he is shit at his job.

Duterte has also been against Southeast Asian countries taking a united stand against China militarisation and at a regional summit last week, he warned against causing friction, because the South China Sea was “now in their (China’s) hands”.

He's gone from being the big man to kissing Winnie the Pooh's arse.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Care to share your proof that he, as an individual, has been bought? Or do you believe all you read in the newspapers written by no nothing hacks?



He is still the leader of the Philippines and has much more to do. Or do you believe all you read in the newspapers written by no nothing hacks?

I can't see or smell any cattle, only a little imp, in a large wide brimmed hat.

Deliver me some substance and we can taste it, chew it over or smoke it. Until then ...........

There is no other more logical explanation for a man who has...

gone from being the big man to kissing Winnie the Pooh's arse.

He's like the rest of the belt and road victims... waiting for the chinkies to lend him some money to spend on them building shit for their use in his country using their labour.

You really love hiding from the truth, don't you, you snivelling chinky sycophant.

So no proof, OK.

Originally Posted by OhOh

So no proof, OK.

Proof is all right there.

That's the whole point of the article.

Of course it doesn't come from your Chinky propaganda sources so you refuse to accept it.

Not sure what the deal is with that traitorous turncoat turd duterte but it is a shame since the phils would make a great spot for a massive build-up of Western naval hardware to send the chinky coonts a message that any further island building will be stopped by force.

The US and now UK supercarriers and the Australian and French frigates. We could invite the South Korean and Japanese destroyers along as honorary westerners for the festive fun and India is no friend of the chinks and has a sizeable flotilla.

We need to keep rubbing the chinks up the wrong way in the SCS. If your enemy is of choleric temper seek to irritate him.

Originally Posted by Looper

Not sure what the deal is with that traitorous turncoat turd duterte but it is a shame since the phils would make a great spot for a massive build-up of Western naval hardware to send the chinky coonts a message that any further island building will be stopped by force.

The US and now UK supercarriers and the Australian and French frigates. We could invite the South Korean and Japanese destroyers along as honorary westerners for the festive fun and India is no friend of the chinks and has a sizeable flotilla.

We need to keep rubbing the chinks up the wrong way in the SCS. If your enemy is of choleric temper seek to irritate him.

Duterte is too young to remember America baling the Phils out by kicking out the nips.

Of course by the time the chinkies own everything he'll be holed up somewhere with the loot blaming someone else.

Originally Posted by Looper

........to send the chinky coonts a message that any further island building will be stopped by force..

Even though they like to pick on ill equipped underdogs, I'm still trying to remember the last time the US won a war.

Except this time they would be picking on someone their own size and who is very well equipped.

I don't think the US has the balls to take on China beyond empty posturing. The US is a bully at heart not a pound for pound scrapper.

Originally Posted by Looper

the phils would make a great spot for a massive build-up of Western naval hardware

Bit far from the West, though.

Originally Posted by Luigi

Bit far from the West, though.

The point is that large chunk of the world's trade goes through the South China Sea. What the world does not want is the Chinkies being able to hold any of it hostage because they are trying to do their usual belt and road blackmail/extortion shite.

Originally Posted by foobar

Even though they like to pick on ill equipped underdogs, I'm still trying to remember the last time the US won a war.

Except this time they would be picking on someone their own size and who is very well equipped.

I don't think the US has the balls to take on China beyond empty posturing. The US is a bully at heart not a pound for pound scrapper.

You'd better hope there is never another superpower war, because it will inevitably turn, as Bush Jr. would say, "nucular".

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Duterte is too young to remember America baling the Phils out by kicking out the nips.

Of course by the time the chinkies own everything he'll be holed up somewhere with the loot blaming someone else.

"by kicking out the nips", whom they invited in for their own agenda.

"Of course by the time the ameristanies own everything he'll be holed up somewhere with the loot blaming someone else".

You are suggesting the current Philippine President will kneel to the ameristanies as the previous Presidents have to and enriched themselves, which currently he has not.

A possibility, but not a fact.

Originally Posted by OhOh

A nuclear war is the preferred option for you,yes?



The world of a shrinking one country bankrupt empire, commanded by a yes man, allegedly?



Care to name the current proven Chinese hostages? Care to point out the current proven list of Chinese "blackmailed and extorted" countries? Or just your fake opinion, again.

It's all in your other China thread you snivelling sycophant. I would suggest you go and read it.

Originally Posted by OhOh

"by kicking out the nips", whom they invited in for their own agenda.

The nips were not invited in, they attacked the Phils the same day as Pearl Harbour and occupied the country until the Americans drove them out in 1945.

You stupid, stupid boy.

^Invited in by the ameristani "plan".

But don't tell anyone, it's a secret.

Originally Posted by OhOh

^Invited in by the ameristani "plan".

But don't tell anyone, it's a secret.

Yeah, unfortunately you can't bullshit your way out of that one, dumbass.

Originally Posted by misskit

China ‘already in possession’ of South China Sea, says Duterte

‘So why do you have to create frictions?’

As the US continues to ramp up its criticisms of China’s activity in the South China Sea, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is cozying up ever closer to Beijing.

Obviously, Duterte is finally adhering to the sound advice of his own Filipino (deep-state) cabinet advisers,...eh?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

unfortunately you can't bullshit

It is tempting. But I can resist many temptations, if the action is exorbitant.