NEW DELHI, May 31, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Tension is mounting in the South China Sea with the Philippines refusing to withdraw vessels from Whitsun Reef. Some 220 Chinese vessels congregated in early March at Union Banks and Whitsun Reef, providing for the present standoff between China and the Philippines. The area involved in the present dispute is well within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. China wants to dominate the South China Sea because that would give Beijing a strategic advantage against Taiwan and Japan, before risking a conflict over the Senkaku. President Xi Jingping has always gone for an easy target that he believes can be achieved with minimal risk and costs. Recent media reports suggest that China has warned the United States that it will face defeat if the two superpowers go to war, testimony to what China thinks about its military might.

The threat to the US has come from China in response to the joint military exercise recently carried out by the US, Japan, Australia and France amidst tension in the East China Sea. The involvement of the People's Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) of China in disputes along the maritime borders of the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan cannot be ruled out. This militia comprises mainly fishermen and coastal workers from China. In fact, due to early militia gains, China built 'fishing shelters' to protect their fishermen in the Spratly Islands. Despite these activities, the Chinese government headed by Chairman Xi has denied any link between PAFMM and China's military. China claims that they are fishermen. This enables the PRC to deny any involvement of the Chinese government in these maritime disputes.

Regarding the present deadlock in the South China Sea where the Chinese Maritime Militia is not ready to leave Whitsun Reef, Prof Carl Schuster of Hawaii Pacific University says that this poses a dilemma for the Philippines as the Chinese Maritime Militia is not doing anything to disturb the peace. Can the Philippines believe China and its militia? The Chinese militia may leave the spot temporarily and come back again. The Chinese Coast Guard does not esc*rt them. Schuster believes that the Philippines have to keep a close eye on China's movement in the Whitsun Reef, particularly the Chinese Air Force. They don't have to fear until the Chinese Air Force becomes involved in the present stalemate. They need to watch every action of China and also send a message that they are watching.

Prof Schuster says that the President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte dislikes the United States and does not want a situation where he has to seek US help. In Schuster's opinion, the United States should not help the Philippines either. By now Duterte should have realized that China is worse than the United States. The Philippine President is upset over the fact that if the United States was there to protect the Philippines from China and Russia, then why did it involve itself in the internal politics of the Philippines at the time of the coup. So, President Duterte is stuck between an enemy he can not trust and a friend whom he does not like. He is in a difficult spot.

Continues on https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/66928/united-front-only-way-to-end-philippines'-standoff