The South China Sea has been a point of contention, with China building artificial islands and asserting sovereignty over a large portion of the sea. This has led to tensions with the Philippines, who has been trying to assert its own claims. The Philippines has been running aground a decommissioned warship, the Sierra Madre, as a form of protest. This has led to confrontations with Chinese Coast Guard ships, which have fired water cannons and lasers at the Philippine Coast Guard supply ship.
The islands in question, Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Reef, are close to the Philippines and about 1,200 km away from China. China has been building military bases on these islands, which has raised concerns about its intentions. The Philippines has been trying to prevent China from getting closer by running aground the Sierra Madre, a warship that was decommissioned in 1999.
The U.S. has been supporting the Philippines, with the State Department issuing a statement that if China attacks the Sierra Madre, the U.S. will enter the war on behalf of the Philippines. The Philippines has also been providing additional U.S. military bases, which are strategically located close to Taiwan.
The South China Sea is of importance to the U.S. and Korea as well, due to its strategic location and the potential for vast natural resources. However, China's claims and actions have raised concerns about its intentions and have led to a tense standoff. The region is also a key part of the Indo-Pacific, further complicating the situation.
1. The reporter is discussing a historical incident involving a Chinese coast guard ship firing water cannons at a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the West Sea. This incident was based on a similar event that occurred in the South China Sea involving the Philippines.
2. The two reefs near Palawan Island in the Philippines, Mischief and Second Thomas Hamcho, are about 40 km apart and 300 km away from Palawan Island. They are about 1,200 km away from China, making them closer to the Philippines.
3. On the 5th, a Philippine Coast Guard supply ship carrying supplies to Second Thomas Reef encountered a Chinese Coast Guard ship, which sailed threateningly and started shooting water cannons.
4. The Chinese Coast Guard boat is heavily armed with various weapons and is considered a naval warship. This is not the first time China has used this tactic.
5. In February, a Chinese Coast Guard patrol boat fired a laser at a Filipino supply ship, causing temporary blindness among the soldiers hit by the laser. This incident caused public opinion in the Philippines to become agitated.
6. On the 22nd, a Philippine Coast Guard supply ship sailed to Second Thomas Shiptoll again and was blocked by several Chinese Coast Guard ships. After a four-hour standoff, they allowed it to pass on a humanitarian level.
7. The abandoned Philippine warship, Sierra Madre, is stranded on Second Thomas Reef. The name of the abandoned warship is surprising as it is a warship built by the U.S. military in 1944.
8. China occupied Mischief Reef in 1995, and started to build facilities on it, turning it into a military facility.
9. The U.S. State Department issued a statement after the incident, stating that the Philippines is also with the U.S. under a mutual defense treaty.
10. The South China Sea is 3 million square kilometers, larger than the Mediterranean Sea. It is an area where exclusive economic zones are complexly intertwined, and China claims a significant portion of it.
11. China has built 7 artificial islands on the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea and turned them into military bases. China's claim to the South China Sea is based on these artificial islands.
12. In 2016, the International Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China had artificial islands in the South China Sea and that there was no legal basis for increasing the prestige by building an island. However, China ignored the court's ruling.
13. The South China Sea is important for the U.S. because most of the energy that enters the country passes through it. It accounts for almost one of the U.S.'s oil imports and close to 50% of its natural gas imports.
14. The South China Sea has become a nearby sea for the U.S., making it a potential powder keg in the Indo-Pacific region.