India, the strongest military power, and the Philippines, the strongest military power in ASEAN, are stepping up their military cooperation in the South China Sea. They are now holding joint naval patrols to maintain peace and stability in the area, once the role of the Americans and Australians. The real reason is to counter China's presence.
The point is this, did India and the Philippines got approval from the Americans and the Australians, and also from the Japanese, to assume the role of being the policemen of the South China Sea? Or they think they are strong enough to ignore the Americans and allies. They just do what they want as the two most powerful countries in the region, with antique warships and hand me downs from the Americans and Japanese.
Oh, did India and the Philippines ask the views of ASEAN states? ASEAN states also have an interest in the security and stability of the region. Maybe they have, and the rest of ASEAN just say yes, after all India and the Philippines are the two most powerful states here. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have very small and weak navies and better shut up.
Another point, patrolling the South China Sea needs a lot of money for fuel, supplies and the salaries for the sailors. And India and the Philippines are also very rich, so they can afford to pay for the role they are taking up, as the protectors of the South China Sea, to ensure there is freedom of navigation so that their merchant ships can ply safely through these waters, with their cargoes of bananas, maids, pharma drugs, and high tech goods from India.
The South China Sea trade routes are very important to these two great trading nations. China and the ASEAN states should say a big thank you to the Indians and Pinoys to patrol and maintain freedom of navigation at their own costs and save some money from doing it themselves.
Good job, India and the Philippines.
Joe Biden already gave ASEAN countries money to buy sampans to patrol the waters around ASEAN. Vietnam and Philippines took the funding and have to obey the piper calling the tune.
ReplyDeleteWe know India and Philippines are just, as described by Scott Bessent, not that
ReplyDeleteimportant players, just supporting clowns, moving tables and chairs, nothing more. Ouch, that must hurt the next superpower of the world. But it is great to know that ignorance is bliss.
With India, the next superpower behind the Philippines, ASEAN is no longer important to the Pinoys. Pinoys are now the most powerful country in the region. Which country in ASEAN dares to tell the Pinoy Mickey Mouse to wake up from their delusion of power, just like the Indians, thinking it is really a big power in South Asia only to be whipped by the Pakistanis. Now crying because Trump also whipped them real hard
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