Philippines, the South China Sea, the logic

Top Philippine Government public Ocean awareness, strategic vacuum, enclosure blue ocean
Total Philippine coastline of 36,289 km long, the sea is about 7 times times the land area of its exclusive economic zone, an area of 2.2 million square kilometers. Advantageous natural conditions in the territory, are favourable to the development of fisheries. The Philippine Government since its in the 1960 of the 20th century, attaches importance to the development of fisheries, 1977 volume ranks 13th in the world of fishing, fishery output value GDP5% in the late 80, fishery has become one of the major foreign exchange earning sectors.
According to the Government of the Philippines in 2002 statistics, fisheries in China around 1 million, the labour force of 5%. About 670,000 people in the fisheries sector, 57,000 were engaged in commercial fishing, about 260,000 people employed in the aquaculture companies. Governments across the country are built with fisheries training school, free training designed for fishermen, also provides scholarships for children of fishermen, encourage young people to engage in fisheries and other related work. Is an ocean with a long tradition in the Philippines Islands, fishing is not only life skills, are a way of life.
As early as 1955, the Philippines has put forward the concept of archipelagic States, advocates of Oceanic Islands as a whole to deal with. In March 1956, the Philippine Maritime Institute President Mary 40 crew led by Thomas g Los excuse expedition has reached the North reef, South reef, Nansha Islands, 9 and "occupation". In June 1961, publication No. 3046, Bill in the Philippines, around the outermost islands draw 80 straight baselines of the islands of the Philippines, and the line outside the baseline, the West Sea area within the transit line provided for in the Treaty of Paris known as the territorial sea of the Philippines, much-expanded its waters.
In July 1971, the Philippine Government had sent the Navy occupation of Spratly Islands in the South China Sea reef, Zhongyedao. By 1974, the Philippines had occupied 5 Islands in the Spratly Islands, namely Ma Huandao, Feixindao, Moon Island, North West reef, and Zhongyedao. At this point, through civil theft of island, the Philippine Government cleverly "backdoor listing", became a party to the dispute.
In 1978, the Philippine President Marcos signed Presidential Decree 1596th, 33 islands and reefs of the Spratly Islands, an area of 64,976 square nautical miles of the waters called "part of the territory of the Philippines, and on the implementation of the Administration". The Philippines is the first country to declare the exclusive economic zone in the ASEAN countries. 1956-1970 within this period, the Philippine Government to "civil adventure", with "Government intervention", step by step from the sovereign legal preparation and actually start with control of resources in the waters of a two-pronged approach. In 1974, after China won the Xisha Islands, in the South China Sea for a long time not as, the Philippines and Viet Nam have opportunity. "More"
Fishermen, the Navy and the Government of the Philippines to guard chain, without fear or favour against army
For the recent confrontation in the Philippines in the South China Sea, huangyan Island, the Philippine fisheries Union (Pamalakaya) fishermen whose tough to Ma Keqing sent a letter to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines. Wrote in a letter: "Madam Ambassador, China demonstrated in the huangyan Island crisis of political arrogance is unacceptable, is for all fishermen in the Philippines and the Philippine national collective sovereignty of the 90 million people offended. Bullying affects less than 200,000 Chinese fishermen fishing activities. "Responsible person said:" we do not allow any foreign forces, both China and the United States, using their strong military force of bullying us. Fishermen in the Philippines are "lead the charge", Ambassador to China attack. Their logic is that the huangyan island is only 220 kilometers from three strokes at the province of the Philippines, from 350 kilometers from Manila, but the huangyan Island to 1100 km to Guangzhou. Why so long distance intervals, non-to claim that China has sovereignty over huangyan island?
Fishermen are behind the Navy. Although the economic vulnerability of the Philippines military is very weak, is still dependent on the World War II battleships of the period, but never avoided confrontation in the country. The bravado of a patriotic nature, government officials and news media have been China's South China Sea known as the "West Sea of the Philippines". President Aquino III verbally claimed that the Islands belong to the Philippines, "we showed to the world was clear: are we are we". Busy upgrading equipment seriously behind the armed forces of the Philippines in recent years, purchase new ships and weapons, and from the United States to buy second-hand "Hamilton" patrol.
Philippine President Aquino III by the 57th executive order creating a national marine monitoring system, to expand the Navy and maritime security operations in the country, maintaining territories in the Philippines to protect its people and resources from the threat from the sea. Authorized the Philippine Coast Guard and the national marine monitoring system Philippines Navy maritime patrol missions of the joint implementation of the West Philippine Sea. United States Coast Guard provide training and equipment support. In the 57th, Executive orders, national marine monitoring system is expressed as "oceans and security operation coordinated by a central body" in order to "enhance national governance of marine areas".
Huangyan island after confrontation, Foreign Minister, spokesman of the Government of the Philippines and President Aquino III, at different times and on different occasions issued a strongly worded statement condemning China's territorial claims, rendering the China threat theory, even third States not directly say line up. Where you can see fishermen's awareness of protecting their own interests in the Philippines, strong positions and actions of the Government directly or indirectly interact with the formation of Filipino fishermen also echoes the trend.
Although the General aging of the fleet in the Philippines, but a military deal with China's civilian vessel more than enough. Confrontation between the huangyan Island, is the largest tonnage of Hamilton-class patrol ship in the Philippines tried to arrests of Chinese fishermen in the South China Sea, huangyan island waters. China marine surveillance ship was the largest warship in the Philippines, strength comparison of disparity between the two sides. "More"
Wishful thinking in the Philippines: the intransigence and share the Chinese development dividend
South China Sea is the communication between two oceans and sea hub to link three continents, is the lifeline of China's offshore oil and trade. 39 route leading to the outside, there are 21 through the Nansha Islands Sea area, 60% foreign trade transport in Nansha after, waters around the Spratly Islands have become the place where the lifeline to ensure national energy security and trade. South China Sea is not only important strategic location, is still a huge untapped oil, and the Persian Gulf, Mexico as famous for the four oceans of the world, and the North Sea oil and gas in the Gulf area. The Philippines relies heavily on imports of oil and economy vulnerable to the effects of international oil price shocks. Philippine domestic population, energy gap, urgent need to develop energy sources to relieve the pressure of domestic energy. Close proximity to face resource and strategy of a vacuum, there is no reason not to touching of the Philippines.
Although the Philippines firm, the economic interests between the South China Sea issue and know how to play. Want really interests, but also want to avoid war. In 2010, the Philippines in bilateral trade volume $ 27.746 billion, by the end of June 2011, China on Philippine non-financial direct investment of us $ 251 million, China has become the third-largest export market and trading partner of the Philippines. September 2011 President Aquino leads nearly 300 very large business delegation visit to China, his plan was: both want to harvest a large number of commercial contracts in China, and trying to not make concessions on the issue of the South China Sea, share dividend of China's economic development.
Not difficult to find there is an ambivalence of the Philippines, on the one hand from the bridgehead when US troops returning to Southeast Asia to Latin America to China to increase its presence in the South China Sea and China energy; on the other hand want to really enjoy the benefits of China's development and look forward to more such benefits. But in any case, any of the leaders in the South China Sea, including Aquino can not compromise on domestic political opponents eye covetously, no compromise will be dragged into the abyss of irreversible; International Philippines needs to take on South China Sea issues to attract United States material support and security. Then Philip internationalization and complex issue, strong ASEAN countries line up position, invite international oil company exploitation, petitioned the United Nations, rendering the China threat theory, creating illusion of transit of China against the strong weak, in a variety of ways to consolidate the dominant fact of occupation of South China Sea.
China terrestrial civilization a long, haimin Ocean awareness is very weak. At a time when world enclosure in a new blue, due to the national consciousness and national strategies were slow to move from land to sea, missed opportunities and interests. Current development thinking of land and development of marine, also created many contradictions and problems of development of marine economy in China. China's traditional boundaries at sea "with nine lines" already exists in name only, and lack of intensity and strength are vying for marine interests, lack of significance of the marine management theory, supported by lack of Viet Nam as a full system of national marine strategies, gives "let things go hang" impression. When many South China Sea "vagrant" island returned to the embrace of the motherland? Hazel said, "facing the sea, with Spring Blossoms", if only some years later generations can still enjoy this kind of poetry.