Are you going to Scarborough Rock?

[andyaus]

"parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme"

 

or should it be

 

Philippines, USA, China and us?

 

 

For those of you who have not been keeping up with the news, there is an Island , about the size of a baht bus , which is in dispute between Philippines and China.

 

Back in 1947 Chiang Kai Shek drew a map showing this area as part of Chinas territorial waters. I think he also claimed Taiwan but that didn’t end well.

 

Now the Island is about 200 kms from Manila so the Philippines are saying that they have territorial rights over the rock. More importantly the series of islands and reefs called the Spratleys.

It seems that both claims have some merit and recently the Philippines have got pushy with some Chinese fishermen which has caused some international issues.

 

Make no mistake this is about oil or more importantly Chinas lack of it. It seems very likely that there is oil under these rocks and China wants it. Equally the Philippines who kicked the US out of Subic bay 20 years ago want them back and they see this oils as a major drawcard.

 

I think we might hear a lot more about this and soon. This has the potential to turn nasty very quickly.

[kansuwan]

Huff and puff - similar to the tiff about the Spratley Islands in 1988. Joint exploration agreeent signed in 2005.

[andyaus]

Huff and puff - similar to the tiff about the Spratley Islands in 1988. Joint exploration agreeent signed in 2005.

 

I hope you are correct. The chinese seem a little more intense this time and there is a fair amount of press in Australia. Of course we have a new foreign minister who wants his picture in the paper so that might explain things.

[mroy]

any dispute over an area of oil has always been bad, doesnt look gd