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Why Philippines becomes so 'radical' in South China Sea?

By Yu Jinghao (People's Daily)

16:15, April 27, 2012

Edited and translated by People's Daily Online

Philippine and U.S. soldiers held a joint amphibious landing drill on April 25 along the Palawan Island coastline fronting the South China Sea, which is part of the Balikatan exercise 2012 between the two countries. The state-owned Philippines National Oil Company announced just a day earlier that it found more natural gas than expected around Reed Bank, which is part of China’s Nansha Islands. The U.S.-Philippines joint military exercise and the natural gas announcement may add fuel to the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, Reuters said.

Soldiers in joint drill look like they were just acting

The Philippines has done a lot to publicize the joint drill, and repeatedly stressed its special relations with the United States. However, only 84 soldiers and a few rubber assault boats participated in the amphibious landing drill on April 25, making it look like they were just acting.

Increasingly radical Philippine politicians

What impressed the reporter the most in the Philippines is that the general public in the country adopt a relatively peaceful attitude toward the South Sea China issue, while most politicians and media outlets hold a completely opposite attitude. A local analyst said that the current Philippine government is pandering to the United States. Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, the former ambassador to the United States, has been consistently pro-American.

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（Editor：张茜）

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PD User at 2012-04-28202.169.208.*: Philippines had nothing to claim on south china sea, but right to claim on Sabah,Malaysia. why don;t do that. In history every know Philippines was power to take back,every year the Sultan of Philippines received some token from Malysia.
McCarthy at 2012-04-28206.125.72.*: The longer China waits the stonger the US military presence will become and the harder and more costly the struggle. The writing is on the wall Manila is making a power grab for Chinese territory with the backing of the US imperialists and their corporate bosses. If China continues to appease she will be attacked from all sides with bogus territorial claims and conflicts until China is isolated and discredited which is the US goal. Better to make a stand now than later.
wende at 2012-04-2871.251.45.*: Philippines is putting their small children at risk and act as rallying point. If something should happen to these children when conflict starts, they would claim that these children are killed by Chinese soldiers. Pilipinos are to be blamed for placing their children at risk.
Asean at 2012-04-2865.255.37.*: "I could not believe that simply because the South China Sea was named after China,as well as the North China Sea, that all the islands embraced by it, including the Republic of the Philippines would be owned by China. Otherwise if that argument is correct, then the whole Indian Ocean named after India…. India could claim all the islands embraced by the Indian Ocean."--spread it if you think China is abusive and greedy about the claim of the West Philippine Sea.
PD User at 2012-04-2799.33.178.*: CHINA SHOULD TURN PHILIPPINE UP SIDE DOWN AND SEND THEM TO JUNGLE