New American Military Bases in Philippines

@rlmcar55 Defend yourselves and your country

@Fred America really don’t need to import a single thing from any other country, if the politicians in office at the moment would stop putting regulations on everything that country would Rock the world. Wait until 2024 and there brain dead president is throwed out for making them look like idiots on the world stage. They have reverse engineering from alien technology that would blow your mind. Now if used in the correct way it would change the world profoundly for the betterment of all. I would believe there use to be for other reasons myself. Never count the sleeping giant out of the game people. Just my opinion though, think what you like!!

All this Anti-American bashing. I love it. I guess my reply below says it all.

Lone Wolf NYC

@Fred America really don’t need to import a single thing from any other country, if the politicians in office at the moment would stop putting regulations on everything that country would Rock the world. Wait until 2024 and there brain dead president is throwed out for making them look like idiots on the world stage. They have reverse engineering from alien technology that would blow your mind. Now if used in the correct way it would change the world profoundly for the betterment of all. I would believe there use to be for other reasons myself. Never count the sleeping giant out of the game people. Just my opinion though, think what you like!!
-@rlmcar55

Everybody knows deep down that what you say is true but they are afraid to say it or even admit that they agree for fear of being canceled by the vogue anti US crowd. So be it. Problem is, China has built up a large offensive force in the region and this time, unlike WWII, the US actually might not win especially with EU going there own way and not following the US lead on China. US moms don't want to send their kids to a shooting war 10000 miles to places where they are viewed as hostile occupiers rather than liberators. The lessons of Japan's cruel occupation have been forgotten, however, the President here has taken the wise approach and seems to have re-engaged with the US in defiance of the nationalist youth.

Seriously people. I do not believe what romcar55 have to say for a second. All your comments is not about China supremacy but American hate. Well, I'm American. I get it. Jealousy and envy kicks in when I come from the most powerful country in the world. Just imagine, we exposed the weakness of the Russian army in Ukraine by just throwing dollars at the Ukrainian government. Imagine if we put boots on the grown. The US goes to the fake 9 dash islands in Asia anytime we feel like it. Who is going to stop us? China? So I though we could lay off the fake news and maybe change the topic. This site is suppose to be on Expats helping each other in foreign countries.

So live long and prosper my Expat Brothers

Lone Wolf NYC

@LoneWolfNYWho is going to stop us? China?

I see you are not read up on the SCS situation. You assume that the USA  will win a conflict with China? Not true. You probably have not read up on the war gaming exercizes where they (China) constantly win, the fact the China has a larger navy in the region than the US, that EU seems to be thinking twice about following our lead, china has hypersonic missiles, we do not...this one would not be a guaranteed win. It should be obvious to you that the only thing standing between China and the smaller nations in the region is the weakened US. I wouldn't flatter myself in pride by thinking the US is the strongest nation in the region or even on earth. On a global scale, the Russia China alliance has us beat hands down.

Danfin. Stop hating us so much. We Americans don't care. I've been to China, and I am definitely not worried. And you're right, it takes two countries to try to beat us in China and Russia. If they could. And please do not try to educate me on warfare:

• Libya
• Somalia
• Gulf War (Twice)
• Afghanistan

How about you?

If China was going to invade Taiwan, they would have done it decades ago. Why not! The US is not having it. We could always send Pelosi to stir up the paper dragon. And don't get me started on the last time China saw real action and was humiliated.

China 1979

Now if you want to chat about 13A visas, or foreign currency, I'm all in. What do you say?

Lone Wolf NYC

Now if you want to chat about 13A visas, or foreign currency, I'm all in. What do you say?



Lone Wolf NYC
-@LoneWolfNY

Here is what "I say". There are plenty of topics in the forum that addresses those issues but this topic concerns US bases in the Philippines and I am fully on topic to that. Got it?

You statement on hating is very confusing so I will defer asdressing it. It makes no sense but I guess there must be some logical process going on up there. Like any good liberal, just accuse the orher party of "hate" as you keep doing and that makes you win.  😂.

If I intended to continue thus weird discussion I would ask your real name since you address me by mine but i won't so you can remain a lone wolf. But I don't intend to continue. Thank you for time soent but I honestly cannot understand where you are coming from. Salamat kaayo.

@Bhavna ok, sorry.

Sumasang-ayon ako na ang buong bagay ay kakaiba.  I didn't join this site to hear more American bashing. It gets old. I joined to share expat experiences. I also didn't use the word "hate" to win. I use the word "hate" to stop you from losing. And yes. I am very well aware of the Americans military in the Philippines.

A name given to me by my closest friends.

Lone Wolf

“Standing with the crowd is easy, it takes courage to stand alone”

( I don't use my real name on a public site. Not a good idea. )

Anyway. No harm done.

Lone Wolf NYC

@rlmcar55 I don't know what you are going on about.

The purpose of military is to acquire/protect resources and commerce. It's always been that way from the time of Darius to a permanent carrier group in the Strait Hormuz. America is here to protect shipping routes. That's it.

@LoneWolfNY Anyway. No harm done

True but I wished I could figure out what you were trying to stay. You seem to have no fixed position and write in what seems to be deep abstractions, such as your comment about "hate", which comes across as nonsense to me. I still cannot figure out if you support US military presence here or not, a yes or no answer would do, but I will not ask anymore because I do not want to sift through another tortured BS response. As for me, i support it, along with millions of Filipinos, each constituency for each country's own reasons.

I think we are missing the big picture here.

(1) China is a major exporter of goods $2.5 Trillion Dollars (South China Sea)

(2) China is a major importer of goods $2.13 Trillion Dollars (South China Sea)

(3) The South China Sea is crucial for China.

(4) China is the worlds largest importer of crude oil, 11 million barrels a day.

China better start to import Imodium, because they are going to need it.

Amen. Before we panic about Nukes and the propensity of crazy people to commit suicide while taking their enemies along with them, let's consider a couple of things:

1. Xi Xinping is not an idiot. The Communists finally got a clue after watching Hong Kong's wildly successful Capitalism demonstration and decided they'd like some of that; but being Commies, they weren't about to jump in and suffer all the difficulties of allowing the masses to manage themselves. Hmmmm........  what if we adopted Capitalism and kept control......... A big  Wowwwww....... followed by wild dreams of possibilities settled into their minds, and...... well..... you know the rest, up to now.
2. The people are sheep to them, expendables, but also vital, because they do the work, so keep them chin deep in modern conveniences, keep the workers fed, clothed, housed, and most of all, busy, and Voila!! Here we are, on the threshold of WW3.......? Maybe. I dunno. 
3. Back to no. 1; Xinping is not an idiot. We, on the other hand (speaking as an American) have an idiot in the WH, being manipulated by functional humans with a tilt toward fundamental transformation of the USA, and I won't go any farther...... It's dicey, to say the least, but only a fool kills the goose that lays golden eggs. I yield the floor back to the moderator. 

Xinping is not an idiot. We, on the other hand (speaking as an American) have an idiot in the WH

-@TitoDan

People call another an idiot if they have different opinions. Going with the logic, we'd be calling each other idiots. We'll start hatin' and we'll stop talking. That's no good.

@danfinn well said my friend

I think we are missing the big picture here.
(1) China is a major exporter of goods $2.5 Trillion Dollars (South China Sea)
(2) China is a major importer of goods $2.13 Trillion Dollars (South China Sea)
(3) The South China Sea is crucial for China.
(4) China is the worlds largest importer of crude oil, 11 million barrels a day.

China better start to import Imodium, because they are going to need it.
-@Enzyte Bob

China's 9 dash line claims those same waters, the shipping lanes, as their own territory. The UN court rejected that claim and China rejected that ruling. Nobody was/is threatening to block those shipping lanes; apparently they want to grab the territory simply for complete control of their future at the expense of smaller nations like the Philippines with historic sovereign claims in the region.

That 9 dash line is expansive. Not only does it enclose Taiwan as we might expect but it parallels Palawan to the point where, in southern Palawan you would almost need a Chinese visa to wade onto the beach. Without any international  agreement, Chinese mapmakers created that 9 dash...in fact, it has been said that globes in Philippine classrooms show that as the border because the globes are made in China and that's the only way they manufacture them.  I think that without a strong international ally and treaty partner engaged in the region, Chinese map makers would have little problem moving the line over a bit and enclose Palawan, for example.

Well, as a former US military member, the worst thing to do is nothing! China is counting on that. Love them or hate them, the US is the best and only option here

@rlmcar55 You mean like the Japanese in the 1930s and 40s? That wasn't pretty, and maybe it could have been averted if there was a deterrent force in the region.

Well, as a former US military member, the worst thing to do is nothing! China is counting on that. Love them or hate them, the US is the best and only option here
-@Martin882

Agree 100% and I might mention that even this best option is no guarantee of a complete success. In the US, circumstances back home are not encouraging. The current admin still maintains that the Afghanistan catastrophe was a complete success.

No one can live in the past. People and governments must learn from mistakes. No way to move forward unless you learn from the past. Being an expat in the Philippines I know the fears of the Filipino people and why there are so many laws and restrictions to prevent foreigners from taking advantage. Governments must do the same and ensure they are not taken advantage of

After working on Afghanistan for 8 yr I can assure you that was no success. So what politicians say, it’s what they do that matters. No one deny the US efforts now are to attempt to head off the Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. I believe it a bit too late but what is the alternative? All neighboring countries just concede all the territory to Chinese? Or maybe try to negotiate with them? That’s always a choice

No one can live in the past. People and governments must learn from mistakes. No way to move forward unless you learn from the past.
-@Martin882

That is exactly the problem I am referring to. The administration refuses to admit they made any mistakes in bugging out of Afghanistan. But on the positive side, it does look like the US and RP military are seriously preparing for any possible conflict by inceasing US access to bases and live fire training exercises.

@Jackson4 👍🏻👍🏻It’s amazing how one’s views are guided by the media. Whether is Fox, CNN or any other. You can pretty tell what “school” a person is from by what the let out of their mouth. I have found there is no reasoning with these people. When I was in the US I did not watch CNN or Fox, so my views are not poisoned by bias. As I mentioned earlier I was a U.S. serviceman and I was a contractor in Afghanistan. I formed my own views. After about a month there I knew that there was not way to win that war, all you could do is postpone the inevitable. That’s what we did. Just like Vietnam.

So my point is do we “postpone the inevitable in the South China Sea or just let it happen in its natural course. Someone else said, the Chinese leader is not an Idiot. He was right, the Chinese leadership know exactly what it wants to do. There is public opinion or dissension to deal with. They just do what they want

@Jackson4
So my point is do we “postpone the inevitable in the South China Sea or just let it happen in its natural course.
-@Martin882

May I ask, from your perspective unclouded by media reports, what your position is?

Can you further explain "postpone the inevitable" and "just let it happen in its natural course"? Thanks.

@danfinn I was asked to explain the “inevitable”. I can best do this by using analogies. What does Vietnam, Afghanistan and China have in common? Resolve! All of those powers think in terms of many decades. No countries in the west can contend with this. You cannot outlast these powers. They may change leadership, but these idealogies have remained pretty constant.

So I believe that it’s inevitable that China will control the South China Sea and all the U.S. can do is slow them down

Thanks. So is that your position? Let China take it? I prefer the later, postponement, because lots could happen during that period. For example, China could lose if they start a shooting war and their government could change to one that respects the 2016 UN ruling on sovereignty rights in the SCS/WPS.

@danfinn Bro I think you read into what I wrote. I did not offer a position. I gave two view points. I also prefer to slow China down. I also believe in a shooting war between the US and China no one wins and everyone loses! If we slow them down it’s always possible that China defeats itself from within like the USSR. The only reason it has not happened yet is because the government there is smart enough to appease the masses, but how many people are there is China? Is appeasement sustainable, not sure. Especially not indefinitely

@Martin882 Then you have no position. Understand. Since those options have been front and center all along there is nothing to debate or discuss. Good comments though.

The fight is about oil not Taiwan' sovereignty.

The South China Sea has an estimated 11 to 22 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion to 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

China imports 11 million barrels of oil a day. Considering a tanker can carry 2 million barrels of oil, that's 2,000 tankers arriving each year. Any disruption in China's oil supply line will a cause economic disaster for them.

The US Fleet and ships from other countries patrolling the South China Sea puts a real kink in China's plan to develop those oil fields, especially when the rights belong to six countries. (Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and China.)

China's claims are on historical rights while the other nations base their claim on the UN's convention of the sea. (UNCLOS)

`

"Taiwan to buy 400 US anti-ship missiles intended to repel a China invasion"`

Bloomberg  Published: 18th April, 2023:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/04/18/Taiwan-to-buy-400-US-anti-ship-missiles-intended-to-repel-a-China-invasion

Taiwan will buy as many as 400 land-launched Harpoon missiles intended to repel a potential Chinese invasion, completing a deal that Congress approved in 2020, according to a trade group’s leader and people familiar with the issue.

Taiwan has previously purchased ship-launched versions of the Harpoon, which is made by Boeing Co.

Now, a contract with Boeing issued on Taiwan’s behalf by the US Naval Air Systems Command marks a first for the mobile, land-launched version, according to Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council. Three other people familiar with the deal, including an industry official, confirmed the contract is for Taiwan.

The Pentagon announced the $1.7 billion contract with Boeing on April 7 but made no mention of Taiwan as the purchaser.

The deal comes as US-China tensions are high, particularly over Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as part of its territory. China held military drills around Taiwan after its president met in California this month with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Martin Meiners, a Defense Department spokesman, declined to say whether Taiwan will be the recipient of the Harpoon missiles but said “we will continue to work with industry to provide Taiwan defense equipment in a timely manner.

“The United States’ provision to Taiwan of defense articles, which includes sustainment to existing capabilities via Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales, is essential for Taiwan’s security, Meiners said.

The Harpoon contract has been cited by members of Congress including Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as part of as much $19 billion in “backlogged US sales to Taiwan that they say need to accelerated.

In addition to the Harpoon, the list includes the F-16 Block 70 fighter, the MK-48 torpedo, the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer and the Stinger missile.

The backlog, and the Harpoon sale, are likely to be discussed Tuesday (today) at a hearing of the House Armed Service Committee focusing on the Indo-Pacific.

Ground-launched Harpoon missiles used for coastal defense figured prominently in a series of tabletop war games of a potential invasion of Taiwan by China conducted last year by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“Because of their mobility and ability to range the entire strait, these missiles were highly effective against Chinese invasion forces," said analyst Mark Cancian who managed the exercises.

“They also reduced the need to station US forces on the island. However, 400 is not nearly enough. The Taiwanese need many more.

The $1.7 billion weapons contract was preceded in March 2022 by a $498 million contract to Boeing specifically for Taiwan that ordered Harpoon “Coastal Defense System launch equipment such as mobile transporters, radar and training equipment.

--

PalawOne. . . . ."Taiwan to buy 400 US anti-ship missiles intended to repel a China invasion"`

*****************************************************

Taiwan purchased millions of $ of military gear and still waiting for delivery, this purchase was made five years ago and still no delivery as of yet.

Taiwan and China sure looks like David and Goliath by size and might. I do not think the outcome will be the same when it comes to dueling.

Taiwan and China sure looks like David and Goliath by size and might. I do not think the outcome will be the same when it comes to dueling.
-@Jackson4

The US and other Asian allied countries plus GB could be an equalizer but no guarantees.

@Jackson4

Amen, well said.  But truth trumps all else and the truth is we do not have anything close to a functioning, useful president;  I'll leave it at that, no hate.  DM

@Jackson4
Amen, well said. But truth trumps all else and the truth is we do not have anything close to a functioning, useful president; I'll leave it at that, no hate. DM
-@TitoDan

Right, of course no hate. The effects of age on his  cognition are not something he can help. However, when he was of sound mind he still would not have made a good leader. And, that is the problem. The weakness he portrays does not help stem an ambitious China from recoving their "province" or consolidating their invalid territorial claims in the south China sea.

@Jackson4
Amen, well said. But truth trumps all else and the truth is we do not have anything close to a functioning, useful president; I'll leave it at that, no hate. DM
-@TitoDan
Right, of course no hate. The effects of age on his cognition are not something he can help. However, when he was of sound mind he still would not have made a good leader. And, that is the problem. The weakness he portrays does not help stem an ambitious China from recoving their "province" or consolidating their invalid territorial claims in the south China sea.
-@danfinn

The other choice is worse.

@Jackson4
Amen, well said. But truth trumps all else and the truth is we do not have anything close to a functioning, useful president; I'll leave it at that, no hate. DM
-@TitoDan
Right, of course no hate. The effects of age on his cognition are not something he can help. However, when he was of sound mind he still would not have made a good leader. And, that is the problem. The weakness he portrays does not help stem an ambitious China from recoving their "province" or consolidating their invalid territorial claims in the south China sea.
-@danfinn

The other choice is worse.
-@mugteck

I like Orange.

@Enzyte Bob I like Orange.

Myself as well 😄