John and I have both been keeping an eye on this China vs the Philippines (and rest of the Free World by extension) dispute over the islands the Philippines have always claimed which China has decided are now theirs. Just the other day, John covered another dust-up in one of the the Spratly Islands.

One of the longer running contretemps and targets of Chinese interference has been at what’s known as the “Two Thomas Shoals,” also in the Spratlys It’s actually a microcosm of the bigger picture in the Pacific, where China has for the past almost decade done pretty much whatever it chose – building artificial islands out of basically coral reefs, pushing its territorial claims ever further out, and bullying anyone who came in between or disputed the notion that China rules the waves, and, by extension, the entire region – in that neck of the world.

The Philippines pushed back, declaring their long-held sovereignty over outlying shoals and reefs that could barely be called islands, and it has infuriated the Chinese to no end. There’s been on-going and constant harassment that in some instances has been life-threatening.

In the case of the poor guys stuck out there on Two Thomas, life sucks pretty bad to begin with and they don’t need the Chinese making it any worse. It’s not a tropical paradise by a long shot.

It’s a rusty scow.

…The Chinese are watching and pushing and prodding, as always. On Feb 6, a Philippine coast guard tender full of supplies was on its way to something called “Two Thomas Shoals.” There’s a tiny military contingent based there. Technically, “on the shoals” makes you think of concrete huts on a deserted island beach, coconut palms, a lizard, or something right?

Nyet.

They’re living in a rusty scow the Filippinos grounded on the coral. You can’t make this kind of stuff up.

They’re frickin’ Gilligans without the island.

…The incident took place at the Second Thomas Shoal, 105 nautical miles (195 km) off the Philippine province of Palawan. The shoal is home to a small Philippine military contingent on board a rusty ship.

The 100-metre long (330-ft) World War Two ship was intentionally grounded on the shoal, known in the Philippines as Ayungin, in 1999 to reinforce Manila’s sovereignty claims in the Spratly archipelago.

They’ve had some close calls with Chinese naval vessels zipping by and nearly running over the Philippine revictualing/resupply vessels. Darn near collisions at sea, which would be disastrous there – nobody’s close to rescuing you, and the Chinese darn well won’t scoop anyone out of the water.

Last month, even the Australians, who’ve been trying to help out as best they can when in the area, ran into some pretty low-class Chinese tricksies that could have been fatal. The Aussie boat had divers in the water unfouling props tangled in fishing lines and nets, when suddenly they were incapacitated by sonar.

Australia on Saturday accused the Chinese navy of likely causing minor injuries to Australian naval divers by operating its sonar while they were trying to clear fishing nets from their ship’s propellers.

The Australian government has expressed its serious concerns to the Chinese government over what it called the unsafe and unprofessional conduct earlier this week, Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement on his official website.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese side. The U.S., Canadian and Australian militaries have complained multiple times about what they say have been dangerous actions by the Chinese navy and air force in the western Pacific. Analysts fear a collision or other accident could spark an international incident and escalate into conflict.

The HMAS Toowoomba stopped in international waters on Tuesday in Japan’s exclusive economic zone after fishing nets became entangled in its propellers, the defense minister’s statement said. The naval frigate had been helping to enforce U.N. sanctions in the region.

Guaranteed to upset people, and, of course, the Chinese had no comment.

Today it’s the Chinese claiming aggrieved status as a US Navy ship apparently had the temerity to poke their nose into the on-going bullying.

The Chinese military said that an American naval ship had “illegally intruded” on Monday into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

A Chinese naval force was mobilized to track the USS Gabrielle Giffords during the operation, according to a statement from the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater. The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said the ship “was conducting routine operations in international waters … consistent with international law.”

Chinese and Philippine naval and coast guard ships have confronted each other repeatedly around the shoal in the Spratly Islands in recent months as China tries to prevent the Philippines from resupplying and repairing a rusting warship that it intentionally ran aground in 1999 to serve as a military outpost.

It has to be upsetting to the Chinese that PI President Marcos recently signed a new mutual cooperation pact with the US that includes patrols on both sea and in the air. This happened to be one of them and the Chinese were all sound and fury.

…“The U.S. deliberately disrupted the situation in the South China Sea, seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, seriously undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, fully demonstrating that the U.S. is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the statement from the Chinese military’s Southern Theater said.

In contrast, US 7th Fleet Headquarters response to the saber rattling was “just another day at the office/business as usual,” and thank goodness.

…A statement from the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, based in Japan, said its operations in the South China Sea demonstrate a commitment “to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region where all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, can resolve disputes without coercion, and have the freedom to navigate and fly consistent with international laws, rules and norms.”

China says a US Navy ship 'illegally intruded' into waters in the South China Sea
… Ridiculous. China is making up its own rules. International law is clear. The waters near Second Thomas Shoal are Philippine EEZ and high seas freedoms apply. https://t.co/J5TxnFusjH

— Peter Dutton (@peter_dutton) December 4, 2023

As long as this White House projects weakness – which it does every time that geriatric vegetable clomps across a stage or the lawn, less mind opens his piehole – this will get worse.

The only saving grace so far is the administration is sticking to the support agreement with the Philippines…so far.

I’m sure there are some nerves on edge in Manila right now about that, too.