That’s why we (Navy)are going back to Subic Bay.

Roger credit due. Might makes right can be a successful foreign policy and has worked in the past. China simply is following that rationale whilst building out and inhabiting islands out of what for the most part was just shoal water. Planting flags where no flags flew can cause tension.

So while this administration has not endorsed and rejected other measures for international arbitration and policing, it now sees a need for it here.

Sure, credit.

Do we have proof though of any broad opposition by people within the US to this very logical move?

This is a complex issue requiring deep understanding of regional and global politics, history and military strategy.
So I'm hoping that these decisions were made by intelligent professionals, bypassing Trump and his cronies.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

I agree with this.

Probably the most important (from a strategic standpoint) port in Asia.

Along with Singapore. Whoever controls the Straits of Malacca controls the world's oil and commerce jugular.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

Don't forget about the hookers and booze!

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

The forces of globalism and cooperation of international allies rise again! Yay!

Edit: That's a sincere "yay."

In the Philippines, the U.S support doesn't really matter because President Duterte moved away from the U.S towards China, essentially gifting the Spratly Islands to China, where they promptly built a base. This was after the International Court sided with the Philippines.

The U.S can support it but it's really up to the countries impacted.

Isn't Subic Bay closed?

Proof of broad opposition? It certainly is not a political wedge issue between the parties if one takes the international policing and arbitrating discussion out of it. There has been long recognition in the US of the viability and need for an international element in the establishment of international waters and territorial claims.

China could be effectively regionally isolated were the ASEAN nations to further realign with known, reliable and trustworthy allies in Australia and the US. They have only to look at the accelerated hostile takeover of Hong Kong to think of leaning our way in a Chinese US standoff between superpowers. Duterte may be moving back our way but he like Trump plays as wild card joker to the deck. And as mentioned Subic and it's Ship Repair Facility and Clark Air Base are critical pieces to this puzzle.

If the international governing body made a compromise deal and gave the Paracels to the Chinese while leaving the Scarborough shoal and the Spratleys to their closest ASEAN land mass, the South China Sea could return to what it once was, a non disputed international body of water that is free for all to use in the shipping of vital goods.

Not sure opposition is required to validate this. In itself it’s worth praising. It might be an off shoot of other foreign policy bias, however on a fundamental level I choose to see it as evidence of the good the US can do on the global stage.

I’m not sure how big a deal this really is. It’s a formality. The Nine Dash Line isn’t new for China, and we haven’t regarded it as legal for a long time. We’re just now saying that we agree with The Hague who also says it isn’t legal.

We’ve been doing freedom of navigation operations and steaming around inside that boundary for years. We’ve been working with other regional countries/navies to counter PRC influence for years as well.

Nothing really new to see here, I don’t think.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Yes and no. Yes in that it is no longer a U.S. military base. No in that the USN currently uses it for resupply and is negotiating a lease on the port.

The logical play for the Philippines, from a geopolitical standpoint, is to play the U.S. and China against each other to extract as much as possible in terms of aid, trade concessions, etc. for itself.

They you slightly belittle the impact if the US. The US, for all intense and purposes, remains a driving force in international relations. If Trump is the BAD GUY in this, fine. He’sa fuck kunt in everything else.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say since this post is not in English.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

If the U.S is such a driving force, why haven’t they done anything to stop the military build up by the Chinese on the Spratley Islands? The International Court ruled in favour of the Philippines in 2016 and since then the Chinese promptly build a military base. Now, in 2020 the administration is saying they oppose China?

That’s not exactly making a strong stand.

Agree with this. US can sail and fly all it wants around there and talk tough. Ships and planes come and go, but the islands are symbol of permanent presence.

Oh ya, Olongapo what a place.My first West Pac what a eye opener as 18yr old E-3.

Oh ya, Olongapo what a place.My first West Pac what a eye opener as 18yr old E-3.


I lived in the Philippines for a year and visited Olongapo in 2016, it's still an eye -opener...