The Google Earth Map pre-labeled by the author shows two opposing US-China military triangles eyeball to eyeball. China’s ‘Missile Triangle’ consists of Woody Island in the Paracels, and Fiery Cross Reef and Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratlys (read more – China’s-Missile-Triangle).’
The US ‘Base Triangle’ consists of Subic Naval Base and Clark Field Airbase in Luzon, and Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, which are part of the 5-identified bases in the recent Supreme-Court-endorsed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which in turn is complimentary to the Philippine-US mutual defense agreement Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Right smack in the middle is Reed Bank (Recto) where the multi-billion-peso exploration of a Philippine-British consortium (Philex Petroleum Corp. and Forum Energy Plc.) was recently stopped by the Department of Energy, upon recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs, due to the ongoing Philippine territorial claims at a UN court in The Hague, which is expected to be decided upon in early 2017.
Reed Bank, a mere 70 nautical miles from Zambales, is part of the Philippine’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as provided by the UN Conference of Law of Sea (UNCLOS). There is debate whether the recent Philippine Baseline Law lessens or strengthens territorial claims based on the UNCLOS provision.
According to 3D seismic surveys of a UK-based energy exploration firm in 2006, there are 3.4 trillion cubic feet of gas in Reed Bank, 21% more than that in Malampaya. Gas benefits our energy needs because it cannot be easily exported in large volume as much as oil through pipelines. China earlier filed a protest with the Philippines concerning the Reed Bank exploration.
Is a trilateral partnership among China, the Philippines, and Britain possible? This is the key to peace – bread not bullets, our military alliance with the US descending and our economic alliance with China ascending, a sparrow perched on the bear’s shoulder and flying with the eagle wingtip to wingtip. There were previous talks of a mining partnership between Philex and the China National Offshore Oil Co. Ltd. (CNOOC). Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com
the giant and the ant
we, a puny ant
can shape our destiny
with the giant
if only we believe we can
eastwind
amdg
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