The Chinese coast guard came in small boats with axes, long knives and spears.
They used the crude weapons to slash and puncture the Philippine military’s rubber craft. One Chinese boat rammed a Philippine boat at high speed, severing the thumb of a Filipino seaman who was holding on to the side of his ride.
Video footage isn’t paywalled for those interested in viewing it without a subscription or an archive link.
What was the fucking point of this? It seems so stupid and petty. Like why even go through the trouble?
I know there have been maritime issues between China and others within the last few years or so, but seriously - what is the fucking point of doing this?
China is probing the US’s willingness to get involved in another conflict.
“Stupid and petty” is how international bullies operate. Pointless violence is how immature people express their “strength”.
All of the maritime issues have been caused by China attempting to claim the entire South China Sea as their private property, in defiance of international agreements about national coastal waters. All of those issues were provoked by China trying to exert control over coastal waters that are rightfully the property of other nations, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. China is a bad neighbor.
China is a bad neighbour, and fuck the CCP. But all the nations around the SCS have ridiculous claims of them controling huge swathes of water way outside their coastal waters. China is just by far the most aggressive about it.
Considering that this particular incident happened near the Second Thomas Shoal:
which is awfully close to Philippine territory and nowhere near China, I find your “but-what-about” attempt here specious and shallow.
I hardly think its whataboutery talking about the topic in question, the claims in the south China sea. Did you miss the parts where I explictly said China was by far the worst for this?
But you’ll also notice that even though this incident is outside the internationally recognised waters of the Philipines it is claimed by China, the Philipines and Vietnam. Despite not being near enough to any of them to properly claim it.
Squeaky wheel gets the hammer, as they say.
In other words any country having regional or global power aspirations.
Compared with the invasion of Iraq or Ukraine this is actually fairly moderated by China.
I don’t think it’s valid to compare a full-scale ground invasion with smashing up a patrol boat. Ground invasions are overt acts of war, no matter how much the invader might want to label them as “special”. In this case I don’t think China wants an open conflict with the Philippines, not yet anyway. If you’re actually invading you don’t vandalize one boat with hand tools and then run off, like teenager leaving a burning bag of shit on someone’s porch.
This is about China doing whatever it wants, and international law be damned. It’s more of a Cartman-esque demand for obedience and submission.
So you do agree that it is a fairly moderated act, compared two how the other two main powers in the world operate, which is outright illegal and mass murderous invasions.
No, I think it’s an invalid comparison. Do you struggle with reading comprehension?
Considering the US literally couped Australia when their prime minister refused to give unconditional support for a spy base, this is small fry!
p.s. that military base in Australia now exists, the US has full autonomous control of it, stations soldiers there, and the antennae currently guiding the Israeli missiles leveling Gaza
The very next day, Malaysia’s leader praised China.
Make of that what you will.
I did not know this - it definitely adds context. Thank you!