Time to draw sabres in South China Sea

Each week Asean sits on its hands while China continues to dredge more sand onto the rocky outcrops and builds airstrips and military infrastructure. I usually avoid sabre-rattling, but this scenario requires Filipino military action backed by a US carrier group. Anything less will result in China getting more entrenched on those Filipino islands. Look at any map of the region and you’ll see that the islands are much closer to the Philippines than any part of China.

In retaliation to a military challenge, China could react economically, such as banning bananas from the Philippines, which it has already done. It could launch massive cyber-attacks against the US similar to North Korea’s alleged targeting of Sony in response to a satirical movie. Or it could offer its own military response. 

China’s military is big and looks strong, but so did Iraq’s on the eve of the first Gulf War. It’s doubtful that China would commit to more than a token face-saving military response. 

Nek Nestrebla