Tension in Asia has risen again with many different factors. North Korea’s battle with a nuclear test raised concerns for its neighbors. China is in a quarrel with the Philippines, which flared in early April and is still ongoing. There is an island in the South China Sea causing the issues, in which China stated that there was an infringement on its sovereignty by the Philippines regarding bananas at customs. The Filipino Navy boarded a Chinese vessel that was said to contain illegal coral and fish, which has also increased the tensions in this area.
It has come to light that soon after the arrest of the fisherman with the illegal goods, the US military moved into the area with their annual maritime exercises. These exercises were conducted with the Philippines, which started issues again from China. China stated that Manila was acting with support from the US military based on its moving into the area for annual training.
The South China Sea has become important for oil and gas for China. This discovery has made China a little upset to find many other countries in the waters. Given that China feels antagonistic against the US and the Philippines, many are on the lookout for what may happen next. There are worries that discussions could go awry between the US and China in terms of trade and other more recent discussions of a political nature. China has risen in power recently with an influx of wealth, which is another situation that other countries are analyzing.
Lance Grooms
