President Duterte has abandoned his outreach to China to check China's territorial claims against the Philippines, and now wants American military help in the face of low-level Chinese aggression:
The sinking of a Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese trawler on June 9 appears to be the spark that has escalated tensions over the disputed South China Sea territories, and spurred Duterte's sudden recall of the defense treaty. Beijing claimed the event to be an accident.
During an interview with Philippine television evangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Duterte said “I’m calling now (sic) America. I’m invoking the RP-US pact. I would like America to gather all their Seventh Fleet in front of China. I’m asking them now. And I will join them.”
I missed the news of that sinking which is part of China's ongoing effort to squeeze the Philippines out of their island outposts, but the seagoing Chinese militia that carried out the hit is on my radar.
One response would be for the Philippines to be strong enough to fight a small war with China, which would compel China to escalate to win--but risk war with America. America would certainly be able to support the Philippines without getting directly involved.
But there is a risk of escalation to full great power war with such a reply to China's sinking of that Filipino fishing boat.
So what if instead of using force we support the Philippines with an airlift to the outposts that China is besieging in the South China Sea?
We could airlift Filipino troops, supplies, and building materials to fortify the outposts against Chinese threats via their naval militia that rams and harasses the ships of the Philippines operating in what international law says are Manila's territorial waters.
Would China try to shoot down our helicopters in this Berlin Airlift in the South China Sea and risk war with America?
UPDATE: China's naval militia doesn't have an anti-air capability, remember.
UPDATE: Related information.
