America's Line in the Sea Takes Shape

The Philippines has decide that its long post-Cold War holiday from history is over.

China continues to pressure the Philippines in the South China Sea, especially at Second Thomas Shoal:

In his 17 months in office, Marcos' government has filed dozens, if not hundreds, of diplomatic protests with Beijing over the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia's harassment of Filipino fishermen and coast guard vessels.

In at least half a dozen run-ins around Manila-held Second Thomas Shoal since August, the Philippines has accused Chinese ships of unleashing water cannons, setting up barriers and blockades, and ramming. In February, a Philippine Coast Guard crew was said to have been temporarily blinded by a Chinese coast guard ship's "military-grade laser."

Each of the incidents drew a strongly worded response from the U.S. State Department and last month from the U.S. president himself.

Will the Navy return to Subic Bay with a South Korean dockyard in place? If so, the article observes, keeping the Chinese from taking (or creating) islands in nearby Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines becomes very important. American support for the Philippines against China requires the Philippines to step up to shield American forces in the Philippines there to support Manila.

I think we have to fight the battle for the new West Berlin with concrete: 

Ultimately the Philippines needs to pour a lot of concrete to replace or reinforce and expand that beached ship serving as a scarecrow outpost. Make it permanent and perhaps China will give up on outlasting the Philippines.

So good: 

The United States is reportedly advising the Philippines on repairing the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era ship being used as a makeshift military base and a key marker of Philippine claims on the South China Sea.

And there's more: 

The Philippines inaugurated a new coast guard monitoring base Friday on an island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea and plans to expand joint patrols with the United States and Australia to counter China’s “pure bullying” in the strategic waterway, a Philippine security official said.

China added a dash to its unlawful sea claims. Now America will add a dash in its own line in defense of freedom of the seas to blunt China's subliminal war on its neighbors.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: I'm adding updates on the Last Hamas War in this post.