[theold]

The Philippines has sent three coast guard vessels to ensure the safety of the civilian flotilla sailing to the shoal where Manila and Beijing have been embroiled in heated stand-offs.

The coast guard was not part of the civilian mission that sailed on Wednesday, but it would provide safety and security for the civilian volunteers, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela...

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/279342...a?tbref=hp

[Alice Alicia]

Childish Pinoys.

[maxsanic]

The Philippines has sent three coast guard vessels to ensure the safety of the civilian flotilla sailing to the shoal where Manila and Beijing have been embroiled in heated stand-offs.

The coast guard was not part of the civilian mission that sailed on Wednesday, but it would provide safety and security for the civilian volunteers, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela...

https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/279342...a?tbref=hp

From what little images I see, this "flotilla" consist of a few small patrol boats and dozens of sampans. I can envision how challenging the sampans are.

[Huliwang]

It is actually a geo political trap for China planned by US. These sampans are already leaky and if Chinese vessels pass, the wave of passing vessels might capsize and sink these decoy sampans. Then the Pinoys will claim China attack them and sink their flotilla and killing hundreds of sailors. Then US will quickly join the chorus and thus a hostile conflict develops as planned by US.    

[maxsanic]

It is actually a geo political trap for China planned by US. These sampans are already leaky and if Chinese vessels pass, the wave of passing vessels might capsize and sink these decoy sampans. Then the Pinoys will claim China attack them and sink their flotilla and killing hundreds of sailors. Then US will quickly join the chorus and thus a hostile conflict develops as planned by US.    

Er no... Such a thing happening would perhaps be good for the Philippines but it would be a disaster for the US. 

What US needs now is drama without real conflict. They are already engaged in multiple military fronts with the Russians, Palestinians and Yemenis and none of them look to be going well. Diplomatically they've lost almost all ground in the Middle East, most of South America, Africa and pretty much most of the world except EU27 + 4E + JPKR. Economically while US is at least somewhat trudging forward, all her close allies like EU27, remaining 3E and JPKR are a bunch of basket cases who are either stagnating or in danger of some economic crisis.

If they had wanted a slugfest with China, there would be no shortages of opportunities to create drama much earlier. The fact that they've always done lots of photo-ops and then run away whenever the kitchen gets hot is further evidence.

If something happens and Philippino fishermen really die, then they would either have to open a fourth front in which chances of winning are slim or worse still forced to act blur and abandon the Pinoys by wriggling out their defense obligations using some obscure clause interpretation. Both choices would be disastrous for American interest.

Also there isn't going to be any chorus in support of the Philippines. ASEAN has basically already abandoned them and don't even say anything on the ongoing issue now, all the countries that don't give a shiit for Ukraine now are sure as hell not gonna give two hoots over a few dead fishermen from a far flung country. Some European countries will shout a few slogans for virtue signaling, but they have neither the willingness nor capability to do anything beyond that.