Your stand on the Spratly Islands debate.

For those who aren't aware, tensions are currently up in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea because China's military activity, most recently open firing on some Vietnamese sea vessels.

I'd like to say that I'd like the Philippines should have the Spratlys, but we don't have enough backbone or real military power to back up that claim. So I'm mostly neutral about this. I just want to know what you guys think.

Now I ask, which country do tropers think the Spratly Islands belong to? China? The Philippines? Vietnam? Malaysia? Or Taiwan? Why?

Don't know. Heard bad stuff in general about China so I'm biased against them.

The imperialist in me says it should go to PH wholesale, but the realist in me insists on a condominium that keeps China out.

Come to think of it, what is in the Spratlys? I heard there are oil reserves there, and something about it being a strategic area, but I don't really get it.

Apparently, it's a big choke point for sea travel, controlling that archipelago would give some control over what can go through it in times of crisis. Can someone please confirm or correct?

They're smack-dab in the center of the West Philippine South China Sea, so they provide a strategic location particularly for naval bases. And of course there's the petroleum.

The whole West Philippine Sea debacle reminds me of freedom fries, heh.

The entire South Chinese sea seems to be full of oil, so people want as large as possible EEZs.

I can understand Chinese claims on the Paracel Islands, sorry, Vietnam. But the Spratly Islands, based on some obscure historical texts? That's pushing it, that's really just imperialism. The Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam should come to an agreement on how to divide them.

Vietnam, Malaysia, and Phillpines should split it depending on how they close they are to each part.

That would be like claiming Russia should return Kaliningrad to Germany, or the USA recognizing British sovereignty...

This is my stance. Just to keep China away.

Give them back to Atlantis.

Has this cropped up again? I'm not an expert on South East Asia, but I know these islands have been disputed for years. They were one cause of the tension between China and Vietnam which led to the former invading the latter in 1979. I think the Paracel Islands, in roughly the same area are similarly disputed.

I don't know enough to say who's entitled to them, but given the history I doubt it'll be sorted out quickly.

(Please let us get an alternative to oil. Its a bloody poisoned chalice.)

edited 28th Jun '11 10:05:57 AM by GameChainsaw