'Philippines, province of China' banners appear in Manila
July 12, 2018
On the anniversary of the case denying Chinese title claims to waters in the South China Sea, the red banners popped up on footbridges in the capital. The president has been accused of too friendly links to China.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/B. Marquez
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Red tarpaulin banners with the words, in English: "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China" mysteriously appeared on footbridges across the capital, Manila, on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear who put them up or why, but the banners' appearance coincides with the anniversary of an international court ruling against Beijing in a dispute over waters in the South China Sea.
It found that China had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights by blocking its fishing boats and building artificial islands in its Exclusive Economic Zone.
The banners, with the words: "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China," stirred anger among Filipinos who vented their fury on social media.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, who was the chief lawyer for the Philippine PCA-CPA case, said the banners were "NOT FUNNY."
Duterte's 'inaction'
President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office just two weeks before the PCA-CPA ruling, has since adopted a conciliatory approach towards China and has not pressed Beijing to implement the verdict.
On the contrary, he frequently praises Chinese President Xi Jinping. In February, he controversially joked about offering the Philippines to Beijing as a province of China.
But opposition party Akbayan said Duterte scored an "own goal" by failing to insist that Beijing leave the ocean areas claimed by the Philippines.
Some social media users accused the opposition of being behind the banners to discredit the government's increasingly warm ties with China.
Duterte's spokesman, Harry Roque, called the banners "absurd" and blamed them on the government's political enemies.
City authorities were seen removing some of the banners, which were spotted in at least five locations.
South China Sea countries are building larger navies
Countries surrounding the South China Sea have been pumping more resources into their navies. China spends more than other regional nations combined, but smaller navies are still acquiring effective fleets.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Drake
Pride of the Chinese armada
The first Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was originally a Soviet model built in 1986. In 1998, the stripped hulk was sold to China by Ukraine and rebuilt by the Dailian Shipbuilding Industry Company in northeastern China. It was completed in 2012 and has been ready for service since 2016.
Image: imago/Xinhua
'Black holes' for Vietnam
In recent years, Vietnam has acquired six Russian Kilo-class submarines. Two were delivered in 2017. The subs are nicknamed "black holes" by the US Navy, because they run very quietly and are difficult to locate. They are specialized for missions in shallow waters and for defense against enemy ships and submarines.
Image: Vietnam News Agency/AFP/Getty Images
Flagship of the Philippines
The BRP Gregorio del Pilar is the flagship of the Philippine Navy. The vessel is one of three former US Coast Guard cutters that were acquired by the Philippines. The ship was first put in service in 1967 and it was modernized in 2011. In 2012, it was involved in the dispute with the People's Republic of China over Scarborough Shoal.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Favila
Warships from European shipyards
Indonesia is in the process of buying new ships and modernizing its navy. Pictured here is the KRI Sultan Hasanuddin, a Sigma-class corvette. The ship was built in 2007 in the Netherlands. Germany also supplies warships to countries in the region. The Kasturi-class corvettes in Malaysia and Brunei's Darussalam-class high-seas patrol boats come from German shipyards.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A. Ibrahim
Singapore's stealth ships
Singapore is unmatched for hi-tech in the region. Since 2007, the city-state has put six Formidable-class stealth ships in service. All of them were built in France.
Image: Imago/China Foto Press
The long arm of the US Navy
The only truly global naval power remains the US Navy. The seventh fleet is stationed in the Pacific. It is the largest forward-deployed fleet of the US Navy with 50-60 ships, 350 aircraft and 60,000 personnel. This includes the only US aircraft carrier stationed outside of the US, the USS Ronald Regan, stationed at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan.
