A gathering of forces
by Jose Rizal M. Reyes / poet-philosopher, Philippines / July 26, 2016
Supercarriers are becoming a common sight in Southeast Asia and nearby places, thanks to China’s autistic ambition and aggression. China’s construction of artificial islands and continuing militarization of the sea have increased tensions in the area to unprecedented levels unseen and unheard of since the end of World War II.
Countries in the region — concerned about China’s bellicose behavior — happily welcome the increasing presence of US forces. European powers may soon join the fray and they would be just as welcome.
The US today has 10 active supercarriers. Under its military rebalancing program, the US plans to deploy 60% of its air and naval forces in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific by 2020. That means about 6 supercarriers will be assigned to our area aside from other top-class warships and squadrons of fighter planes.
That’s the US alone. We have not yet inputted the military might of many allies upon whom the US can call for help and assistance in case of conflict. In line with this, there are indications that other allies and friendly countries from near and far are beginning to show interest in patrolling the nearby seas to ensure that no rogue country will expropriate commercial sealanes and the global commons nor further attempt to steal more territories from smaller neighbors.
Lately, a lot of buzz is heard about conducting joint patrol in the Southeast Asian Sea involving two or more countries. Often mentioned are the US, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and India. Nothing definite has come out yet (the countries mentioned, particularly India, are carefully weighing their options and the repercussions ) but there are serious proposals concerning the matter.
Then suddenly, the audacious French waded in the troubled water, rallying fellow Europeans to uphold peace in these parts of the globe! The call was made during the latest annual Shangri-La Dialogue held last June in Singapore attended as usual by global and regional powers.
In his speech, French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Dria expressed support to U.S. initiatives in promoting freedom of navigation and overflight in the tense region. He added that France would encourage the European Union to undertake “regular and visible” patrols in the area.
The Europeans — masters of the world during the previous centuries — retain a lot of clout and firepower. Their help in keeping the peace is most certainly welcome. China does not anymore listen to reason nor observe international law nor respect its neighbors’ rights. It has started to speak eloquently in the language of force; therefore, the response must also be in that language.
While welcoming North Americans and Western Europeans, we should not discount regional powers like Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia. They too have their own arsenal of lethal arms and they are currently busy beefing up their military forces, usually because of the perceived threat emanating from China. In case of conflict, their participation and alignment would materially and appreciably affect the balance of forces.
