We sympathize with Vietnamese people. China's aggression must be countered and it will take the unity of ASEAN with powerful nations like USA, Russia, India to neutralize China's threat to SE Asian's access to the sea and to their territories that are within the EEZ.
Philippines performs very well recently in terms of economics. Now it looks to strengthen its military. VN is willing to step up its cooperations with the Philippines in all fields.
Here is a report from the Wallstreet Journal: Monday, July 23, 2012 As of 4:45 PM
Aquino Urges Expansion of Philippine Military
By CRIS LARANO
MANILA—Philippines President Benigno Aquino said Monday that the country is moving to expand its military capabilities but was quick to point out that the Southeast Asian nation isn't preparing for a fight over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
In his annual state of the nation address to Congress, Mr. Aquino urged lawmakers to pass a proposed Armed Forces modernization bill that will add 75 billion pesos ($1.8 billion) for defense spending in the next five years to acquire more cannons, personnel carriers, frigates and aircraft. The bill is pending in Congress and expected to be passed later this year, and will come on top of some 28 billion pesos his administration has already spent on military expansion since 2011.
It also comes as tensions are ratcheting up in other ways in the sea, as China pursues plans to deploy a military garrison in the newly established city of Sansha in the Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Philippines and Vietnamese officials have protested the creation of the city, which Chinese authorities intend to use as an administration center to manage territories across the South China Sea. The sea—which is believed to contain sizable energy reserves and serves as one of the world's most important shipping lanes—is claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
The garrison will be a division-level command responsible for managing the city's national defense mobilization, military reserves and carrying out military operations, Xinhua said, though information regarding the number of soldiers or other details wasn't made available.
Even with Mr. Aquino's latest plans, the Philippines' military strength will still pale in comparison with China and some other Asian nations. But it is part of a wider arms build-up across the region which analysts worry could further raise tensions and increase the odds of a shooting war if diplomats fail to manage disputes in the sea carefully.
Mr. Aquino said more planes and attack helicopters are expected next year, while the country's second Hamilton Class cutter will soon arrive.
"Now, our 36,000 kilometers of coastline will be patrolled by more modern ships," Mr. Aquino said.
The Philippines and China recently had a two-month standoff in the disputed Scarborough Shoal—a chain of reefs and rocks in the South China Sea also known as Bajo de Masinloc—after Chinese fishermen were caught with endangered species by Philippine patrol ships. Ships involved in the standoff finally began to withdraw last month after heavy storms made it difficult for them to remain, but arguments have persisted over who controls what there.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III delivered his third State of the Nation address Monday in the House of Representatives in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, the Philippines.
"There are those who say that we should let Bajo de Masinloc go; we should avoid the trouble. But if someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it be right to give away that which is rightfully ours?" Mr. Aquino said.
"This is not a simple situation, and there can be no simple solutions. Rest assured: We are consulting experts, every leader of our nation, our allies—even those on the other side—to find a resolution that is acceptable to all," Mr. Aquino added.
China's Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Also during the one-and-a-half-hour-long speech that was broadcast live, President Aquino said that a highly touted anticorruption agenda put in place by his government had helped boost economic growth, helping give the Philippines the strongest growth in Southeast Asia in the first quarter of the year. He noted that the Philippines has also overseen the creation of over three million jobs and several credit rating upgrades in nearly three years, which in turn has helped restore investor confidence and boost tourist arrivals.
He said the strong investor confidence in the country was evident in the recent robust performance of the stock market and the praise the Philippines has won from international financial publications and foreign investors.
Mr. Aquino also urged Congress to pass proposed revisions to a tobacco and alcoholic drinks tax, or better known as sin tax, to generate more revenue for social services, infrastructure projects and improving military capability.
He said that as early as next year, the Philippines—which several years ago was the world's largest importer of rice—will be a net exporter of the grain, while tourist arrivals should hit a record 4.6 million this year. Mr. Aquino is hopeful that before he steps down in 2016, there will be 10 million tourists visiting the Philippines.
—Patrick Barta and Jeremy Page contributed to this article.
Aquino Urges Expansion of Philippine Military - WSJ.com
