President Duterte of The Philippines is a brash man, not known to mince his words. In an address on the opening of the 16th national Convention of Lawyers last week, he stated that the USA had failed to take decisive action against China in the South China Sea. He pointedly asked why the USA did not send 5 aircraft carriers to the disputed sea. Duterte is right. The USA has allowed China to set up military facilities on the Spratly islands as well as to reclaim many islands in the South China sea. America's inaction has emboldened China and now it is presented with a fait accompli.
There is no way the USA can make China roll back its claim and dismantle its military installations in the South China sea, short of going to war.
Obama years
President Obama is to be squarely blamed for this imbroglio. He is also responsible for the rise of ISIS. His withdrawal from Iraq resulted in the country being reduced to a state of anarchy. Similarly, his withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to the consolidation of the Taliban. In the South China sea, he has allowed construction of military installations on the Spratly islands. This was going on for years and Obama never reacted. China is a law unto itself and it has also rejected the judgment of the International tribunal on its claim to the South China Sea.
There is no way the USA can enforce this judgment.
The USA to blame
The Chinese took years to reclaim the islands from the ocean and construct airfields and military installations. It is surprising as to why the US president never reacted to this. Even North Korea is showing a fist to the USA and everybody except the USA is aware that Korea is a proxy for China.
The other American ally in the region, Japan is a shadow of its old imperial might and cannot take on China. President Duterte has ruled out going to war with China. He is right when he says that the Philippines does not have the military power to confront China. He blames the USA for the present State Of Affairs for its failure to confront China.
Last word
What Duterte says is true. China is now the dominant power in East Asia and the eastern Pacific. The USA is to blame for this state of affairs. President Obama was so preoccupied with Russia that he forgot that China is a bigger factor in the world.
