Mischief reef (Kagitingan reef) is controlled by the Philippines until China takeover the area in February 1995. How the Philippines can take back this reef? When China massively reclaim the area!
When the Philippines Armed Forces unable to patrol due to monsoon season, China slowly annexed the reef by building a structure and insisting its for their fisherman use. The Philippine Government strongly react the structure creation but later on the two sides settle amicably. But in 1998 (1997 Asian Financial Crisis), China resume the construction of the reef. In 2015, an astonishing reclamation surprise to us, which the Philippine Government unable to stop (More talk than action).
Author’s Overview:
all the incident might not happen if the Philippine Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are properly equipped with modern equipment. It can’t deny that the total budget of PH Defense is good for basic needs (such as salary & office maintenance). But in adding war equipment and maintenance cost of existing ordnance, nothing! There is also a modernization law (started in 1995 and revised during the Pres. Aquino’s term), a modernization that today’s bidding takes 3-6 years to approve. While the Philippine Islands slowly eats up by our giant neighbour.
China is aggressive because she know we have nothing to counter their actions. Look at Japan, maybe if they have i’ll equipped armed forces, the Senkaku Islands are now belong to Chinese territory.
A Declaration of Code of conduct between ASEAN-China
http://www.asean.org/asean/external-relations/china/item/declaration-on-the-conduct-of-parties-in-the-south-china-sea
Mischief Reef (Kagitingan Reef) construction activities as of June 2015
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