5/29/2013 HOW FAR WILL THE LITTLE DRAGON SWIM?

BIG DRAGON/LITTLE DRAGON

CHINA , THE DRAGON, CLAIMS ALL OF THE CHINA SEAS AND PARTS OF JAPAN.
SOME OF CHINA'S CLAIMS MAINTAIN THAT CERTAIN ISLANDS ARE PART OF THE CHINESE "MUNICIPALITY OF TAIWAN." TAIWAN CALLS ITSELF "THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA", BUT PARTICIPATES IN THE TERRITORIAL DISPUTES OFTEN CITING CHINA'S CLAIMS OF TERRITORY AS PART OF THE "MUNICIPALITY OF TAIWAN" AS A BASIS FOR ITS CLAIMS. IN THE SQUABBLES OVER THE TINY ISLANDS OF THE CHINA SEAS SOMETIMES TAIWAN (REPUBLIC OF CHINA) IS PLAYING LITTLE DRAGON TO THE BIG DRAGON. WE NOT LONG AGO BROUGHT YOU THE STORY CHINESE AND TAIWAN COAST GUARD LIKE SHIPS COOPERATING IN INVADING JAPANESE WATERS. TODAY WE PASS ALONG ANOTHER REPORT OF TAIWAN ACTING LIKE THE LITTLE DRAGON IN THESE UNNECESSARY DRAMAS.



The red A marks the island that Taiwan is claiming as its own, that's right the red A right off the Philippine beach near the bottom of the page. That's Taiwan up in the top right of this Google map.
The Big dragon way up there to the top left also claims the island as part of the "municipality of Taiwan". The Philippines wisely ran an old amphibious transport aground there and stations some marines on it. Had they not dome that China would have. Conveniently for the Big Dragon the Little Dragon is now screaming to high heaven that the Philippines stole their island. Click here to read all about it. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201305250032.aspx  Our view is simple China can't claim the entire area of the China seas because the sea has far shores belonging to other nations such as the Philippines and Vietnam. Neither the big dragon nor the little one has any legitimate claim to islands uninhabited or otherwise that are located within the internationally recognized exclusive economic zones of the Philippines , Vietnam , or Japan. There are some islands that can be legitimately disputed but these are closer to equidistant from the competing claimants. The United States needs to reevaluate its commitment in blood, treasure, and steel to the self determination of Taiwan. If Taiwan is going to play little dragon to the mainland's big one why should we be providing them with ships, aircraft, guns that might be turned on ourselves and our Philippine and Japanese allies in a naval shoot out over these tiny islands?

 Here is a link to a video presentation that summarizes the various regional island disputes, turn your sound up for the narration: The link will take you to THE ECONOMISTS: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/02/daily-chart-9