PH urged to condemn China’s deployment of bombers in disputed waters

MANILA- The Philippines should condemn China’s deployment of long range bombers on disputed islands in the South China Sea, an analyst said Sunday.

Anders Corr, an analyst with The Journal of Political Risk, said Beijing’s move is part of a “continuing process of incremental takeover” and that a closer alliance with Washington would be beneficial to the Philippines.

“The basic response should be a presidential statement against the bomber landings and should be a closer alliance with the US, which is the only country that can protect the Philippines right now from China,” he said in an interview on ANC.

China’s air force said the bombers are part of a training exercise in the disputed region to improve their ability “reach all territory, conduct strikes at any time and strike in all directions.”

China air force lands bombers on South China Sea islands
The United States has dispatched warships to disputed areas of the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China’s extensive sovereignty claims in the territory, which is subject to various claims by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, and Malaysia.

Corr highlighted that while it is unlikely for “bully” China to attack the Philippines at present, the threat still hangs over Manila.

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