China’s “aggressive behaviour” in the South China Sea, including the use of water canon by its coast guard against a Philippine vessel, must be challenged and checked, the commander of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet said on Sunday.
Vice Admiral Karl Thomas assured the Philippines of U.S. backing in the face of “shared challenges” in the region, saying: “My forces are out here for a reason.”
It’s a ridiculous claim to a very desirable location, both strategically and for resources. So it’s not the nature of the (bullshit) claim that matters, it’s how they back it up (with an army).