Comments by "Alan Friesen" (@alanfriesen9837) on "China forced Philippines back into US' arms | Filipino geopolitics explained" video.

  1. The Straits of Malacca is the most problematic chokepoint in the world. Because of this, everybody's behaving badly. China is determined to control access to the straits so that nobody can blockade their trade. They don't trust the United States (why would they?) or any of their allies. Of course, if China has control of the straits that leaves Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines at China's mercy. Nobody trusts a China that's not counterbalanced by the United States, so the East Asian countries can't afford to cooperate with China to expel the United States from the SCS. China feels like they can't show any weakness regarding territorial claims. Most other actors in the region are unwilling to show any movement in their claims, lest China takes advantage. I don't know if China feels as strongly about the SCS as they do about Taiwan. I have my doubts, but I could be mistaken. I know they'll never give up on Taiwan, but I think an arrangement could be made with other southeast Asian countries on management of the seas once Taiwan is retaken, but it would have to be part of an image of Chinese magnanimity, which might be more than the other countries could stomach.
    1