China is escalating its imperial conquest of the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons against Philippine supply boats, blocking their attempt to resupply forces guarding the Second Thomas Shoal. Located well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the Shoal is nonetheless claimed by China. The enduring ludicrousness of China’s South China Sea claims notwithstanding (the Thomas Shoal is 720 miles from the nearest Chinese territory), President Rodrigo Duterte only has himself to blame for China’s escalation. A fake strong man, Duterte has spent the past five years making himself Xi Jinping’s favorite puppet. Indeed, Duterte has acted far more akin to a Chinese communist viceroy than the leader of a once proud and vibrant democracy.
