China is finding that projecting power at sea is harder than it looks.  It is not just a matter of building ships and planes.  It isn’t even about having bases in the area.  Other nations – at least some of them – have to cooperate with you.  The Philippines is playing a shrewd game with the Chinese at sea.  Check out this article in Foreign Policy by Professor James Holmes of the Naval War College which lays out a good case.   Any article about Chinese military power that mentions the Roman general Fabius Cunctator is a winner in my book.

MGD