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