China is still pushing it's territorial boundaries, The Philippines resists. -CNN

Believe it or not, The Philippines has marines stationed aboard this hulk to counter Chinese claims to a reef in the middle of the Pacific. -CNN

The conflict between China and its neighbors continues. In this investigation by CNN, a reporter profiles the Filipino marines stationed aboard the hulk of the Sierra Madre.  The marines face difficult conditions, bad weather and constant Chinese harassment on board the derelict ship that was beached to legitimize the Filipino claim to the Second Thomas Shoal . The reef is part of the Spratly islands, which are claimed by both The Philippines and China. China has grown increasingly aggressive to its neighbors based on this and other maritime claims. 

My Comment:

A very interesting piece by CNN with some great photographs. Read it all. I wouldn't mind visiting this ship but it must be a horrible place to live. As for the dispute, it is nothing new. China has been increasingly aggressive with it's maritime claims for a very simple reason. Gas, oil and other natural resources. China has a huge energy problem and it desperately needs domestic sources of oil and natural gas. And these islands and shoals not only have energy, they are rich fishing areas and control some of the most traveled trade routes in the world. 

For the rest of the world it might seem insane for China to be willing to go to war over these islands, but the chances of war in the region are greater then people would like to admit. Nations go to war over resources all the time, and I don't see this being any different. China, and everyone else in the region for that matter, are working themselves into a nationalistic frenzy over these claims and it only takes one nervous gunner on one of these ships or a spooked pilot to start a war. China might even think that these islands, and the resources they contain are worth going to war for deliberately. Yes, they risk a confrontation with America, but the presidency of the United States is undoubtedly weak right now, and the American public has no apatite for war. They might be thinking that they could pull off a war with one of their neighbors with minimal consequences. That is bad news for everyone.