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China may be building 'triad' in South China Sea: analyst

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Trishia Billones, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zd8tuBYxjWY" width="600"></iframe></figure>MANILA - China may be trying to establish a strategic triad in the South China Sea to effectively take control of the entirety of the disputed waters, an analyst warned Wednesday.Former senior consultant at the National Security Council and former Magdalo party-list representative Francisco Ashley Acedillo noted that many defense analyst and experts have pointed to the possibility of China trying to establish this triad in the Paracels, Fiery Cross, and Scarborough.&quot;If they do that, they can cover the entirety of the South China Sea. They can actually control it 100%,&quot; he said in an interview with ANC&#x27;s Headstart.The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (<a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/14/16/china-installs-weapons-systems-on-artificial-islands-us-think-tank">AMTI</a>) last week reported that China appears to have installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven of the artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea.AMTI said it had been tracking construction of hexagonal structures on Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi reefs in the Spratly Islands since June and July. Spratly Islands is located strategically where many trade routes pass, and China has already built military length airstrips on these islands.Given the recent development in the waters claimed by several countries, the biggest of which is China, Acedillo believes China may already be eyeing developing Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground.&quot;To me, we are nearing that possibility they will be sending a fleet of ships to dredge and reclaim Scarborough with the intention of converting it to one of the seven which we just saw that they did already,&quot; he said.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2015/nation/freedoms-010716.jpg"/></figure></div>In 2014, China reportedly deployed an oil rig to the Paracel Islands which is about 120 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam, and Acedillo noted, Vietnam exhibited a &quot;demonstration of resolve.&quot;&quot;When China deployed that oil rig off the Paracels, what Vietnam did was to deploy ships that were willing to ram the rig,&quot; he recalled.&quot;Between the two, mas masakit yung for China because the damage would be more costly for China as opposed to the damaged ships of Vietnam,&quot; he added.Acedillo noted, the fear that the same scenario is foreboding for oil-rich Reed Bank is &quot;not empty speculation.&quot;&quot;Our coast guard and our navy has repeatedly monitored instances of Chinese vessels surveying Reed Bank or Recto Bank, which I would only say as a preparatory act to deploying an oil rig,&quot; he said.&quot;Ang ayaw ko lang na mangyari ay there has to be an incident or something will happen that will rouse us from our stupor. Yung tipong matatauhan na talaga tayo and when that happens, I’m pretty sure that it might be too late and it will be costly in terms of lives on our part,&quot; he added.

China may be trying to establish a strategic triad in the South China Sea to effectively take control of the entirety of the disputed waters, an analyst warned Wednesday.

China may be trying to establish a strategic triad in the South China Sea to effectively take control of the entirety of the disputed waters, an analyst warned Wednesday.

China may be building 'triad' in South China Sea: analyst

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China may be building 'triad' in South China Sea: analyst

Trishia Billones,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 21, 2016 04:32 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 21, 2016 07:10 PM PHT

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ANC

China

Philippines

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Ashley Acedillo

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