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Concern in the Caribbean -

The arrival in Cuba of the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan and the class frigate Admiral Gorshkov on June 12, 2024, rang alarm bells in Washington, D.C.

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Russian naval presence -

The vessels, part of a Russian naval detachment, sailed into Havana ahead of air and naval exercises in the Caribbean in the coming weeks, according to a US official.

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Russian military exercise -

The exercise, set to involve Russian warships and long-range bombers, will be closely monitored, representing as it does the first simultaneous air and naval maneuvers Russia has conducted in the Caribbean since 2019.

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Setting the stage -

Accompanying the two warships into Havana harbor were a pair of support vessels, the fleet oil tanker Pashin and the rescue and tugboat Nicolay Chiker (pictured).

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Sending a message to America? -

The United States interpreted the flotilla's presence in the Caribbean as a response to American support for Ukraine, specifically President Joe Biden's recent partial lifting of the ban against the use by Ukraine of US-provided weapons against targets inside Russia, reported CBS News.

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Five-day show of strength -

The flotilla spent five days in Havana before the Admiral Gorshkov and the two support vessels departed for Venezuela while the Kazan sailed north into the Atlantic, according to the Miami Herald.

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Conflict in the South China Sea -

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, China was accused by the United States of "aggressive" and "dangerous" tactics after a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided in the South China Sea.

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Second Thomas Shoal -

The incident occurred on June 17 near Second Thomas Shoal (pictured), a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands claimed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

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Focus of the BRP Sierra Madre -

Second Thomas Shoal is occupied by Philippine Navy personnel aboard a ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, that was intentionally grounded on the reef in 1999.

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Territorial claim -

The BRP Sierra Madre was deliberately steered onto the reef by the Philippine Navy to assert their nation's sovereignty over the shoal, which is also known as Ayungin Shoal. The vessel has been periodically replenished ever since.

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Long and distinguished service -

The boat began life as the USS Harnett County, a tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during the Second World War. Harnett County later saw action in the Vietnam War before being transferred to South Vietnam's Navy and renamed RVNS My Tho. The Philippine Navy officially acquired the ship on April 5, 1976. The vessel is pictured in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1967-1970.

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Confrontation -

The June encounter is the latest in a string of recent confrontations between Manila and Beijing. In March 2024, a Philippine Navy chartered vessel was conducting a routine resupply mission to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal when it was blocked by Chinese militia ships as it attempted to reach the remote reef.

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Collision course -

More recently, in May 2024, a Chinese Coast Guard ship came head-to-head with a Philippine supply boat en route to BRP Sierra Madre. The Chinese deployed water cannons, which shattered the supply vessel's windshield, leaving four Filipinos with minor injuries.

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An act of war -

The skirmish in June took place just weeks after Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. warned that the death of any Filipino citizen at the hands of another country in the South China Sea would be "very close" to an act of war, according to CNN.

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Signing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty -

The Philippine government has reminded Washington on several occasions of the 1951 mutual defense treaty between the US and the Philippines that stipulates both sides would help defend each other if either were attacked by a third party. Pictured on August 30, 1951, is Philippine Foreign Secretary General Carlos Romulo signing for his country as Philippine President Elpidio Quirino (left) and US President Harry S. Truman look on.

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Guarding the coast -

For its part, China claims "indisputable sovereignty" over almost all of the South China Sea, and most of the islands, reefs, and sandbars within it. China's coast guard has more than 100,000 personnel and more than 370 ships, more than half of which are large coast guard vessels. Reinforcing Beijing's assertion is a new law that authorizes its coast guard to seize foreign ships and detain crews suspected of trespassing for up to 60 days without trial.

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Sovereignty disputes -

The South China Sea, a coastal sea in the Western Pacific, is where Southeast Asia meets the ocean. Its waters have been the focus of sovereignty disputes since the aftermath of the Second World War, when several coastal countries gained their independence.

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South China Sea battlefield -

But long before the 1939–1945 conflict, China was patrolling the South China Sea. As early as the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), it was exercising jurisdiction over many islands. Later, naval forces were deployed to preempt territory claims by several nations, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

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The "nine-dash line" -

Competing with the People's Republic of China for large swathes of the sea is the Republic of China, better known as Taiwan. Each claim almost the entire body as their own, demarcating their claims within what is known as the "nine-dash line," seen on the map highlighted in green. The contested area includes the Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, and the Scarborough Shoal.

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Battle of Parcel Islands -

The Parcel Islands were in fact the scene of a conflict between the naval forces of China and South Vietnam in January 1974 during the closing stages of the Vietnam War. The sea battle was an attempt by the South Vietnamese Navy to expel the Chinese Navy from the vicinity. It ended with China establishing full control over the Parcels. Pictured is the Crescent Group of islands, part of the still disputed Parcels.

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The strategic Spratly Islands -

Composed of islands, islets, cays, and more than 100 reefs and atolls, the Spratly Islands serve as a potential flashpoint for global conflict in the vital waterway. Pictured is Sabina Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands.

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A contested sea -

This map goes someway in illustrating just how hotly contested the Spratly's and other islands are. Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam all claim "ownership" of the region. All except Brunei occupy some of the maritime features.

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Taiping Island -

Taiping Island, also called Itu Aba Island, is the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands. This smudge of land is administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan), a fact that only serves to heighten tensions between the two neighbors.

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Woody Island -

The largest of the Parcel Islands is Woody Island, or Yongxing Island. Chinese mariners set foot on this island as early as the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). It has been under the control of the People's Republic of China since 1956.

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Environmental impact on the region -

The environmental ramifications of the South China Sea conflict are immeasurable. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, China's land-grabbing and building of airstrips, ports, and other facilities on disputed islands and atolls has buried or destroyed roughly 4,648 acres of reefs. To build artificial islands, the authorities use dredging ships with propellers to break up coral reefs. Then, they pour sand on to living coral. While China isn't the only culprit, it leads the way in degrading fragile ecosystems and further devastating the natural environment.  

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An escalating conflict -

Tensions in the South China Sea threaten to draw in Russia and the United States. In 2019, a Russian destroyer, seen here on the left, came within 100 feet (30 m) of the USS Chancellorsville while operating in the Philippine Sea.

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China and Taiwan -

In May 2023, China launched what it called a series of "strong punishment" military drills around Taiwan and the islands of Kinmen, Matus, Wuqiu, and Dongyin. It did so in response to alleged "separatist acts" carried out by Taipei and other "external forces."

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US-Philippines joint military exercises -

The following year, in May 2024, the United States took part in a live fire operation as part of a US-Philippines joint military exercise in Laoag, Ilocos Norte province.

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Could war games become real? -

Codenamed Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder), the joint military exercise involved 16,000 troops, with drills extending beyond the Philippines' territorial sea into the contentious South China Sea, directly opposing China's broad claims. The exercises also included drills in the Philippines' northern Cagayan province, near Taiwan. These war games followed the incident where the Philippines accused China of attacking their ships with water cannons near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

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Obstacles to peace and stability -

Addressing the increasingly fraught situation in April 2024, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro (left, seen with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (center), Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin) warned: "We will exert our utmost in order to fulfill our sworn mandate to protect our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights. It should now be clear to the international community that China’s actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea." 

Sources: (CNN) (CBS News) (Reuters) (Centre for Strategic and International Studies) 

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