USS ‘Theodore Roosevelt’ and USS ‘Makin Island’ meet in the South China Sea. U.S. Navy They first showed up around Whitsun Reef in December. A growing fleet of Chinese boats, anchoring hull to hull in the shallow water around the boomerang-shaped reef, 200 miles west of the Philippines in the South China Sea. By March there were around 220 Chinese boats near the reef. It appeared to officials in Manila and Washington that Beijing was about to execute another land grab, potentially leading to the establishment of yet another Chinese military outpost in disputed waters. In mid-April, the Chinese boats began dispersing. What happened in the intervening month is clear. The U.S. and Philippine navies deployed powerful forces to the region while diplomats pla… Click below to read the full story from Forbes
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China Blinks As American, Philippine Fleets Challenge Possible Reef Seizure
