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May 8 20 tweets 10 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
In today's #dailysoup, I'll introduce a disputed series of small rocks in the South China Sea, the Scarborough Shoal.

Forming a triangular shape, it is known to be a hotspot for SCS disputes between China and the #Philippines.

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The Scarborough Shoal, known as "Huangyan Dao" in Chinese and "Bajo de Masinloc" in Filipino, is located in the Philippines' EEZ or the West Philippine Sea.

It is also located 340km W of Manila, 575km E of the Paracel Islands, and 523km N of the Spratly Islands.

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Loads of oil and natural gas, polymetallic nodules and different kinds of sea creatures (e.g. lobster, jack, mackerel, etc.) are present in the Scarborough Shoal.

The shoal is also a major fishing ground for fisherfolk...

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...from the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Pangasinan, and Bataan, as their livelihoods depend on travelling to the shoal with motorised outriggers to harvest the fish there, especially during fishing season.

However, they are facing a big threat, which is from #China.

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Besides so-called "historical claims" (which I'll expound in a future entry to avoid too much information), China has been in an ongoing dispute with the Philippines in the Scarborough Shoal over the dominance of natural resources x trade routes of the SCS.

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After the CCP party ignored Filipino activity in the Scarborough Shoal from the 1950s to the 1970s, the CCP made a survey of the shoal in 1978, and named it as "Huangyan Islands".

1997 was the year of the first major grey-zone episode between the Philippines and China...

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...in the Scarborough Shoal, in which a China-sponsored radio team "told Philippine Navy ships to go away", claiming that "it's Chinese territory.

Then, Philippine navy ships arrested 21 Chinese fishermen, while China did the "Philippines-did-it-first" peepotalking tactic.

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Then, in April 10, 2012, Chinese fishing boats were hogging maritime resources in the Scarborough Shoal, prompting the BRP Gregorio del Pilar to try arresting eight Chinese fishing boats, but they were blocked by two Chinese surveillance vessels.



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After a typhoon in July 2012 forced Filipino and Chinese vessels to leave the Scarborough Shoal, two Chinese civilian ships remained while Chinese forces erected a barrier, hoping to close off the shoal.

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While my country was trying to diplomatically settle the issue, pro-China stints were occurring.

For example, the ASEAN almost expressed a communique expressing concern on the SCS issue, but Hun Sen prevented them from doing so.

Read more here:

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After the standoff, the term "West Philippine Sea" was coined to reiterate PH's claims in the SCS.

However, Chinese forces continued to linger in the Scarborough Shoal, engaging in grey-zone acts like shooting water cannons at Filipino boats in the shoal in 2014 and 2015.

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Meanwhile, China tried to justify its claims over Scarborough Shoal by describing the shoal as an "island", aligning with their "Huangyan Islands" claim.

However, the UNCLOS stated that the Scarborough Shoal is not an island but a group of rocks sticking out in the sea.

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Then, UNCLOS' definition of the Scarborough Shoal as a "group of rocks" paved the way to the Philippines' victory over China in the 2016 arbitral tribunal on the SCS.

However, China continued to insist its claims over the Scarborough Shoal, calling it an "island".

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For example, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 200+ Chinese fishing vessels illegally poached 240K kilograms of fish in the WPS, especially in the Scarborough Shoal, prompting DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin to file diplomatic protests.

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After the recent "green laser incident" in the SCS, fisherfolk from Zambales expressed concerns that they are being harassed by loitering Chinese fishing vessels hogging fish in the Scarborough Shoal, feeling a sense of worry that "Chinese vessels may attack them anytime".

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Then, as of today, multiple Chinese fishing vessels continue to loiter in the SW portion of the Scarborough Shoal, while Chinese Coast Guard ships continue to loiter in the shoal, mostly at its western x southern portions.

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Coz of the Scarborough Shoal's location between the Paracel and Spratly Islands, a Chinese victory over the shoal would enable Chinese forces easier access to both of the islands, thus making it easier for them to perform surveillance activities in SCS routes. Hence,...

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...the Scarborough Shoal is very important for my country to defend, especially when it is a part of the "Asian Mediterranean" while my country's fishing economy can be impacted by the current status of the Scarborough Shoal dispute.

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Support my work: buymeacoffee.com/olliekarp

Related entries:
Entry #60 (South China Sea dispute) -

Entry #25 (Hun Sen) -

This is Entry #62 of the #dailysoup. For previous entries, kindly visit this link: bit.ly/thedailysoup
Shoutout(s): @supbrow, @GordianKnotRay

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More from @olliekarp

May 9
In today's #dailysoup, let's go to #Indonesia as I'll introduce an Indonesian military x defence academic and Putin fangirl, Connie Bakrie. She is known for parroting common pro-China and pro-Russia peepotalking points in her articles, seminars, and soc-med posts.

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From the outside, Bakrie may look like your "ordinary academic". After finishing her doctorate at Universitas Indonesia, she attended two security studies programs at the US x UK before starting her academic career.

From the inside, it is a totally different story.

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Bakrie's husband, Djadja Suparman, once served as one of the key military heads on top of Indonesia's transition of democracy after the fall of Soeharto in 1998.

Suparman was convicted of a corruption case related to a land acquisition scandal in a city south of Surabaya.

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Read 22 tweets
May 7
In today's #dailysoup, I'll continue talking about a notorious CCP-owned firm, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), together with its subsidiaries, especially CHEC.

This time, I'll tackle their fraudulent stints around the world, particularly in #APAC.

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Since its inception in 2005, CCCC has been specialising on the financial stuff, construction x infrastructure, contracting, and dredging.

Moreover, CCCC even landed at 60th place in Fortune Global 500.

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CCCC has offices at around 123 countries in the world, with 41 in Asia and 4 in Oceania.

This entry will serve as a rabbit hole before we talk about the rest of the BRI projects handled by the Chinese firm.

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Read 26 tweets
May 3
In today's #dailysoup, I'll introduce another BRI project in #Malaysia, the Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline.

Just like the East Coast Rail Link, another BRI project, it is known for its role in the 1MDB scandal, as well as its connections with a shady Chinese company.

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Costing RM4.06B, the Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP) is a proposed 662km petrochemical x gas pipeline starting from Tuaran and ending in Sandakan.

The TSGP is located at northern Sabah, which is just close to the Philippine provinces of Sulu x Palawan.

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Like the ECRL, the TSGP is one of the BRI projects offered by China when infamous former Malaysian PM Najib Razak signed a 2016 deal with Beijing to bring Malaysia to the BRI to "cover up 1MDB".

Read more here for a background on the ECRL:

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Read 18 tweets
May 2
In today's #dailysoup, I'll introduce the current Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail. He is known for his versatile business investments and "reclamation projects, including the controversial Princess Cove and Forest City.

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Sultan Ibrahim Ismail is the son of Sultan Iskandar, who served as a Sultan of Johor and a Yang di-Pertuan Agong (monarch) of Malaysia before his death in 2010.

This is why his full name is Sultan Ibrahim Ismail ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

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Although Sultan Ibrahim Ismail succeeded his father as the Sultan of Johor in January 2010, he was officially coronated in March 23, 2015.

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Read 21 tweets
Mar 27
For today's #dailysoup, I'll introduce Dennis Uy. A Filipino businessman known to be the founder of Udenna Corporation, a major petroleum x shipping company in my country, he is shrouded with business controversies.

More info in this 🧵.

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Hailing from Davao City, Uy began his business career by setting up a barbecue store named "Dencio's Kamayan", which grew into a small retail chain.

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Then, in 2002, Uy founded the Udenna Company, a conglomerate comprising of a gas station chain (Phoenix Petroleum Philippines), a convenience store chain (FamilyMart), a logistics firm (Chelsea Holdings), as well as Enderun Colleges, Clark City Global Corporation,...

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Read 24 tweets
Mar 6
For today's #dailysoup, I will talk about the causes of the Three Kingdoms Period of #China.

This is for immersion x context purposes as @mydearfaye is currently streaming "Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty", which takes place during that period.

More info in this 🧵.

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What preceded the Three Kingdoms Period (220 AD - 280 AD) was the #Han Dynasty, which was marked with an expansive economic and political power, making it one of the greatest classical civilisations.

Just like any other empire, the Han Dynasty experienced its own downfall.

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Four main theories behind the fall of the Han Dynasty are explained by Chinese historians.

These theories are: internal struggles, the rising power of the empress x court eunuchs over child emperors, external struggles, and rebellions.

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Read 19 tweets

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