South China Sea Military Bases

[@megaprojects9649]

Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/MEGAPROJECTS to get a special offer.

[@ChIGuY-town22_]

Hell yeah!

[@ernest_j._maple]

now time to talk about the Uyghurs

[@bradz9413]

I expect this video reports Obamas monumental incompetence regarding this future changing strategic gift!!

[@hengchoon4082]

It definitely didn't work for Simon

[@wildfire8126]

@@ernest_j._maple Do talk about Native American Indians and Black lives matter? Can't help to laughing my ? off!

[@RobBoudreau]

Thinking of building on water, an idea for a future Megaproject could be the Mulberry Harbors built by the Allies in WWII. Once the beaches of Normandy were taken, they needed to get tons of men and equipment into Normandy. The Germans held all the major French ports, so the Allies built two of their own. It's an amazing piece of engineering, even the Nazi brass had to admit it was "pure genius". It's an often forgotten part of WWII history, but it was a truly astounding engineering feat.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

I'd luv to see a Megaproject's episode on those ports

[@kuriea552]

This needs to be done. Fantastic idea

[@PRCOM]

Brilliant idea

[@brianwilson3458]

Yes!

[@bthsr7113]

Saw a Drachfinel episode on them, and yes, they are insane. Brilliantly insane.

[@Emcron]

as a citizen of an ASEAN nation, I have not wanted a megaproject to fail as hard as this one.

[@fucker1714]

Fear not. They'll all be underwater in about 10-15 years from now.

[@ThatWriterKevin]

Took me a second to realize you meant the megaproject itself and not the video lol

[@Emcron]

@@ThatWriterKevin lol yes, i’m a faithful SW follower, I only want the best for him and the crew 😆

[@Hoo88846]

Why do you ASEAN nation host so many American military bases surrounding and threatening China?

[@51dbail]

There are reports that the man made islands are sinking slowly😀,

[@Erik_Ice_Fang]

Excellent video. One small correction. They claimed as early as 2014 that the islands weren't for military purposes and the first of them had such equipment as early as 2015.

[@Dept246]

Vietnam occupies the most islands in the the Spratlys at 27.

[@Bagledog5000]

@@Dept246 Good for them, it'll make them harder for China to steal.

[@lvjinbin28]

China claims that peaceful use until USA keeps sending warships.

[@kentershackle1329]

well if ya hv WARSHIP brimming with missles sailing close to ya home, on the pretext Freedom of Navigation. what would you do.. ? sent cakes n baloons?

[@JA-pn4ji]

The Philippines was the first country in 2013-14 to militarise reefs in the South China Sea. It ran aground a US-supplied coast guard vessel on which it has stationed marines permanently. Vietnam has also built artificial Islands, but because it is not in geopolitical competition with the West, its artificial islands receive little coverage in the Western media.

[@Anthony-qt3wm]

The nation equivalent of playing "I'm not touching you" while holding your finger a smidge from your siblings face.

[@thickernell]

Good discussion of the geopolitical aspects of these islands. But I would like to see a discussion of the geophysical aspects as well, i. e. what really are the practical lifetimes of these artificial islands given the methods used in their construction? Are they going to just erode in twenty years anyway?

[@TamagoHead]

Who knows? Climate chang is here. CO2, methane, and non-profitable natural gas duscharges

[@Erik_Ice_Fang]

They built them so fast that at least one of these artificial islands has already seen measurable land sinking. I think it was the Mischief Reef station

[@Snagprophet]

Put it this way, the erosion is worse than the fucking UAE palm and world islands. It's so funny that they think they have leverage by building these. Besides the Royal Navy and US go super close to them on the reg to enforce the idea they are not and never will be sovereign

[@nolongerblocked6210]

If China built it the over/under on their lifespan is 20yrs... I'm taking the under

[@FluidKaos]

I'm sure they'll erode/sink faster than Kansai Airport in Osaka has been.

[@Hobbes4ever]

those 50 cent and little pink trolls are going to love this one

[@ignitionfrn2223]

2:05 - Chapter 1 - Dispute over the spratly islands 4:00 - Mid roll ads 5:30 - Chapter 2 - China artificial islands 8:50 - Chapter 3 - The military installments 11:10 - Chapter 4 - Strategic purpose 13:35 - Chapter 5 - Wrap up

[@robsquared2]

Just a head's up, I know you won't reupload, but the audio level drops and stays low after the keeps ad.

[@oxtristynxo583]

have been waiting for this episode☺

[@mchackster805]

aaah yes, Megaprojects! The retirement home for Discovery-channel intro's I wove you

[@kaiyack]

The smaller bases, like the one on Hughes Reef, are also fascinating. They don’t have airstrips. But they are literal sea forts. Gun turrets, ramparts and radar domes. Vehicle ramps for missile launchers. All on a teeny little dot of reef.

[@BabyMakR]

And would take not even one B2s weapon load to make go away. They only have one task. Refuel a first strike raid against enemy targets.

[@brianwilliams1639]

The Japanese considered Tarawa and Iwo Jima fortresses and the British thought Singapore impregnable! They were both wrong!

[@stc2828]

But its not WW2 any more, in case of war those tiny forts would fall to missiles in minutes.

[@kaiyack]

@@stc2828 hey missiles are great except the problem is those forts most likely have multiple layers of CIWS. Maybe a hyper sonic missile could be used, but those things aren’t plentiful.

[@BabyMakR]

@@kaiyack CIWS are great and all, but they have limited ammunition. These bases aren't meant to survive. They're refuelling bases for CCP to attack civilian populations from.

[@SirWilliam1767]

I don't get it...why would China build the US 3 free island Airforce bases? I mean in a war it's not like they think they'll get to keep those islands right?

[@brianpayne4549]

I doubt I'd trust ANYTHING made in China. Actually, i heard something about china's "islands" sinking...

[@tyrport]

One island is so close to Philippine main ports as to slow up any USA maneuvers. It also covers the route the Japanese used to invade in WW2.

[@andred.4664]

I don't think they assume they are gonna lose the war in case they have one dudde. After Macau, Honk Kong and Taiwan...The Chinese will not ever accept losing territory ever again.

[@matthewshields]

​@@andred.4664 Occupying islands in a war is not the same as capturing and annexing territories. It's likely the United States would blow those islands to pieces from hundreds of miles away using long-range missiles. The only point of those islands is so China can posture to their civilian population about the area they 'control' under the 9 dash line.

[@slevinkolebra]

Gay

[@JoseFlores-xc7wu]

I remember a long time ago Japan was making a island to be part of one their airports they even made a couple of documentaries about it i don't remember if it was the history channel or the national geographic channel i always wonder what happen to that men made island cause last time i saw anything about it i think it was sinking

[@someone243]

Kansai International Airport. Still in operation, still seems to be sinking but at a slower rate now

[@MrGoesBoom]

Yeah I can't recall the name but I know what you're talking about. IIRC they really underestimated the composition of the seabed and it was sinking way more than they expected. Apparently there was a lot of pressure to get things done and ignoring of engineers telling the people in charge that things weren't OK. AFAIK it's still around and operating, but the sinking has only been slowed not stopped

[@Bagledog5000]

Kansai International! I've flown out of and into it quite a few times. It's sinking, and at some point won't be usable. Hopefully they'll have a new one built by then....

[@patrickweaver1105]

@@Bagledog5000 Nah they'll just do what humans have been doing for millions of years. They'll rebuild on top of it.

[@davyotten601]

3:50 The Netherlands literally created an entire province from the water, surrounded by water, so its an island

[@BradGryphonn]

I read somewhere (isn't that always the case?) a month or more ago about satellites showing erosion of some of China's artificial islands. It's probable that currents around the atolls are eating away the base fill from underneath, leading to subsidence on parts of the 'islands'.

[@toddjohnson5692]

This is actually true. They haven't been replenishing the sand etc and they are being eaten away.

[@-Katastrophe]

Likely, their bridge connecting Macau etc to the mainland has artificial islands (for sub-sea tunnels), they are eroding pretty badly as well.

[@rogerpenske2411]

Must’ve been designed and built by the California board of water resources

[@didierduplantier8359]

That’s why you can see their futile attempt to grow some sort of trees on those islands. The cost of desalination sea water to water those trees must not be cheap.

[@BradGryphonn]

@@didierduplantier8359 True that. You can't mimic nature in ten years in the middle of the ocean.

[@OmDesk]

Hey Simon. Awesome video! Could you do about mount weather next pleaseee ?❤

[@oxylepy2]

In before the CCP gets mad at google and Simon is forced to appologize. Free Tibet.

[@badluck5647]

This isn't the NBA.

[@Mgl1206]

@@badluck5647 KZbin actively demonetize and age restricts videos that talk bad about China.

[@oxylepy2]

​​@@badluck5647 XD😂😅😂😂

[@lvjinbin28]

free Tibet? CIA tried in 1950s but failed, because republican Nixon kowtowed to Mao.

[@pushslice]

I hope unlike legions of others , Simon stays strong and doesn’t simp to the Hissyfit-masters in Beijing.

[@jasonjuneau2948]

What size of pool? Olympic swimming pools? Regular everyday yard pools?

[@MrLuhuazhao]

you may not like it, building an island in the sea is a great idea and it is not illegal!

[@X_Peak]

Mega Projects video suggestion: Aerial Refueling

[@TheWebstaff]

I get that sinking feeling.. Like when you build an island on sand and it sinks..

[@galladesamurai2380]

Feel like I'm about to play battlefield 4 and drop in onto Paracel Islands

[@dannymartin6079]

I am running air support boys ✈️

[@Dr.RichardBanks]

Such a decent map. Highly underrated

[@cyrusthegreat7030]

Glory to China

[@Mgl1206]

@@cyrusthegreat7030 with a diminishing economy, increasing oppression, and a demographic crisis? They’ll need it but I doubt wishes will fix anything.

[@Dr.RichardBanks]

@@cyrusthegreat7030 Taiwan 🇹🇼 is a country.

[@ericmason349]

Encounters in the South China Sea have gotten more aggressive. June 2022 a Chinese fighter jet released chaffs in front of an Aussi P-8 patrol aircraft over international water. Had it fouled the Aussie's engines it would have caused a crash.

[@nolongerblocked6210]

China doesn't want the smoke, they're not remotely ready to battle a near peer nation

[@easonhuang7117]

Would be nice to hear an Aussie jet crash.

[@somelokyguy6466]

@@easonhuang7117 The 50 cent army is here.

[@pipiqiqi4010]

Aussie jet is so rubbish.

[@thomasdight1267]

​@@easonhuang7117 xitler will meet the same fate as Hitler soon enough 🙏

[@wangyewsek]

Not only china. ASEAN countries too build artificial island with the same system.

[@janissaryone1906]

The problems with island forts are they're static and can easily be destroyed by smart munitions. You don't need to locate them to form a kill chain. Next problem is with resupply. In any conflict, the sea/air routes will be contested. There's very high risk of running resupply ships to get to those islands without them being sunk by planes/ships/submarines. As the Japanese learned in WW2, just because you built a strongpoint in the ocean, doesn't mean the enemy has to attack it. The US island hopping strategy show you can just bypass them and let them wither away on their own. I can say for sure the US won't even need to attack those islands, they'll just stick a task force down in the Malacca straight and China will be done.

[@feedayeen]

They will be valuable resupply and maintenance bases until the missiles arrive. But the navy and air force will need to defend those islands instead of attacking Taiwan or another Pacific island nation. But these are also in the wrong location, most are within the Spratly Islands a thousand miles from a hypothetical Taiwan war and it is a small hindrance to using Australia or the Philippines as a base.

[@Dept246]

Militarily in a war these islands are useless. They are more for China’s claims to the fishing rights and oil resources in the surrounding waters. The Hague ruled in 2016 that small islands are not entitled to a 200 miles exclusive economic zone EEZ.

[@lvjinbin28]

why US failed to contain China in Korean War and Vietnam War? why you want to 'I can't breathe' China? it's white Japanese try to invade China again?

[@AG-GA]

yes They are the tomb stones of AmericanDream. Freedom of navigation is for civilian vesilles always true but never for forigne warship especilly us navy. roll back to your own coastal.FK. Lots of idiot want take or destory the island , they are forget Korean war Vietman war Afganistan war . The truth is US only dare and able to bully tiny counties. Queen of GB was gone. US is the next. Gone with the wind. RIH (rot in hell) . is tomahawk LGBTQXYZ? they must good at fk themself. yes Something has to give eventually.American are good at kill native indian but chinese are good at k american.

[@InsTance888]

I now wanna see it blow out. Would make a good fireworks show.

[@01oo011]

Why freedom of navigation exercises are so important.

[@martijnh333]

Is it larger then Flevoland? 2.412,31 km²

[@lucasholcomb643]

I want to see an episode on that dredger ship now.

[@timmywashere1164]

Missed Saint Patrick's Day by one day with the cabbage references.

[@ThatWriterKevin]

I assure you that when this was written far too long ago for me to have been thinking about St. Patrick's Day

[@timmywashere1164]

@@ThatWriterKevin Oh I would never blame you. And assumed it was pure coincidence. Besides if i was gonna blame someone, it'd be someone chained higher up on the radiator. Either way, Got a writer to comment on my comment, making this my best youtube comment ever. Love your writing! Cicada 3301 and the Benet Ramsey videos are some on the first Whistler videos I'd seen that got me hooked.

[@ThatWriterKevin]

@@timmywashere1164 Glad you enjoyed! Those are two of my favourite videos I've ever done

[@timmywashere1164]

@@ThatWriterKevin For good god damn reason! Also I feel like Simon has mentioned writers looking through the comments and focusing on the hate they're getting. So While I have you let me be clear. Your writing is fucking awesome and I hope you continue to do it.

[@keithhinke3277]

I heard some of the islands were slipping back into the sea.

[@reaktii]

Bro, the sponsorship of this video is wild as fuck, man. They let everyone put ads without any filter.

[@junshixianren]

Good jobs!china!continue to building these epic project!

[@TamagoHead]

Great research and delivery.👍 In contrast to current commercially feasible exploitation of fossil fuels deposits, there are undersea concentrations of rare elements. Israel & Lebanon recently made an agreement to utilize off-shore oil deposits. Territorial water laws and RON overlap like a blurry Venn diagram.

[@MrSparky4101]

In before the CCP shuts this video down.

[@me0101001000]

incoming wumao mass report soon

[@conveyor2]

In before the USofA shuts this video down.

[@golferorb]

​@@conveyor2 Simon loves American propaganda so he doesn't need to worry about that.

[@Mgl1206]

@@golferorb he’s west biased, not propaganda. Also hard to like a country that’s actively committing genocide.

[@Mgl1206]

@@conveyor2 … why would the USA do that? Literally more beneficial to them.

[@patrickweaver1105]

"Fixed fortifications are monuments to man's stupidity." -George Patton

[@magnaviator]

Just a note, the 9 dash line was originally, and is still, claimed by Taiwan. The mainland inherited those claims. People need to remember that following WW2, all the S.E. Asian neighbors were still European colonies, the only viable independent states at the time was China and Japan, but Japan had just lost the war and China was on the side of the victorious allies. Literally, there were no other state claimants to the 9 dash line back then. Phillipines was a colony of the US, Vietnam was a colony of France, Malaysia was a colony of the UK.

[@nhtkiemtienonline7414]

Spratly Islands belong to Vietnam 1816

[@Dank-gb6jn]

Oil: *exists anywhere* Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman: *Allow us to introduce ourselves*

[@henryrepton2957]

I suggest you do an video on Egypt's new capital in 2 days

[@Obliticus]

Looks like I will be eating a bit more popcorn while waiting for the next cyclone to take out these islands

[@dannymartin6079]

Thank you for another great video and helping me learn more and important stuff brilliant

[@シロダサンダー]

That Chinese built Spratly island is bigger than Flevoland? Impressive.

[@deanadams6185]

It’s actully not tho

[@Michael362yt]

Quick one guys...If you were asked to name your favorite youtuber and your favorite trader, who would it be? I'll go first. Megaprojects and Nathaniel Henry Cooke

[@cynthiadiaz7533]

Suck up! 🤣

[@al28854]

looks like the kind of islands with infrastructure for the Chinese VIPs will retreat to during a zombie apocalypse.

[@matthawkins3584]

Simon's nose is insanely red this video. Enjoy your hay fever my good man. LOL.

[@motowntaiwan9079]

The International Court of Justice ruled that the Uk's continued occupation of the Chagos Archipelago is illegal and by extension the US's lease on the Diego Garcia Atoll where it has built a huge military base. The UK and the US has completely ignored the ICJ ruling because as "western powers" that is their right. China on the other hand has to follow rules dictated by "the west". China's navy should challenge the US's illegal occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom whose internationally recognized government was overthrown by the US and then UNILATERALLY annexed by an act of the US congress.

[@gerald1495]

now make a video on US bases around the world

[@dragonsdynamite6403]

All ~800 of them. Mostly surrounding China and Russia. He’s Simon RAND, they won’t let him.

[@Srt092]

@Megaprojects: Maybe I got lost in conversion here but according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, the islands have a total size of 3200 acres, which is about 12 square kilometers... that's not that much. The Netherlands alone has an artificial island that's almost a thousand square kilometers.

[@jeffdroog]

What I understood through research,is that's the naturally occurring islands sizes.Information I found about the artificial islands,explains somewhere close to 1000 NEW hectares being added since 2013.Still didn't find conclusive information to prove its the largest artificial island project,as suggested by the video,but definitely much larger then that.

[@Moscatinka]

Based on the info on wikipedia and the images in this video there is no way that these islands even come close to the combined polder areas of Flevoland, Schouwen-Duiveland, Noord & Zuid Beveland, etc. So presumably they don't count those as islands for some obscure technical or semantic reason. Probably since the Dutch islands are all connected by land bridges. Which are also artificial.

[@jeffdroog]

@Moscatinka I wasn't aware they had land bridges...That's literally not an island lol Maybe that's why they're making these claims.

[@marktg98]

​@@jeffdroogSouthern Flevoland has no land bridges, only steel and concrete ones. Source: I've lived on it my entire life.

[@Moscatinka]

@@marktg98 Well the point probably is that the "Randmeren" at the south and east of Zuid-Flevoland are considered separate lakes (because their levels can be individually controlled through sluices and dams with inlets). Like I said, it's semantics, but it's not the first time I heard the claim that the Dutch islands aren't real islands. I lived in Schouwen-Duiveland myself, it's connected through the Brouwersdam, but that has an inlet. So when does a dam with an inlet become a bridge? I don't know either, for all intents and purposes other than the record books, they are all just artificial islands reclaimed from the sea.

[@steveyountz9184]

9:43.......Hard to believe that is a newly created island. Think someone borrowed a picture from a land base......

[@TheWuffball]

They build them, we'll take them.

[@douglassauvageau7262]

As you very incisively observe, the question is 'WHY'. Once motives are overtly / honestly revealed, a multi-national convention of cooperation might forestall conflict.

[@oopsmybad8160]

You should do 1 on if America and China team up to take eastern Russia. China gets the natural resources it need America gets the northern straights.

[@Lycan_phoenix]

It's crazy to think that Tom Clancy wrote SSN (and there was an pc game of it too) about China launching a war ove the Stratlery Islands decades ago

[@msd835]

well, there have been several sea battles between Vietnam and China fighting over South China Sea islands since 1970s.

[@thingsthatgoboom7501]

How do these new islands have so many trees?

[@CourtneyRoberts1982]

Please fix the volume on the channel. It is half what it used to be, and we have to crank the volume to ludicrous levels in order to hear you, which creates an obvious problem when the next video starts or an ad happen.

[@red.menace0074]

Don't worry, we're going to build 6x M.bases in Philippines, and angry Japaneese on our side

[@KKMan20xx]

More political than talking about the project. You conveniently omitted many details. The PRC only started building these islands after Obama announced a pivot to Asia where the US move 60% of its naval forces to the Pacific. On top of that Taiwan (ROC) has an even more extensive claim of the SCS than the PRC. This is according to the Qing dynasty map. The US has hundreds of military bases surrounding China, Why don't you ask what is the US doing on the other side of the Pacific? China's action is in response to the US aggression. As simple as that.

[@ichibansama5867]

when war broke out those artificial islands will be a sitting ducks. the only job for those islands left are to be a lunch pad for choking sea lanes like Malacca Strait, Balabac Strait and Luzon Strait.

[@TamagoHead]

West Point was founded around the Army Corps of Engineers. - I might still have some Looney Tunes ACME (American Corp of BBC Manufacturing Engineers) tools. - Navy see-bees did island building stuff in WWII in during war. - Japan recently deployed 500+ personnel to an unoccupied Okinawa island for air warning & ballistic defense. 😮

[@petebondurant58]

If these islands are as poorly constructed as their skyscrapers, the world has little to fear.

[@dejanmarkovic2355]

This video is brought to you by the US NAVY featuring Keeps

[@achaerna.6662]

This video sponsor spot makes me want to play Keeps away.

[@TamagoHead]

Yup, bald is beautiful. When you get old it sprouts everywhere except for your head. 🤪🤦🏻‍♀️

[@TamagoHead]

Oral low-dose minoxidil reduces BP.

[@jameswilson5165]

A few earth (Sea) quakes and Typhoons will settle the issue.

[@csonracsonra9962]

I know of one mega project you've covered that could erase those islands in one fly over

[@henryward5457]

Only one? there are several covered megaprojects that could erase them.

[@csonracsonra9962]

@@henryward5457 true

[@littleshopofelectrons4014]

I have read that the next huge cyclone will basically wipe out these artificial islands.

[@russellfitzpatrick503]

'Special Military Operation' (SE Asia) ...... Watch this space ... and Taiwan, Phillipines, etc Which is why China is watching the developments in Ukraine so studiously

[@demoncet1998]

This can be summed up by one Chinese ideology, and that is the idea that they're the best race on the planet and as such they deserve everything. If you ever read official translations of light novels set in china that ideology is omnipresent in the story

[@zhaomengyu028]

look republic of china (taiwan) constitution: the 11 dash line belong to roc（1947）when Japanese surrendered ，American and western contry support this ，china 9 dash line is based on 11 dash line

[@deanzaZZR]

The claim that France or Japan controlled all the Spratlys in the 1930s and 1940s is incorrect. France and Japan stationed troops on some of the islands and reefs but did not occupy or claim all of the islands/reefs.

[@Dillyvl]

So how is this story different to the murican occupation of guam?

[@vw2112]

well no one contests the ownership and it also has not been built by anyone its a natural island that the us got back in 1898 after the Spanish american war. it is considered a us territory even by Guam natives who cannot ever make up there mind to either become a state or try it as there own country. been put up for votes many times over the years and there has never been a agreement on what to do so its still a us territory from the treaty of Paris. The people born there are us citizens and they have representatives in the political offices in washington

[@joplin8433]

TIL that Guam is man made and was built in another country's EEZ. Good job, wumao. 👍

[@lvjinbin28]

@@joplin8433 how much money CIA paid you to comment here?

[@lvjinbin28]

@@vw2112 ironically media never reports once that how Chinese got authorization/endorsement on South China Sea in modern history, that's why people only know CCP becomes aggressive in recent years, but it's when ROC(KMT in Nanjing) claims 11dashline in 1945 just after WWII, West and Soviet supported China's 11dashline claim, more ironically it's US navy gave 4 warships (formerly the USS Decker DE-47 etc) to Chinese took over Taiping island etc in 1946, today ROC(in Taiwan today) still claims 11dashline and controls Taiping island, Dongsha islands, but today Taiwan separatist government keeps silient under USA's pressure, so propaganda only makes China like really aggressive. Southeast Asia were still Western colonies in 1946, if Western masters supported ROC's 11dashline claim, then French Vietnam, British Malaya, American Philippines didn't even oppose, why they didn't oppose then? because they didn't get independence then. PRC(CCP in Beijing) inherited ROC same 11dashline claim after Chinese Civil War 1949, CCP changed to 9dashline claim after PRC gave Bach Long Vi island to North Vietnam as gift in 1957 against USA, PRC fought against South Vietnam in Paracel island 1974 but US navy didn't help South Vietnam against China, North Vietnam even supported PRC's claim, but Vietnam communist claims same like South Vietnam after Vietnam reunification 1975, then PRC fought against Vietnam in Johnson South Reef in 1988 during Sino-Vietnamese Conflicts, Soviet navy also didn't help Vietnam against China, PRC navy was still poor and backwards so PRC didn't retake all island in Spratly Islands. ROC Taiwan lost Thitu island to Philippines due to storm 1971, even Taiwan navy was really powerful but still gave up to retake Thitu under USA's pressure, Taiwan today still claims Thitu island in ROC constituion. why international society especially West/USA supported Chinese to control South China Sea in 1945? I think it's because Chinese is a big contributor for WWII and West gave South China Sea as a gift, it's like how Greece can control all islands in Aegean Sea because Turkey lost the war. China and Taiwan today claims same Beijing, Hongkong, South Tibet, Xinjiang, also South China Sea, so South China Sea dispute should be between PRC and ROC, if USA only recognize PRC then USA should support PRC's claim, but We know USA's standard is strange, USA didn't support PRC's 9dashline claim, USA also didn't oppose ROC's 11dashline claim, it's because now it's no rules in new Cold War. it's not Chinese warships in Caribbean Sea to defend Cuba, when US sent more warships to China backyard in recent years, China would have to control own lifeline there for geopolitical reason, all countries built fake island even Vietnam Malaysia built earlier than China, but China just can build bigger when China got more money and advanced technology, if USA really wants to choke off China's lifeline there, then US navy shouldn't run away from most dangerous standoff in 2016 that fake Hague ruling, that's why Singapore and Philippines turned to pro-China, if US as No.1 navy can't wipe out China as NO.2 navy then, I don't think China would give up backyard security to USA.

[@joplin8433]

@@lvjinbin28 How much social credit did you get from making that comment? Can you leave your province or take the train yet?

[@SimonsAuntPhyllis]

In case anyone's interested, Vox covers the geopolitics of the South China Sea a lot better.

[@joelh2800]

why don't u do a video on the type 055d destroyer

[@Polacerbic]

If it isn’t one thing it’s another

[@trojanhorse6029]

The US militarised the South China Sea first. 1.5 billion people have the right to defend their security and interests. I very much doubt the USA would welcome a Chinese presence in the Caribbean sea? They would lose their minds if China tried to surround the US with military bases. China has been smart, it needs some defense in the South China Sea. Japan lost all claim once they became a US colony

[@allowedme]

Let’s talk about those 50 some island military bases in the SCS built by Vietnam and the Philippine.

[@Ai-vq8rj]

its part of their teritorial sea and eez so there is nothing wrong with there islands...meanwhile chinas islands are inside the other countries eez

[@Dept246]

@@Ai-vq8rj Wrong territorial waters is 12 miles and an EEZ is not sovereignty. The South China Seas is INTERNATIONAL WATERS and the islands are DISPUTED. The 2016 Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines 200 miles EEZ but never ruled who owns the islands in the South China Seas.

[@Ai-vq8rj]

@@Dept246 it is called common sense...china doesnt have real islands in the area thats why they build it....and the islands are not disputed chinas just want to grab it...the eez are international waters but the nearest country has the right to build an island on it not the far away neighbours...the hague ruling just invalitaed chinas claim on the area and declared the islets are not islands tbose cannot have teritorial sea....it means that those islets are under palawans eez those exclusive to palawan....because china is 2000 kilometers away they cannot claim anything in the area...thats why china built fake islands because they want to claim the whole sea but fortunately the hague just declared that china has no basis to claim because its fake islands and their 9dash line is fake...if china won then they can just build any island anywhere in tbe world and claim the adjacent sea as theirs...you see even the hague did not specify it actually prevent future fake islands builder from claiming sea teritory....just imagine if china will build a fake island in moon or mars or in the pacific or in atlantic or in indian ocean and then claim that its their teritory....they will then build fake islands in north pole and in south pole and claim as their historical teritory....the thing is chinas fake islands are useless and futile...even if a war broke out in scs it will not change the fact that china is the land grabber and sea grabber...its like a bully dog invading your backyard will not change the fact that its your backyard and that dog is just shitting there and you have the right to shoot it legaly...

[@winzracingNZ]

Also Pacifica... Tonga etc ripe for the picking

[@luting3]

True Oversea military bases.

[@arcailecorp]

how many corral reef they destroyed to build those destroying ecosystems

[@Subjectivity13]

Aren't they sinking into the ocean, though? I've always heard they immediately started to sink, probably because of the quick, cheap shortcuts they took when making them.

[@twentypdrparrott694]

Simon you will find your missing hair under the headboard of your bed!🤣

[@blindedbliss]

Artificial Island excludes the Netherlands?

[@mynocturnalstar]

What if the sea claims those artificial islands? 👀

[@Dad_Woof]

It’s mind boggling how much China can get away with.

[@jesonchase2233]

Look at usa first

[@lvjinbin28]

it's US navy in China backyard, right?

[@gearz2570]

@@lvjinbin28 the US navy doesn't actively invade other countries national waters, escort illegal fishing vessels and destroy maritime environments just because they can. That's the PLAs job.

[@stvdmc2011]

if uncle sam can invaded and bombed any sand countries with impunity, china can't build up defense perimeter?

[@Dept246]

It’s in international waters and it is actually Vietnam that has seized and occupies the most islands in the Spratlys with 27. Everyone is greedy here.

[@me0101001000]

Inb4 wumao raids

[@joedimaggio3687]

How are these islands supplied with fresh drinking water?

[@KharoudJatt10]

Im try to see video about this country new ilands and you only show yours face in all video😂

[@generalrendar7290]

These island bases would be a huge boon to hostile powers since they are air and port facilities that can be seized and used as a springboard to operate in the area.

[@didierduplantier8359]

They are also sitting ducks in a hot war. Cut off their supply lines and the defenders will be drinking their own piss to survive

[@xsu-is7vq]

Other than US and it’s allies, nobody is really looking to start a war with China.

[@777dragonborn]

It goes both ways. Just depends how long they can be maintained.

[@mbathroom1]

last time i was this early, these bases hadn't been built

[@billpetersen298]

The Spratley Islands, known for disputed ownership? Are right beside the Philippines. So why disputed?

[@Dept246]

The Spratly Islands are in international waters. The law of seas only allows 12 miles territorial waters and anything beyond is international waters. Even the USA said it didn’t recognize any country’s sovereignty to the Scarborough Shoal which pissed the citizens in the Philippines. Cuba and the Bahamas are near the USA but that doesn’t mean they are USA territory. There are no Filipinos living on those small islands (the largest island is 110 acres) which are incapable of supporting life. It is disputed territory claimed by Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

[@lvjinbin28]

@@Dept246 ironically media never reports once that how Chinese got authorization/endorsement on South China Sea in modern history, that's why people only know CCP becomes aggressive in recent years, but it's when ROC(KMT in Nanjing) claims 11dashline in 1945 just after WWII, West and Soviet supported China's 11dashline claim, more ironically it's US navy gave 4 warships (formerly the USS Decker DE-47 etc) to Chinese took over Taiping island etc in 1946, today ROC(in Taiwan today) still claims 11dashline and controls Taiping island, Dongsha islands, but today Taiwan separatist government keeps silient under USA's pressure, so propaganda only makes China like really aggressive. Southeast Asia were still Western colonies in 1946, if Western masters supported ROC's 11dashline claim, then French Vietnam, British Malaya, American Philippines didn't even oppose, why they didn't oppose then? because they didn't get independence then. PRC(CCP in Beijing) inherited ROC same 11dashline claim after Chinese Civil War 1949, CCP changed to 9dashline claim after PRC gave Bach Long Vi island to North Vietnam as gift in 1957 against USA, PRC fought against South Vietnam in Paracel island 1974 but US navy didn't help South Vietnam against China, North Vietnam even supported PRC's claim, but Vietnam communist claims same like South Vietnam after Vietnam reunification 1975, then PRC fought against Vietnam in Johnson South Reef in 1988 during Sino-Vietnamese Conflicts, Soviet navy also didn't help Vietnam against China, PRC navy was still poor and backwards so PRC didn't retake all island in Spratly Islands. ROC Taiwan lost Thitu island to Philippines due to storm 1971, even Taiwan navy was really powerful but still gave up to retake Thitu under USA's pressure, Taiwan today still claims Thitu island in ROC constituion. why international society especially West/USA supported Chinese to control South China Sea in 1945? I think it's because Chinese is a big contributor for WWII and West gave South China Sea as a gift, it's like how Greece can control all islands in Aegean Sea because Turkey lost the war. China and Taiwan today claims same Beijing, Hongkong, South Tibet, Xinjiang, also South China Sea, so South China Sea dispute should be between PRC and ROC, if USA only recognize PRC then USA should support PRC's claim, but We know USA's standard is strange, USA didn't support PRC's 9dashline claim, USA also didn't oppose ROC's 11dashline claim, it's because now it's no rules in new Cold War. it's not Chinese warships in Caribbean Sea to defend Cuba, when US sent more warships to China backyard in recent years, China would have to control own lifeline there for geopolitical reason, all countries built fake island even Vietnam Malaysia built earlier than China, but China just can build bigger when China got more money and advanced technology, if USA really wants to choke off China's lifeline there, then US navy shouldn't run away from most dangerous standoff in 2016 that fake Hague ruling, that's why Singapore and Philippines turned to pro-China, if US as No.1 navy can't wipe out China as NO.2 navy then, I don't think China would give up backyard security to USA.

[@NothernNate]

Taiwan is #1! 💙 The QUAD would easily choke out China.

[@lvjinbin28]

why US failed to choke China in Korean War and Vietnam War then?

[@CulturalXplorer19]

Lol , explain how that would happen? You're dreaming. China is too big to be "choked". Choking china would result in a global economic crisis. But again, it's not possible because china can bypass these "chokings"

[@CulturalXplorer19]

Also, even if it was possible, choking china would also hurt the Philippines economy, Japan's economy, south Korea's economy etc.

[@gups4963]

@@CulturalXplorer19 Maybe if China hadn't exported covid on purpose, committed a genocide every decade, enslaved its own and sent drugs to kill americans

[@Hillbilly001]

Those will make bloody great targets for the Lizard Overlords. Cheers

[@pth6060]

Prime targets

[@FarmerDrew]

YOU say all this Un-o"fish"ally and I agree but it leaves me hungry

[@GregHighPressure]

Simon the red nosed fact boy, had a very shiny nose.

[@andrewagar7024]

The Falkland island & Guantanamo plus Pearl Harbor..,,,, ja the Chinese have learnt from us how the game is played!

[@CeasarJames]

Do anyone like pepper on cheese & toast?

[@prasanth2601]

I wouldn't blame china for doing this when the US carrier group always sails in their backyard. The only problem is China's neighbors are becoming hostile because of their aggressive actions

[@Lee-pf6od]

It's not their backyard though, that's the whole point. They built a military base in someone else's back yard.

[@gerald1495]

@@Lee-pf6od yes it is. Imagine a Chinese carrier group by the coast of florida and expecting the US to make no counter measures

[@Lee-pf6od]

@@gerald1495 no it's not. It's like a Chinese carrier group sailing in Mexican waters. Then US claiming Mexican waters as their own and building an island there.

[@gerald1495]

@@Lee-pf6od China is encircled by US bases in Taiwan, okinawa, guam etc. Yanks have been a threat for decades to Chinese sovereignty, stop the bs

[@markeasley6149]

Sailing a ship nearby means nothing. A nation's sovereignty is not invaded if you are not violent and behaving professionally, which the US Navy does.

[@DjWesRolan]

Just saw this island on google earth. Creepy

[@boriss.861]

Si if you''re going to plug Keeps prove it works or the Snake Oil it probably is! p.s and I;m one with MPB (male pattern baldness)