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By Raïssa Robles
Both China and the Philippines are not about to say anything more about the embarrassing incident of a modern warship getting stuck on an undersea rock during peacetime and in the absence of a tropical storm. The Sydney Morning Herald which broke the news identified the ship that ran aground at Half Moon (or Hasa Hasa) Shoal as a Jianghu-class frigate no. 560.
Warship grounding implications
South China Morning Post’s Beijing correspondent Teddy Ng wrote about the implications of this accident on China’s ambition to be a maritime power. He said:
Some analysts said the accident reflected defects in China’s navy that could affect its ability to exert sovereignty in the South China Sea.
“It affects people’s confidence in the capability of the navy,” said Shanghai-based military analyst Ni Lexiong . “The accident indicates that the technology of Chinese navy vessels and the ocean combat capability of the navy may not be sophisticated enough.”
Antony Wong Dong, president of the Macau-based International Military Association, said the accident may have occurred because Chinese navy officers were not fully familiar with conditions in the South China Sea.
“Even though the accident may not significantly affect the South China Sea situation, Vietnam and the Philippines might still feel more at ease,” he said.
The news could not have come at a more inconvenient time for China, which was savoring a diplomatic triumph — it had succeeded, through its ASEAN ally Cambodia, in preventing the ASEAN foreign ministers from issuing a joint communiqué mentioning the conflict in the South China Sea.
I decided to ask a retired Filipino admiral who has personally commanded nine ships, including the flagship of the Philippine Navy, what he thought of the incident. He spoke to me on condition of anonymity.
He said:
Initially, I thought napakabobo naman noong ship captain, na hindi mo alam pupuntaahan mo. (At first I thought, what a stupid ship captain, who didn’t know where he was going). He is stupid or negligent. I think negligent would be the better word. He was negligent of his duties.
He explained that modern warships now have equipment that tap satellite data:
These ships now have depth perception. So they know what is under. I’m sure they are using the satellite for navigation.
A lot of devices now use satellite. The iPhone uses satellite. Ships use satellite. They know where they are all the time. They even know the depth of the sea where they are going. That is what I’m saying.
They should be able to determine through the satellite where the reefs are. These should have been avoided by the captain of the vessel. Navigation is always preventive.
And even without satellite, a captain maneuvering in shallow waters would think of posting lookouts. He himself has steered ships in those waters, he said.
He noted one thing that a ship captain always has to remember about reefs:
The reefs – they grow everyday – year in year out. It’s nature’s way. They grow larger and larger as long as they’re alive. They die when there’s pollution. So you can’t rely just on old maps. I’m sure the ship captain (of the Chinese frigate) was not using the old maps.
My source correctly surmised that it was the bow (the front) of the Chinese frigate that got grounded. A Reuters news agency report, quoting China’s defense ministry, said “the bow (of the frigate) has sustained light damage and everybody on board is safe.”
My source said Filipino mariners use a Tagalog word derived from Spanish to describe when a ship accidentally gets trapped or stuck or caught. They says it’s “nabahura.”
My source also said a lot of factors contribute to the accidental grounding of a ship. Sometimes a ship gets stuck because of low tide. It only has to wait 12 hours for the next high tide to free itself, he said. But in this instance, the ship got stuck Thursday night and was unstuck only by early Sunday morning with the aid of six Chinese navy ships which came to the rescue.
And to think that one of China’s boasts is that a Chinese astronomer named Guo Shoujing had surveyed the South China Sea area as far back as 1279 and then made a map showing all those islands and rocks and shoals, including Scarborough Shoal.
It is true that the Philippine Navy has also grounded two ships in the same vicinity. In 1999, BRP (Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas) Sierra Madre went aground on Ayungin Reef (internationally known as the Second Thomas Reef). In the same year, BRP Benguet went aground on Panatag Shoal (internationally named Scarborough Shoal)
Both ships, however, were World War II ships which had long been decommissioned by the US and then recommissioned by the Philippines.
China accused the Philippines then of intentionally grounding those ships to serve as forward bases and demanded their removal. BRP Benguet was subsequently unstuck from Panatag Shoal, but in 2004, it got stuck again on Pagasa Island (or Thitu island) in the Kalayaan Island Group. It is there to this day.
It seems, however, that the recent grounding of a Chinese warship of the Jianghu V Class is a different case altogether. Where the Philippine Navy has to make do with ships several generations old, this class of warship dates back to the 1970s, and this particular vessel had just been retrofitted last year. A blog called china-defense.blogspot.com had this to say about this type of warship:
The latest improvements include new air-search and fire-control radars, new twin 100mm main gun turrets to replace the old models, the addition of 37mm CIWS mounts, and the replacement of Silkworms with YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.
The Philippine military earlier tagged the same kind of warship as having fired at Filipino fishermen near Jackson atoll a year ago.
China has the second largest navy in the world today in terms of ships. We have one of the puniest navies. However, we have one of the largest manpower and some of the world’s finest mariners sailing the seven seas, except that they are manning foreign vessels.
With sailing abilities like this, who knows perhaps we might see a Chinese warship running aground on Palawan. And China will say it’s still their territory.
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kindredspirit says
just received this forwarded message. unfortunately there is no information on the original source of the material. perhaps there is someone in this community who can help verify source and veracity of this information. thank you.
Spratlys, Paracels not on 1904 Chinese map
A Han-Chinese map of China published in 1904 reveals that China stretched as far south as Hainan Island, and that Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands did not belong to China.
Shanghai Publishing House printed the map whose Vietnamese name is “Hoàng triều trực tỉnh địa dư toàn đồ” (Map of all Chinese provinces).
After holding it for 30 years, Dr. Mai Hong, former head of the Library of the Institute for the Study of Chinese and Demotic Scripts and Cultures, has decided to release the historical evidence.
Hong recently sat down with Tuoi Tre for an interview about the map:
How did you get this map?
I got this map when I administered a library of Chinese and Demotic Script books (now Institute for the Study of Chinese and Demotic Scripts and Cultures) in 1977. At that time, collecting maps was not our administrative function. However, to my surprise, an elderly man who often sold books to us showed up at our office one day and recommended I buy this map. I spent one month’s salary to purchase it without my family’s knowledge.
Is it a valuable map made a long time ago?
Yes, it is. It’s a color-coded paper map that has a carton-paper cover and can be opened like a book. Inside the map, there are more than 35 pieces – each measured at 20cm wide, 30cm long – stuck on canvas. Because I can read Han-Chinese, I’ve translated about 600 Han-Chinese words into Vietnamese that adequately represents the origin and date of the map.
According to the translation, the map was created across nearly two decades (1708 – 1904), from the Kangxi Emperor who ruled China from 1661 – 1722 to the Guangxu Emperor from 1875 to 1908. The emperors asked many clergymen and gifted astronomers and mathematicians to make this map.
More specifically, in 1708, King Kangxi recruited some western clergymen to draw the map of the Great Wall. In 1711, the King continued to ask the clergymen to survey lands in 13 provinces nationwide. After that, Chinese intellectuals and western clergymen worked together for nearly 200 years to finish this map. Among famous western clergymen helping King Kangxi with the map were Matteo Bicci from Italy, Joannes Adam Schall Von Bell from Germany, and Ferdinandus Verbiest from Belgium.
In 1904, Shanghai Publishing House printed this map and distributed it to all provinces of the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China ruling from 1644 to 1912. The introduction of the map was written by the director of a Chinese observatory.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Mai Hong has held onto the map proving the two islands in the East Sea are not in China’s territorial waters. Photo by Viet Dung.
What is some helpful historical data from this map?
In this map, the director of a Chinese observatory greatly appreciated achievements by western clergymen, who were at the time ahead of China in the field of astronomy and mathematics. As the map indicates, there are no photos, drawings or surveys of Truong Sa or Hoang Sa islands on the map. The Chinese themselves also admitted that Hainan Island was the end of their land to the south.
Why did you decide to release this map?
In my opinion, this map will provide some helpful evidence that helps other claimants get more active in resolving disputes with China over the ownership of the two islands in the East Sea. This is also helpful data for local scholars or researchers who are studying the seas and the islands’ sovereignty.
Official map
According to Pham Hoang Quan, a local researcher on Han-Chinese and Demotic Scripts, the map, measuring 115cm long and 140cm wide, was printed on separate sheets and belonged to a group of large-scale maps.
Quan added that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were only 60 maps of this kind. The map’s accuracy in terms of longitude and latitude is nearly on par with modern maps. This map was made by experts at the Observatory of the Qing Dynasty, so it can be considered official, he said.
On July 4, Dr. Mai Hong contacted the National Museum of Vietnamese History to hand over the “Hoàng triều trực tỉnh địa dư toàn đồ” map for display and preservation. The ceremony marking the gift is scheduled for the morning of July 24 in Hanoi, with several historians expected to attend.
maorag44 says
A good way for the Philippines to defend its territory is to acquire fast missile boats equipped with ship-killing missiles. They aren’t that expensive & we could buy 2nd-hand from the Israelis. We might also acquire some A-4M Skyhawks modified to carry Harpoon missiles. The Argentinians were able to hurt the Royal Navy which have very capable people using Exocet ASM, what more the Philippines vs.the Chinese Navy which has no naval history, failing even to take 2 small islands, Quemoy & Matsu only 3 kms. from their shore in the 50s. The US Navy is a class by itself so it’s no contest if we compare China which has no credible blue ocean capability. If a fight between China vs. Japan happens, my money is on Japan with their navy’s experience and history. We need to update our equipment & training & if done, we could give them a run for their money! Why not strenghten cooperation between Japan, South Korea, Australia & our navy so our sailors can be properly trained & maybe they’ll even include some free equipment as we are on the frontlline?
raissa says
Hmmmm.
leona says
@maorag…I like your I.D. name…U are a potential for admiralship…not one maybe of our admirals can think like you do…
Like I say before here, China has to show it really cantake Taiwan first but maybe they know it will be very difficult and lose the engagement for it…
We are their better prey under the present situation…DONOTBUYCHINA then! Boycott China products. Nobody can love a tooth ache!
Rene-Ipil says
An enlightening article written by General Jose Almonte, a former national security adviser.
“Given the constraints under which it’s working, the administration of President Benigno Aquino has so far done all that could possibly be done, in the short term, to defend our nation’s interests in the West Philippine Sea.
“But in this case it’s not enough to deal with the immediate problem. Our nation’s long-term security hangs in the balance.
“And to ensure our safety, we must look at the root of our nation’s security, which lies in our people—in everyone of us and nobody else.
“If our country is to prevail in any challenge, if the Philippines is to become worthy of respect as a sovereign nation, we must first of all enable our people to become effective wealth creators.
“We must make our country rich enough to enable us to acquire the means to defend our nation’s interests, to protect our people’s dignity and honor.”. Please see link below.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/32901/no-one-can-stop-china-in-spratlys-but-china-or-the-power-of-world-opinion
leona says
“we must first of all enable our people to become effective welathcreators.” Says Gen. Almonte. What is the time period to be one like this? A decade? Two decades? When he was the Chief Nat’l Security Advisier,what did he do good while in that office re our national security which was then WIDE OPEN for any intruders to intrude?
Our security “hangs in the balance.” On a piece of string? Filament? It’s not going to hang long! It will snap and drop us all into the water!
Some Military officers! Learn a good lesson on this! Forget buying real estate in USA! Or even here with plundered funds.
Advice (you people need this!): BE PATRIOTIC! RESIST CORRUPTION!
Martial Bonifacio says
Boycott Made in CHINA is taking its effect here in US. The news start at 9:42.
http://abcnews.go.com/watch/world-news-with-diane-sawyer/SH5585921/VD55220224/world-news-718-psyria-strike-bomb-kills-assads-brother-in-law
I hope jan din sa Philippines tangkilikin ang sarili gawang pinoy na produkto. If you go to wallmart and best buy medyo nababawas bawasan na ang made in china.
leona says
I will always THINK AND BELIEVE I DON’T HAVE MONEY TO BUY MADE IN CHINA!