Manila's island plan recipe for regional disaster

By stressing a plan for the development of disputed islands in the South China Sea does not include "fortifying the BRP Sierra Madre" it grounded on China's Ren'ai Reef in 1999, Manila seems to be trying to assure Beijing the plan newly unveiled by the Philippine military is harmless.

But Beijing is not going to buy that. The plan revealed by Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Romeo Brawner Jr after attending a command conference led by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday has even stirred wide domestic concerns.

According to Brawner's comments to the media, Manila plans to "improve" all the disputed islands it is "occupying" in the South China Sea. Also included in the large-scale plan is the acquisition of more ships, radar and aircraft as the Philippines shifts its focus from internal defense to "territorial defense", he said.