Beware of joint patrols in the South China Sea

THE Taiwan war threat is supposed to be today's topic, but the above headline issue is far more crucial to Philippine and even regional security, especially if those envisioned naval patrols by the United States and the Philippines lead to full implementation of the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA — more on this later).

Moreover, despite media brouhaha about war over Taiwan, which grabs the eyeballs and is prized by purveyors of news, certain military and economic factors diminish the war appetite of the paramount protagonists, America and China.