AS soon as the Philippines and China entered into an agreement to defuse tensions in the West Philippine Sea, China pursued a course of action with exactly the opposite intent and effect. The temporary and limited agreement proved temporary and limited indeed. China continued to pursue maneuvers against Philippine vessels that each time constituted a more aggressive and dangerous level of bullying. First, there was only one water cannon striking Philippine vessels, then there were two, with the water pressure increased, then big Chinese vessels ramming into smaller Philippine ships.
Last month, two Chinese Air Force planes shot flares at a Philippine Air Force plane that was on a regular patrol flight over Panatag Shoal. As Sen. Risa Hontiveros observed, "Not only is China keeping our waters hostage, it has started to encroach on our skies." The significance of the incident extends beyond the danger it caused pilot, passenger and plane. In all probability, it is meant to signal that China is putatively the lord not only of regional waters but also of regional skies. The history of modern wars shows air power to be the game changer time and again.
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