This area is barely two hundred kilometres off the coast of Palawan, but well over a thousand kilometres from China. Why on earth SHOULD the Philippines have to 'share' their resources with China ?

On this principle, any shoals or reefs (let alone inhabited islands) barely two hundred kilometres from the Chinese coast can be claimed by any other country in the region ? And required to 'share' its resources with them ? Obviously not.

It seems that imperialism is alive and well in the South China Sea.

Obviously, if it successfully muscles S-E Asian countries into accepting its dominance over reefs and shoals like the Spratleys and Paracels and the Scarborough Shoal, China intends to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone to such an extent that it can claim that the whole South China Sea is an internal, domestic, part of China.

Or am I just being paranoid ?

Joe

Well said Joe, but particularly when you consider the sheer wealth of recoverable gas china has in her own shale deposits.

I believe this has to do with china's might is right ambitions and desire to be the dominant culture and economy in the area?

And isolate Japan from its natural allies in the area, by robbing them of the energy supplies as was so critical to the Germans and the Japanese during the last conflict!

On any ground or international law the chinese just don't have any right to the reed field and should just offer to help bring the field in as any other good neighbor might?

Anything else looks like preparation for armed hostilities?
Rhrosty.