Source: BBC Chinese website
Author: Laura Bike
The life of Ibayat Island is uncomfortable.
The northern end of the Philippines is full of steep limestone cliffs and small islands with rolling hills, standing in the middle of the Strait of the Luzon.
Even in the sunny day, there are big waves on this blue sea area. Those small fishing boats want to fish for some islanders' favorite flying fish, and they will be pushed by the waves.
Nearly 3,000 Avanter Aboriginal, fishermen, and farmers live here. They have experienced the baptism of earthquakes, typhoons and droughts, but now they face a new threat that they have never seen before.
The homeland on their island is facing the risk of conflict between the United States and China.The army of the two countries is getting closer to the edge of the gunfire to get angry, in order to get the lead in the South China Sea.
The core problem in Taiwan is Taiwan.China's claims on this autonomous island are becoming more and more loud, even if the United States' determination to guard Taiwan seems to be strengthening.
The components of the Patan Islands of the Philippines and the ancients of the Basa are in the place where the fire is touched.
In the surrounding waters, their display on the map is just a few points, but they are close to Taiwan -Ibayat Island is only 156 kilometers away from Taiwan (96 miles), which makes them both strategic ally and a single single.Full enemy.
Analysts often talk about the tension between the two superpowers, but what kind of experience is living where the conflict between Beijing and Washington is arguing?
Ibayat can often be separated from the world for several weeks.It really does not break.The small docks are dug out by the cliff. To go to the sea and go to the sea, you must go down from the steep staircase from the rock.
The color of the seawater in the waters of the island is deep green and loose, so clear that you can see the small fish in the middle of the coral.It seems that Ibayat Island feels that it has not been dyed by humans, and only the aboriginal people who settle here are here.
Few people here have TVs.Passing between each household or communicating during the church assembly often is often more reliable than waiting for intermittent mobile phone signals.
But they don't need TV news or social media to tell them that the turbulent relationship between the United States and China is threatening the waters around them.
Now, this threat is unprecedented.
Who dominate this sea?
Hold on the ground, the eyes are locked on the weapon's sight, and the camouflage clothes are worn from head to toe. This is the 25th Infantry Division trained on the ancient island of the bus.
They are undergoing guard drills when the island is invaded.This is part of the largest military combat exercise in the history of the United States and the Philippines.
At sea, the task is led by the US Navy warship Miguel Keith.Shoot with your mobile phone.The simulation exercise even involves the use of water and land amphibious assault ships to transport rocket launchers to the beach.
"Our goal in this area is to prevent conflicts from occurring," said Major General Joseph Ryan, commander of the 25th Infantry Division.
"We don't want to fight against the People's Republic of China. We don't want to be like that, and we are not eager to provoke that. It is not good for anyone to fight with the Chinese People's Republic of China."
However, he acknowledged that the two sides were sending a message here.
"The transmitted message is, we are ready, we have the ability to do it, we are prepared. We have good partners here, and we are real."
Both sides must be armed themselves; the same is true of Asia.
China is the most spent on the new military hardware facilities in this area. This year's defense budget has always been the highest, about $ 224 billion.
On the other hand, the United States has always actively showed off its ability and has more military exercises with allies in this area than before.
For Washington, this is not only to show the shiny new weapons, but also to overwhelm the allies -the White House to send envoys to Asia more frequently than before, hoping to combine a solid alliance against China.This includes the geographical location itself is a Philippines of wealth.
Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Philippines, admitted when visiting Washington this week before visiting Washington: "The situation is heating up."
He has decided to take a more described stance than his predecessor, which includes ordering the Navy and the Coast Defense Force to carry out more patrols.
Fishermen on the front line
However, the patrol may be safe elsewhere elsewhere, but in the South China Sea, it may evolve into conflict, and even fishing may cause a geopolitical crisis.
Beijing claims to have sovereignty over the entire region of the South China Sea, although the international court ruled that these sovereignty claims have no legal basis -and in this strategic waters, there are trillions of trade between a trillions of dollars each year.
"Chinese fishermen once harassed us," said Cyrus Malupa, a 59 -year -old.He said that he hung on a fishing line and threw it into the sea.
"We report to the government, and the official sets a military base in Yami Island in the north. Now we have the Philippine Navy's Marine Corps there," he said.
In March, the Philippine Navy began a month -long task on this uninhabited island, described it as the "first line of defense" of the country, and set up the Philippine flag at its highest point.This is a very small but bold sovereign action.
For those who live on a boat for many days like Selles, they hope to capture enough tuna to sell in the local market, this geopolitical dispute is involved in individuals.This is a matter of supporting the family.
For more than ten years, hundreds of Filipinoma fishermen reported that they had been expelled from their traditional fishing area in the South China Sea -especially in the dispute near the Sprratley Islands (China known as the Nansha Islands)Sea.
"We don't have so much harvest, because the poachers have more advanced technology," Sales said on a bumpy boat in Bailang.
"We local people use old methods to fish, such as lines and small nets, but poachers have more advanced technology, so they can catch as much as they want."
Manila has proposed nearly 200 diplomatic protests on Beijing's actions -Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei also have overlapping sovereignty.
"Worrying is natural, because any conflict will affect our lives," said Victor Gonzales, a 51 -year -old Victor Gonzales.
"First of all, we are worried about life safety, and maybe people escape from Taiwan to us, and we have limited resources."
Like most people on Ibayat Island, Victor is farmented when the sea is in dangerous, and when the situation is good, he goes to sea to fish.Crops are cultivated by manpower, without the help of machines or fertilizers.On the contrary, farmers are in turn speciesPlant sweet potatoes, rice, corn, garlic and onion.A farmer can feed 25 families.
"We need to protect our resources because this is our livelihood, and we have no other way. We hope that there are something to be passed on to the next generation," Victor said.
The degree of concerns was that local government officials of the Pandan Islands announced to the media in December last year that they would ensure food supply and prepare for possible conflicts.
Armed and Allies
On the beach of San Anna, the prohibition logo near the Camilo Osias Naval Base is manual painting and it is difficult to identify -dozens of green fishing boats on the beach are almost almost impossibleIt blocks.This is a week, and some people who usually go out to the sea are now a little drunk under the action of Philippine felt wine.
A few buffalo bulls lying under the shadow, and the birds that stopped on their back with their tails.Nearby, women washed the clothes for a week in the large water tank -the bubble splashed the roadside.
San Anna is a leisurely town at the northern end of Luzon Island.There are not many activities near the small Philippine Navy base.The base is hidden on the beach, and you hardly know its existence -unless you find the "prohibited entry" mark.The key point is that it has an aircraft runway that allows the US military to enter the Taiwan Strait.
"It is not a base, I will say it is more like a boy military camp," said Manuel Mamba, governor of Kaganan Province.
With the strengthening of the Philippines and the United States Military Alliance, this is one of the four new bases for the Filipino forces to use.Two new locations are located in the northern Kaganan province, facing Taiwan.
Pakistan said."We are poor, and we also have our own local problems. This is why any factor that causes uncertainty is a bigger problem for all of us."
Mamba is worried that there are two US military bases in his province, which will make it a goal.He once hoped to bring Chinese tourists here or build a new international airport.Now he is afraid that Beijing may ignore us when doing business in the Philippines most.
"It is difficult for us to choose between the two. One is the neighbors who have never been with us, and the other is an ally with so many difficulties.Can talk, if there is a middle zone that allows them to reach a consensus. "
Mamba's comments reflect the increasingly restlessness in many places in Asia.Will they be forced to choose between this long -term ally and China ’s largest trading partner?
Back to Bashu Gu, the capital of the Bardam Islands in the Patan Islands, 21 -year -old Ave Marie Garcia is helping tourists to order the round -trip air tickets for her hometown Ibayat Island.
She has not been paying attention to the news -but she cannot not hear that recent military exercises.
"I don't think the United States will use these military exercises to provoke war. The United States is just trying to help the Philippine army to protect this island and let China know that this area is protected," she said, while jumping on her small -scale small -scale small -sized small -scaleTake us to see her favorite landscape and beach.
Ai Wei is one of the 11 children in the family. Her mother is also working overseas like a many Philippines.
Their ancestral house is a traditional stone house, standing for many centuries, but after a 2019 earthquake, it becomes a ruin -it seems to be reminding that life is very fragile here.
According to Ai Wei herself, she and brothers and sisters are raised by severe grandmother.But Ai Wei's bones have a little rebellion.The end of her long hair was dyed into golden.
However, she is an Ivanter in her heart.Her desire is to protect her ancestors' lifestyle, even so that it means to say no to the United States.She believes that everything is limited.
"I'm worried about the future -our future. I hope they will not build the US military's facilities here, I just want to keep everything. They are allowed to come to this place, but what should not allow them to build hereThings, causing us to invade. Thinking of this, it makes me scared. "
People here feel that they are far away from politics and those fighting. They try not to always think about what may happen, but enjoy what they have now.
"Life on the island is a simple life," Ai Wei said.Every day, she and her family pray for it.
