Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Thursday, 18 July 2024.
- Global Rollup
- Japan and 18 Pacific Island Nations signed an agreement to oppose any “unilateral attempts change to the status quo by the threat or use of force or coercion anywhere in the world” in the 10th Pacific Island Leaders’ Meeting (PALM10) declaration. (This declaration effectively sets the Pacific Island leaders against any Chinese military reunification with Taiwan and the neighboring Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. If China wishes to maintain its soft power in the Second Island Chain nations, it will need to pursue a peaceful reunification which seems less likely the longer Taiwan and its regional allies have time to prepare. – J.V.)
- Vietnam submitted its claims on the Extended Continental Shelf to the United Nations yesterday. The submission reinforces their claims on the Paracel and Spratly Islands and the continental shelf between them. The Philippines released a statement assuring the Vietnamese that they will work with them for a mutually beneficial result on their overlapping claims. China’s Foreign Ministry claims this is a violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- The Philippines is building an airport on Pag-asa Island, the largest island that the Philippines controls in the Spratly Islands. Pag-asa is one of the few permanently settled islands. (The project is nominally civilian in nature but is likely to be used for short-notice airdropped supplies on the Sierra Madre. – J.V.)
- Italy sent one of its carrier strike groups to participate in the Australian Pitch Black exercise for Italy’s first participation. Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, commander of the strike group, said the strike group will visit the Philippines for humanitarian work in August but will not conduct freedom of navigation exercises.
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