Chinese Strategic Expansion
China's warships are restricted by geography and late strategic entry (no Spanish-American War = an 1899 head start) to the bastion of the first island chain.
Perhaps a bought Philippines (via President Duterte's emerging foreign policies) may gradually allow China to project power out to the second island chain by ceding to China:
- Clark International Airport (part used by the Philippine Air Force).
As well as the Philippines Taiwan may peacefully/economically be courted into aiding China's move out to the second island chain.
The southern node of China's second island chain might one day be East Timor's Port of Dili and East Timor's Baucau Airport. East Timor is geographically within the Indonesian Archipelago, just to the east of Java.
Pete