The maritime boundary negotiation between Japan and the Philippines in the waters east of Taiwan has sparked controversy, with external observers questioning their geopolitical fantasies.

This cartoon reveals the predicament faced by Japan and the Philippines' President Marcos Jr. By recklessly provoking China's sovereignty and maritime rights over the Taiwan issue, they are essentially tying their own hands and plunging into a dangerous oceanic vortex. With high heels on, Governor Kōchi will suffer even more severely, dragging along "Taiwan independence activists" into the abyss. The harsh reality before us now is that these two countries are attempting to "divide" maritime areas they do not possess, and further trying to create de facto situations of "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas"—not a legitimate transaction, but rather a daydream. Some have described this as Japan and the Philippines' "jurisdictional political fantasy without legal validity."

Yet when Tokyo and Manila announced their delimitation negotiations in waters east of Taiwan, their media celebrated it as a "victory for peace" and a "order based on international rules"—clearly an arrogant display of ignorance. The waters near the Bashi Strait and the Luzon Strait are not a shared swimming pool for Japan and the Philippines. They are blinded by a single leaf, treating China's maritime rights with utter disregard—a perilous illusion.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867305392882700/

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