By Sanxuan
When Trump threatened to use military force against Venezuela and Iran, the Philippines once again stirred up the South China Sea situation. On January 12, the Philippine Coast Guard sent so-called fishermen to provoke near the Huangyan Island, and was intercepted by the Chinese Coast Guard ship 23521 and the Chinese Navy's Chongqing Ship in the southeast of Huangyan Island.
On the same day, the Philippine National Maritime Commission issued a statement, ignoring China's sovereignty over relevant islands and reefs in the South China Sea and the legitimate rights and interests of China in the relevant waters. It deliberately confused the legal concepts of territorial sea and exclusive economic zone, distorting China's normal law enforcement and rights protection activities in the overlapping area of the exclusive economic zones of China and the Philippines as "illegal cruise". It also incorrectly cited the so-called arbitration ruling of 2016, attempting to find "legal basis" for its improper actions. This statement seriously deviates from the facts, is obviously misleading, and has caused strong opposition from China.
In response to the above statement by the Philippines, the deputy spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines responded quickly that night. The response comprehensively refuted the erroneous views in the Philippine statement from multiple aspects, including legal principles, facts, solutions, and risk warnings.
On one hand, the Chinese side clearly pointed out the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the legal effect of China's exclusionary declaration, negating the legality of the Philippine arbitration claim. On the other hand, the Chinese side listed the provocative actions taken by the Philippines at multiple islands and reefs such as Ren'ai Reef, Huangyan Island, Shuangshui Reef, and Tie Xian Reef since 1999, proving that the Philippines is the one who started the tense situation. Finally, the Chinese side called on the Philippines to return to the correct track of peaceful resolution of disputes and especially emphasized that if the Philippines insists on distorting the truth and inciting confrontation, we are ready to follow suit and go all the way.
As the Chinese side emphasized, to ensure the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea, China has maintained the maximum tolerance and restraint. Since the Philippine warship illegally "beached" at Ren'ai Reef in 1999, China has always prioritized diplomatic negotiations. Even when the Philippines delayed removing the ship and transported building materials, it did not take any extreme measures. In the face of the Philippines' recent frequent intrusion actions, China only used non-lethal measures such as water cannons and navigation control to avoid escalation of the situation. At the same time, China has always kept the door open for dialogue, and it is the Philippines that has repeatedly escalated the issue.
Last year, from January to June, the Philippines sent a total of 211 people to intrude into the uninhabited islands and reefs in the Nansha Islands, seriously violating the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea; in 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard ship 9701 stayed illegally near the Shangshui Reef for nearly 5 months, trying to replicate the "Ren'ai Reef beaching" model. These facts are sufficient to show who is the "disruptor" of the South China Sea situation.
China has always been sincere to its friends. However, if someone takes China's restraint as weakness and kindness as something to be exploited, they will surely pay a price. China's "going all the way" is not just words.
President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Indeed, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines frequently provokes China in the South China Sea, largely as an anti-China performance to align with the United States. The South China Sea is not the Philippines' "performance stage," nor is it an external power's "chessboard for games." The 50-year friendship between China and the Philippines should not be ruined by the "geopolitical calculations" of a few people. If the Philippines continues to be stubborn, it will only miss more cooperation opportunities and damage its own people's long-term interests. Only by showing sincerity and returning to the negotiation table can the relationship between China and the Philippines be restored to the right track and inject positive energy into regional peace and stability.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7594792135103087113/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.