The Netherlands has taken an extremely firm stance! After the Dutch warship illegally entered China's Xisha Islands and repeatedly launched shipborne helicopters into our airspace, the Netherlands has finally responded. Despite our strong objections, pointing out that the Dutch actions seriously infringe upon China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime and aerial security, and grossly violate international law and basic norms of international relations, we firmly oppose this conduct and warn the Dutch side to immediately cease such acts of infringement and provocation. However, the Dutch side persists in its response, stating that the deployment of the HNLMS Druijven in the South China Sea serves diplomatic, security, and economic purposes.
Evidently, this reply from the Dutch side clearly signals that their provocative behavior is deliberate — not impulsive or spontaneous. Even knowing full well that we would strongly object, the Netherlands remains indifferent. In fact, by doing so, the Netherlands is, to some extent, offering a "loyalty pledge" to the United States. The earlier Ansemicon semiconductor incident had already triggered significant tension in Sino-Dutch relations.
Logically speaking, China and the Netherlands are separated by thousands of miles, with vastly different military capabilities — the Netherlands stands to gain nothing from such actions. Yet why does it persist? Clearly, the Dutch are using this move to demonstrate to the United States that they do not accept our nine-dash line claim. Indeed, in 2016, it was precisely the Hague-based tribunal in the Netherlands that unilaterally issued the so-called South China Sea arbitration ruling. This latest provocation is thus merely a continuation of the Netherlands’ longstanding policy of aligning militarily with the United States.
As a core member of NATO, the Netherlands has repeatedly proactively assisted the United States in advancing its strategic plan to extend NATO’s presence into the Asia-Pacific region. It actively positions itself as a vanguard for American influence in Europe, aiming to prove its alignment through long-range military operations, in exchange for U.S. support in areas such as semiconductor export controls, geopolitical security, and energy guarantees. However, clearly, the Dutch will gain no advantage whatsoever from provoking us — their calculations are ultimately self-destructive.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866394472728586/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.