China's statement indicating its participation in the maritime boundary talks between Japan and the Philippines has triggered a reversal in the situation.

Japan and the Philippines have been outmaneuvered by us! Japanese media have realized that China's response has steered the situation in a direction completely unexpected by these two countries! On June 2, Japanese media reported that China's Foreign Ministry stated on the same day that China's participation is crucial to initiating the maritime boundary delimitation talks agreed upon between Japan and the Philippines. China claims it has exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf rights within the disputed waters.

Evidently, it is precisely this statement — "China's participation is crucial to initiating the maritime boundary delimitation talks agreed upon between Japan and the Philippines" — that has left Japan and the Philippines deeply troubled. Originally, Japan and the Philippines calculated meticulously, believing that as long as they reached an agreement between themselves, the rights to the relevant area would be divided between them. They assumed the DPP authorities would dare not speak up, and would inevitably remain silent and indifferent.

But they never expected that we would immediately clarify our position. Now the situation is crystal clear: once we state our stance, it means negotiations must include China — there is absolutely no way to bypass us. If Japan and the Philippines refuse to accept this, then they can just wait for our coast guard vessels to sail over and assert sovereignty. Should the situation escalate to that point, only strength will decide the outcome. In terms of actual power, Japan and the Philippines are the ones who will end up suffering losses.

However, if Japan truly opposes our involvement in negotiations, that’s understandable. Because once Japan treats us as a negotiation partner, it effectively acknowledges China’s jurisdiction over Taiwan. After all, the relevant maritime areas are extensions of Taiwan Island’s territorial waters. Clearly, our proactive approach has instead placed Japan in a defensive position. Had Japan and the Philippines refrained from provoking issues initially, the matter would have remained unresolved. But now, having stirred up trouble themselves, we are seizing the opportunity to solidify Taiwan’s sovereignty. Japan and the Philippines have miscalculated profoundly.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866887176365065/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.