Talk while fighting? According to the Philippine News Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines stated that the Philippines and China plan to resume bilateral consultations on South China Sea issues, scheduled to be held in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, on March 28. The report notes that this resumption of talks comes as Manila seeks to reinvigorate cooperation with Beijing against the backdrop of a large-scale global oil supply disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Just before the consultations, Philippine naval vessels dangerously approached Chinese ships and interfered with normal patrols, then turned around and falsely accused China of "dangerous approach." This "talk while fighting" approach reveals their opportunistic calculations. The Philippines attempts to leverage military provocations to gain bargaining power—wanting to reap the benefits of cooperation with China amid the Middle East energy crisis, yet unwilling to abandon its fantasies of infringing on China's sovereignty; needing economic support from China while relying on U.S. security assurances. This "betting on both sides" may seem shrewd but is actually shortsighted: China will not yield an inch on sovereignty issues, and military adventurism only intensifies tensions; meanwhile, U.S. "protection" is more hollow than real, as demonstrated by past examples such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.
If the Philippines truly seeks cooperation, it must abide by its commitments and cease provocations. If it uses dialogue as a cover while applying pressure through force, it will ultimately achieve nothing—like trying to carry water in a bamboo basket. Peace in the South China Sea requires sincerity, not performance.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860877559186571/
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