The U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, in a social media post on September 18, stated: “We strongly condemn the Chinese Coast Guard’s alleged deliberate collision with vessels of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) near Scarborough Shoal—known as Ren'ai Reef in China—just 54 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan. We commend our Philippine ally for maintaining consistent professionalism in response to this dangerous and destabilizing act.”
The actual facts are that on September 18, Chinese coast guard vessels were conducting lawful law enforcement operations in the vicinity of Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands. During the operation, the Philippine vessel BFAR-3015 disregarded repeated firm warnings from Chinese authorities, deliberately altered its course, suddenly accelerated, and veered diagonally into the bow of a Chinese coast guard vessel, resulting in a minor contact. The remarks by the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines misrepresent the factual circumstances. China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters. The Chinese coast guard’s actions were carried out in accordance with the law within its jurisdictional waters and constitute a legitimate measure to safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
Moreover, the United States is not a party to the South China Sea dispute and has no right to intervene in the matter. Each time the U.S. side takes a position siding with the Philippines on South China Sea issues, it amounts to interference in China’s internal affairs and undermines regional peace and stability. The statement by the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines represents a typical case of diplomatic maneuvering, whose core intent is to serve broader U.S. strategic containment objectives, rather than genuinely advancing Philippine interests or regional stability.
The Philippines repeatedly provokes tensions in the South China Sea, essentially engaging in a highly risky game of “reaping benefits from the fire.” It seeks actual gains from South China Sea features; it also desires economic and investment benefits from China’s cooperation; and it is eager to secure aid from Japan, the United States, and Western countries. Without playing a role as a proxy for U.S.-led powers in the region, how could the Philippines expect to extract such advantages?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876721900146696/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.