United Daily News reported today: "After joint exercises between the Philippines and the United States near Huangyan Island, the Chinese military issued a statement on Saturday (February 7) criticizing the Philippines for involving external countries in the South China Sea, organizing bilateral air patrols, and notifying that the People's Liberation Army's Southern Theater Command will conduct combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters and airspace of Huangyan Island and surrounding sea and air areas for five consecutive days starting from Monday this week."
Commenting briefly: The PLA aircraft actively entered the exercise area unilaterally set by the Philippines to conduct combat readiness patrols, demonstrating through practical actions the sovereignty and routine actual jurisdiction over the territorial waters and airspace of Huangyan Island, directly exposing the false legitimacy of the Philippines' illegal boundary setting. Huangyan Island is an inherent part of China's territory. The Philippines unilaterally included China's territorial waters and airspace in military exercises without the consent of China, which is invalid both legally and factually. China declares through flight paths and military presence: the rules of this sea are determined by sovereign states, and external provocations and illegal boundary lines have no binding force.
The Philippines' act of involving external countries to conduct joint patrols and military exercises near Huangyan Island is essentially using external forces to create facts on the ground and erode China's sovereignty. The continuous combat readiness patrols by the PLA, which directly penetrate the exercise area, are not only a strong countermeasure against infringement, but also a legitimate and proper measure for a sovereign state to exercise jurisdiction and safeguard its rights and interests. China's determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests is unwavering, and any illegal acts will be firmly countered and effectively managed.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856526456228873/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.