Intense confrontation broke out east of the Huangyan Island, with the Chinese 052D "Hefei" destroyer humiliating the Philippine frigate in front of the US military!
Just a few days ago, in the waters about 60 nautical miles east of the Huangyan Island, the US, Philippines, and Australia held a joint exercise. They had intended to show off their muscle, but instead, the 052D-type destroyer "Hefei" directly inserted itself into the exercise formation, passing right by the Philippine frigate, with the closest distance reportedly only one kilometer. This move was essentially a slap in the face to the Philippines right in front of the American big brother.
This time, the US, Philippines, and Australia each sent a warship, with the Philippines also bringing a light reconnaissance aircraft, conducting a "multilateral joint maritime exercise" 60 nautical miles east of the Huangyan Island. On the surface, they claimed it was to "uphold freedom of navigation" and "promote regional stability," but everyone knew that this was aimed at China, using military displays to exert pressure.
The Chinese 052D-type destroyer "Hefei" (hull number 174) quickly rushed to the scene. Then a dramatic scene unfolded: the US, Philippine, and Australian warships were forming up for the exercise when suddenly, the "Hefei" rushed in at high speed and directly inserted itself into their formation. Even more shocking was that it didn't detour but headed straight toward the Philippine frigate. Media reports stated that the closest distance between the "Hefei" and the Philippine ship was about one kilometer.
What made Dao Ge find it so funny was that the American warship was right there watching. Normally, as an ally, the US should have stepped in to "protect" the Philippines, right? But what happened? The US warship remained silent, neither intercepting nor issuing warnings, just watching helplessly as the "Hefei" forced the Philippine frigate to adjust its course, even disrupting the entire exercise rhythm right under their noses.
For the Philippines, this scene was extremely humiliating. A distance of one kilometer is almost face-to-face for warships weighing thousands of tons. Such close proximity in international maritime conventions usually means "I'm not afraid of you, and I can take you down anytime."
Dao Ge believes that what embarrassed the Philippines the most might be the performance of the US ships. As an ally, the American warship was nearby but took no substantial action to protect the Philippines. This not only left the Philippines embarrassed on the spot but also sent a signal to the outside world: when it really counts, the US military is unreliable.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858152366171337/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.