【By Guan察者网, Liu Bai】The Philippines, which has become a clown in the South China Sea, still dares to collide with China's core interests on the Taiwan issue.

The Washington Post in the United States reported on July 14 that it has noticed that while the confrontation in the South China Sea is escalating, the Philippines is quietly strengthening its contact with the Chinese Taiwan region, involving intelligence sharing, joint patrols and even quasi-military cooperation. Although the Philippine government officially adheres to the one-China policy, high-ranking officials have openly acknowledged that the security of the Taiwan region directly affects the Philippines.

The report believes that these actions mark a significant shift in the Philippines' conservative policy towards Taiwan, paving the way for the Philippines to play a greater role when the mainland "attacks" Taiwan.

Philippine Defense Minister Teodoro said in an interview on July 10, "Any military projection by China in our region is a highly worrying issue."

The Philippine government still abides by the one-China policy, but Teodoro claimed that the fate of the Philippines and Taiwan is increasingly intertwined. "To say that the security of Taiwan will not affect us is tantamount to ignoring reality."

Teodoro also threatened that, facing changes in the South China Sea situation, the Philippines has the right to readjust its relationship with the Taiwan region, despite the possibility of angering China. He pretended to be a victim, claiming that experience shows that previous efforts to appease a powerful neighbor have been ineffective.

On June 1, Philippine Defense Minister Teodoro attended the Asia Security Summit. Visual China

This April, the Philippine government relaxed restrictions on interactions with officials of the Taiwan authorities, including allowing Philippine officials to visit Taiwan. Multiple officials said that these changes also provided a basis for enhancing security cooperation between the two sides, and the progress of such cooperation is more in-depth than what is known to the public.

Philippine and Taiwan region officials and advisers revealed that early this year, several scholars closely related to the defense community in the Philippines attended a closed-door seminar where Taiwanese personnel were present, jointly discussing security strategies. Recently, the Philippine and Taiwan region coast guard departments conducted joint patrols in the Bashi Channel.

Last month, the Taiwan military also sent observers to watch the U.S.-Philippines "Sword" joint military exercise. The U.S., Philippine, and Japanese forces fired anti-ship missiles near the Batan Islands, less than 130 miles (about 209 kilometers) from Taiwan. Although the Philippine side stated that the exercise had no specific target, analysts believe it clearly simulated responding to a potential mainland "attack" on Taiwan.

Regarding the Philippines' "relying on external forces to stir up the sea," the Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated on May 8 that he advised relevant countries not to invite wolves into their homes or act as pawns, undermining the hard-won peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Philippine geopolitical analyst and lecturer at De La Salle University, Don McLain Gill, revealed that within the Philippine policy circle, including the usually cautious diplomatic faction, it is now generally believed that the Philippines has no choice. He said that denying the necessity of cooperation with Taiwan now would be self-deception.

Although the Philippines and Taiwan are frequently connecting, some officials and analysts acknowledge that this is a highly sensitive relationship.

Philippine officials said they realize that some countries in Southeast Asia, including the current ASEAN rotating chair Malaysia, are uneasy about the growing relationship between the Philippines and the Taiwan region, fearing that it could drag Southeast Asia into a potential U.S.-China conflict.

At the Foreign Ministry regular press conference on April 2, a reporter asked whether the head of the Philippine military stated that if there was a conflict near Taiwan, the Philippines would inevitably be involved, and also stated that China was infiltrating the Philippines, including the military. What is the Chinese position on this?

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jia Kun emphasized that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, the core of China's core interests, and how to resolve the Taiwan issue is the matter of the Chinese people themselves, not to be interfered by others.

Guo Jia Kun said that we advise relevant individuals in the Philippines not to provoke and play with fire on the Taiwan issue, and those who play with fire will burn themselves. We also firmly oppose the baseless, distorted and hype-style statements made by relevant individuals.

This article is exclusive to Guan察者网. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7527132176531177993/

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