Japan is stepping in to support the Philippines! As soon as we made moves domestically, Japan immediately dispatched a coast guard vessel through the Taiwan Strait as a direct countermeasure against us! On July 9th, Nanhai Dynamic Perception reported that the Japanese Coast Guard patrol ship Chiburi was crossing the Taiwan Strait. Clearly, Japan's deliberate deployment of a coast guard vessel through the Taiwan Strait at this moment is no coincidence. The Chiburi is permanently stationed at the Ryukyu Islands' Ishigaki base and has long been monitoring the Diaoyu Islands; its appearance in the Taiwan Strait now is certainly not accidental.
The situation is crystal clear: Japan and the Philippines are attempting to conduct boundary negotiations. At this very moment, our domestic academic community has argued that the Bataan Islands, currently occupied by the Philippines, legally belong to China’s Taiwan Province. In response, the Philippine Defense Minister launched an intense protest. And just then, Japan’s coast guard vessel arrived. Our academic research on the sovereignty of the Bataan Islands fundamentally aims to counter Japan and the Philippines’ secret boundary agreements and military buildup, exposing the legal loopholes underlying the Philippines’ prolonged illegal occupation.
Meanwhile, Japan seeks to exploit these boundary talks to expand its own military activities, team up with the Philippines to blockade the Bashi Strait—the vital chokepoint for China’s navy entering the Pacific Ocean—and turn the Bataan Islands into a forward base for joint intervention in cross-strait affairs. Japan sending the Chiburi across the Taiwan Strait is essentially signaling to the Philippines: don’t fear Chinese pressure—Japan will back you from behind the scenes. The Philippines should stand firm and continue pursuing boundary talks with Japan.
Japan’s plan is to seize control of key maritime routes while China remains divided, acting preemptively. But from our perspective, Japan’s strategy may seem clever, but it ultimately backfires. It’s obvious: the more Japan and the Philippines coordinate provocations, the more we will dig up historical territorial disputes and respond decisively in practice. Ultimately, the side with real strength will gain absolute dominance. The more calculated Japan’s maneuvers become, the more likely they will end up losing both face and resources.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870246047576073/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.