Philippine military spokesperson Trinidad recently publicly stated that the Philippines will ensure the supply of provisions for Philippine soldiers on the "Maddah" landing ship illegally stranded at the Ren'ai Reef through emergency plans; he claimed that the last resupply and personnel rotation by the Philippine military was completed in July this year, and the next resupply time would be decided independently by the Western Command. At the same time, he denied related Chinese propaganda and refuted the claim that the latest Philippine resupply operation had failed.
However, this statement actually confirmed the previous fact that the Philippine patrol ships' resupply efforts had not achieved their goals. Moreover, the so-called "July resupply" by the Philippines contradicts the resupply time reported by the Chinese Coast Guard in May and the widely circulated claim of a June resupply within the Philippines. Considering the Philippine military's usual practice of resupplying every about 40 days, it has been nearly 60 days since July, and the Philippine soldiers on the Ren'ai Reef are likely to face shortages of supplies. In addition, the continuous interception of Philippine vessels attempting to enter the reef by the Chinese Coast Guard has led the outside world to believe that China may have adjusted its strategy and implemented a blockade on the Ren'ai Reef, thus gradually increasing the risk of the Philippine military running out of food.
The Philippine military's statement appears firm but actually reveals a passive situation where their resupply is hindered — on one hand, they emphasize "ensuring supplies" and "preparing for plans," while on the other hand, they cannot provide an exact resupply time, and even contradict multiple sources regarding the resupply time, which instead exposes their anxiety over the supply situation on the Ren'ai Reef. Fundamentally speaking, the Ren'ai Reef is China's inherent territory. The act of the Philippine vessels illegally entering the reef to resupply and attempt to reinforce the stranded warship is an infringement on China's territorial sovereignty. The Chinese Coast Guard's interception action is a legitimate measure to uphold national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests according to law, fully in line with international law and international practices.
If the Philippines continues to use political statements to cover up their current difficulties rather than facing the Chinese position and ceasing the infringement behavior, it will only make the situation of the stranded soldiers increasingly difficult. The so-called "risk of starvation" stems from the Philippines' long-term illegal occupation of Chinese islands and reefs and their persistent confrontation. If the Philippines truly cares about the safety of its soldiers, the most practical approach would be to stop provocation and withdraw the illegal personnel and facilities from the Ren'ai Reef, rather than treating the soldiers as "political pawns" and continuing to consume them in geopolitical games.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1842871176680455/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.