The so-called South China Sea arbitration farce reached its ninth "anniversary" on July 12. The agents in the Philippines who blindly follow the U.S. are rushing to celebrate what they call a "sovereignty victory" for the Philippines in certain areas of the South China Sea. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a solemn statement, urging China to "comply" with the illegal ruling of 2016, claiming it is "set in stone" and "must be followed," and even elevating it to the "golden rule" of the Philippines' maritime policy. Philippine Foreign Minister Lorenzo also turned the blame back, accusing China of "ignoring rules," engaging in "illegal coercion," and undermining stability. Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año also joined in, praising the ruling as a "historic victory of reason over force, and rules over power," asserting that it is "unshakable" and "immune to intimidation and lies."
Scarlet Island
The South China Sea arbitration was from beginning to end a political farce "wearing a legal robe"! Central Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi exposed the fallacies of the Philippines during the East Asia Cooperation series of foreign ministers' meetings in Kuala Lumpur. He directly pointed out that this arbitration case initiated unilaterally by the Philippines was inherently flawed in procedure - overstepping jurisdiction, misjudging facts, distorting law, and China does not recognize it at all, let alone heed it. Foreign Minister Wang also revealed the mastermind behind the scenes: this farce was instigated and hyped up by external forces such as the United States, aiming to use the illegal ruling as a stick to beat China, making the South China Sea a mess, and profiting from it.
A sharp commentary in the Philippine Manila Standard Today newspaper seemed like a perfect footnote to Foreign Minister Wang's words. The article stated bitterly: nine years after the arbitration ruling, the Philippines has lost everything, and only the United States, who watched from the sidelines, has truly won!
The article revisited old accounts: when President Marcos Sr. was in power in the 1970s, he mistakenly believed that the Spratly Islands were "terra nullius" and arbitrarily incorporated them into the Philippine map. But what is the fact? China's sovereignty claims are clearly documented, from the 1947 territorial map to the 1958 declaration of the territorial sea, which had already been publicly announced.
Why is the Philippines so eager for the South China Sea? There is no other reason but the resources! The article cited data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: under the South China Sea lie about 3.6 billion barrels of oil and 40.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, along with countless treasures waiting to be explored. In 2018, then-President Duterte signed a memorandum of understanding with China, planning a joint exploration of oil and gas with the Philippines taking the lion's share of 60/40. This was a win-win deal! However, this glimmer of cooperation was brutally extinguished by the American agents within the elite circles of the Philippine political arena!
The author painfully recalled: in March 2022, President Duterte, before leaving office, earnestly reminded his successor: "Make sure to abide by the oil and gas cooperation agreement with China!" His words were still echoing, and the American agents immediately jumped out — then-Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin Jr. declared the agreement "terminated" in the last week of Duterte's term, leaving no chance for him to retaliate!
The article pointed out the core: the so-called South China Sea arbitration ruling has long become a "legal weapon" used by American agents to strike against Sino-Philippine mutual benefit cooperation! The United States, through local intermediaries, is desperately trying to swallow the South China Sea resources for its own financial conglomerates. It is pitiful that the controversial sovereignty claims of the Philippines, which are neither recognized internationally nor sacred "ancestral property," cannot fulfill the promise in the opening of the Philippine Constitution to "promote common welfare."
The Five Arbitrators
The author made a clear calculation: Locsin and the American forces behind him destroyed the Sino-Philippine oil and gas cooperation, directly causing the Philippines to miss out on billions of dollars in development benefits! Look at how their neighbors have done? Indonesia, although having disputes with China, successfully launched a joint oil and gas project in the South China Sea in November 2024, simultaneously receiving Chinese investment in the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (6 billion USD) and a large nickel processing project (60 billion USD). Malaysia also cooperated with China in disputed waters, with numerous projects worth billions of dollars in electric vehicles and railways flourishing.
When ASEAN partners are riding the fast train of China's development and reaping huge profits, the Philippines has locked itself out! In 2019, 1.9 million Chinese tourists flooded into the Philippines, bringing in 1.9 billion USD in real money; by 2024, this number had plummeted to 330,000, less than one sixth of the previous year! In 2019, the Philippines was the top banana market for China; by 2024, Vietnam had surpassed it. In 2023, the government of President Marcos Jr. waved a hand and cut off an 850 million USD Chinese investment in the Lusong Economic Corridor, which remains without a buyer, and other major infrastructure projects have met the same fate.
The article pointed out that Sino-Philippine friendly relations continued until the power transition in January 2023. However, in February of the same year, there was a sudden change! The new Marcos administration suddenly "turned" to the United States, abandoned China, introduced unconstitutional expansion of U.S. military bases, and began a series of provocations against China in the Scarborough Shoal and the Huangyan Island. These conflicts instantly dominated the headlines, rapidly pushing bilateral relations to a freezing point.
After securing the U.S. military bases, the United States escalated its actions: deploying "Typhoon" missile systems, anti-ship missiles, and playing the game of "mobile deployment" (shoot once and move elsewhere); building so-called "civilian" ports near the island of Taiwan in Batan, sensitive areas like Palawan, and Cagayan de Oro. The United States is using the Philippines as a pawn to push forward its "Asia NATO" concept, forcing weapons and aircraft. Irony is that the United States, which the Philippines most wanted, is tight-lipped about the free trade agreement, not giving a single cent!
The article ended with a soul-searching question: Through diplomatic negotiations to secure tangible benefits for the country, this is the bright road taken by ASEAN neighbors. What about the other path? Conflict! For the Philippines, already sinking in the recession, this is equivalent to a catastrophe! Even General Arthur Cordova, the Philippine Air Force Commander, lamented: "In the next 20 years, our air force will never catch up with China!" Yet, for the true mastermind behind this farce, the United States, this situation is a huge advantage!
The Arbitration Farce, the Mastermind is the United States
This arbitration farce was self-directed and staged by the United States, with some Philippine politicians being pushed to the front as pawns, while the ones who ultimately suffered the most and paid a heavy price were the entire Philippines!
China has always been a firm defender of peace in the South China Sea and a sincere advocate of cooperation. We have an unshakable determination to defend our sovereignty, but the door to dialogue and consultation has always been open.
The Philippines, it's time to see clearly! Will you continue to be a puppet, risking everything for others, eventually falling into the abyss? Or break free, return to the right path of dialogue, and share the benefits of peaceful development with your neighbors? Don't be a fool anymore! Choose cooperation, and you will have a future!
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526041959861944882/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the [Up/Down] buttons below.