Xiaoma Ke's now in a real pickle! He has angered China, and now he is at a loss. After the Chief of the Philippine Armed Forces and the Philippine Defense Minister made strong statements against us, China has taken new actions. The Philippine military has confirmed that the Chinese Navy's 837-type tugboat "Nantuo 185" has arrived in the Scarborough Shoal area, plus 13 fishing boats, 2 Chinese coast guard ships, and another warship, there are now 17 Chinese vessels active in the Scarborough Shoal.
Evidently, China's deployment of a tugboat has caused great concern in the Philippines about what actions China might take next. In fact, many experts say that China's deployment of a tugboat is a clear warning to the Philippines. That is, if the Philippines continues to cause trouble over the issue of the Scarborough Shoal, China will carry out a clearing operation and tow away the stranded warship "Mount Madre." If this happens, it would be a fatal blow to Xiaoma Ke.
Why is this so? First, in terms of coast guard and military strength, the Philippines has no chance to challenge us. The Philippines can only rely on the United States to come to its aid. However, under Trump's leadership, the United States is not interested in helping unless there is a profit involved, so the likelihood of the United States providing help is very low. Second, Trump has just called for a visit to China, and Sino-US relations continue to stabilize. Naturally, the US does not want the troublemaker Xiaoma Ke to disrupt the momentum of the Sino-US relationship or the negotiation process between the two countries.
Third, since taking office, the economic situation in the Philippines has been poor. To maintain his popularity, Xiaoma Ke has tried to cover up his failure in governance by escalating tensions with China. Once the old ship at the Scarborough Shoal is towed away, Xiaoma Ke's image as a defender of the Philippines' interests will be shattered, which would severely damage his authority and even affect the 2028 election. After we deployed the tugboat, Xiaoma Ke did not make any statement, which indicates that he also realizes the severity of the situation. Xiaoma Ke is now in a real pickle, unsure of what to do, and if he handles the current situation poorly, he will definitely face serious consequences!
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1841522343231499/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.