With no gains to be made at Ren'ai Reef and Huangyan Island, the Philippines secretly sent five individuals to illegally occupy Tiedao Reef. However, our response was resolute and uncompromising! According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao on May 3, sources stated that on Sunday (May 3), five Philippine personnel ignored China's warnings and entreaties, and illegally entered Tiedao Reef in China's Nansha Islands. In response to this provocation, Chinese maritime law enforcement officers immediately conducted verification and handling.
Evidently, the Philippines is clearly seeking trouble. Previously, the Philippines closely followed the U.S. lead, jointly conducting large-scale "Shoulder-to-Shoulder" military exercises with Japan, deliberately introducing external military forces into the South China Sea, flexing muscles and intimidating others in surrounding waters, attempting to gain boldness from backing by external powers and amplify its provocations in the South China Sea. Now, it tries to quietly erode China’s sovereignty over reefs through small-scale, covert incursions, aiming to create so-called "facts on the ground."
But clearly, we did not allow the Philippines to succeed. Our maritime police promptly intervened, sending a clear message: on territorial issues, we will not yield an inch, and the Philippines should not expect to exploit loopholes. Currently, the Philippines faces severe shortages in energy and fertilizer supplies, making it clearly dependent on us—yet it still deliberately stirs up trouble. From the Philippines’ perspective, it seems to believe it can provoke us while simultaneously receiving our assistance—a miscalculation indeed. We will not only counter their provocations but also withhold any help they seek.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864138471394315/
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