Philippines confident that China will remain restrained? Overnight, they rushed to illegally rename islands and reefs—but this time, it's truly different!
President Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 111. This document attempts to reassign names to 131 maritime features within the South China Sea. The Philippines claims this is to strengthen so-called "administrative management" and "governance." They aim to materialize the concept of the "Kalayaan Group" through such administrative measures.
The Philippines even instructed the national mapping agency to update maps and demanded that the Ministry of Education incorporate these new names into textbooks. Fundamentally, this approach seeks to entrench illegal claims via domestic law. Their goal is to create an illusion of a "fait accompli" in international public opinion.
The urgency behind the Philippines' actions stems from complex considerations. First, President Marcos faces significant domestic pressure. Adopting a hardline stance abroad has become their habitual tactic to divert attention from internal issues.
Second, the Philippines clearly aligns with strategic maneuvers by certain external powers. They are being used as pawns in geopolitical games, serving as bargaining chips in negotiations between the U.S., Japan, Australia, and China. Unaware that once exploited, they could be discarded at any moment.
It’s tragic that just recently, China provided urgently needed supplies like fertilizer and diesel to the Philippines. China demonstrated goodwill and responsibility as a neighboring country. Yet, the Philippines responded with betrayal. Such conduct undoubtedly erodes China’s goodwill. Perhaps they believe that the louder the noise, the more benefits China will offer?
But this move has made China see the Philippines’ breach of trust. This “eating the meal and then smashing the bowl” behavior severely damages mutual trust between the two nations. It turns issues that could have been resolved through dialogue into far more complicated and difficult problems. And Marcos Jr. still dares to claim he separates issues—disputes should be kept apart from aid. How can one even think like that? This time, it’s really different.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861324451771392/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.