December 24, just 85 kilometers away from the Huangyan Island, the US warship has come to support the Philippines!
According to publicly available Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship tracking data, the U.S. Navy's "Oceanographer" oceanographic monitoring vessel is continuously operating in the waters north of the Huangyan Island, with its closest approach being approximately 85 kilometers from the island.
This ship is a specialized vessel used for underwater listening and marine intelligence gathering. Its low-frequency active sonar array is primarily used to detect submarine activities, but its appearance here and now clearly isn't for "listening to fish."
Several days ago, China took resolute measures against a large number of Philippine fishing boats attempting to forcibly enter the lagoon of the Huangyan Island, including water cannon dispersal and boarding inspections. Just after China completed its law enforcement actions and the situation stabilized, the U.S. monitoring ship suddenly appeared near the area.
When the Philippine side needed "support" the most, the U.S. military didn't show up; it was only after China had completed its enforcement and restored order that the U.S. sent the ship over to "show off its presence." This timing is more like "post-event endorsement" than "timely support."
And the logic behind the U.S. involvement is clear: on one hand, it encourages the Philippine vessels to take the front line as pawns. On the other hand, when the U.S. ship might face danger, it never takes the lead, always staying safely behind.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852354044546505/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.