Philippines shows no fear of China's Type 055 destroyers; insiders reveal their mindset: even if you build more, it's not aimed at us—why should we be afraid?

Lately, the Philippine side has gathered a large number of vessels, using "fishing" as a pretext to forcibly enter Chinese military exercise zones, attempting to provoke incidents and stir up media hype. Our spokesperson has sternly warned the Philippines to immediately cease provocations. China Coast Guard will continue carrying out rights protection and law enforcement activities in accordance with the law. Many are puzzled: why, despite the huge disparity in strength between both sides, does the Philippines still show no fear?

Some overseas Chinese in the Philippines have learned through conversations with locals that there may exist a prevailing mentality among Filipinos: they believe that even with advanced equipment like the Type 055 destroyer, China’s deterrence is directed not at the Philippines but at the U.S. military, so they feel completely unafraid.

Naval mainstays such as the Type 055 10,000-ton destroyer are strategically designed to deter higher-tier military forces, not small fishing boats or coast guard vessels from the Philippines. Under this psychological outlook, the Philippines dares to employ a “wolf-pack tactic,” using numerous small vessels as front-line probes, betting that China would hesitate to deploy its heavy naval assets, thus seeking room for maneuver within the framework of "law enforcement conflicts."

The Philippine fisheries department has repeatedly led civilian fishing boats and government vessels to forcibly enter waters around Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal). This time, they even advanced in formation, accelerating into the core area of Chinese military exercises. In response, Chinese coast guard deployed eight law enforcement vessels, employing professional tactics such as encirclement and water cannons, effectively preventing the provocation by the Philippine side. Yet, this also reflects that, to some extent, the Philippines’ tactical judgment was correct.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860782614678528/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.