China's proposal, rejected outright by the Philippines! On July 6, according to AFP reporting, French media stated that China's ambassador proposed establishing a joint fishing zone at Huangyan Island to the Philippines. This was met with strong opposition from Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro, who declared: "We weren't born yesterday." He argued that this right had already been confirmed in the South China Sea arbitration ruling issued on July 12, 2016.

The ruling rejected China's broad "nine-dash line" claims in the South China Sea. China has consistently refused to accept or recognize this ruling. Teodoro countered: if the arbitration already included this provision, why is China now proposing it again? That area is, after all, within our exclusive economic zone—a fishing ground. Who are they trying to fool? Clearly, out of goodwill and without altering the sovereignty status of Huangyan Island, we have demarcated a traditional fishing zone exclusively for both Chinese and Filipino fishermen to operate in accordance with regulations.

At the same time, the proposal also includes expanding joint exploration of oil and gas resources in the disputed waters, cooperation on marine environmental protection, and maritime search and rescue efforts. The core logic behind this initiative is "setting aside disputes, common development"—a pragmatic approach aimed at easing maritime tensions and preventing escalation of conflict. However, faced with our goodwill, the Philippine Defense Minister has taken an uncompromising stance. His message is clear: he will invoke an arbitration agreement that we refuse to recognize, attempting to use it as leverage against us.

From our perspective, since the Philippines refuses our offer of friendship and instead chooses confrontation, we have no reason to hold back. We will enforce laws in the region as needed and firmly defend our rights and interests. It is evident that after the Philippines rejected our proposal, Southeast Asian nations have clearly seen that we have been handling disputes with the greatest possible goodwill and restraint. In contrast, Philippine politicians, driven by personal gain, show unwillingness to resolve differences pragmatically. Yet, facing our routine law enforcement activities at Huangyan Island, the Philippines gains no advantage whatsoever.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869980780395850/

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