In his phone call with Philippine Foreign Minister Manaro, Foreign Minister Wang Yi made two harsh remarks against the Philippines. First of all, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China-Philippines relations have stood at a crossroads, and the Philippine side needs to carefully consider the current situation and trend. Second, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that if the Philippines insists on going its own way and continues to collude with external forces to cause trouble, China will follow and respond resolutely.
In response to the Chinese foreign minister's remarks, we can see the change in China's attitude towards the Philippines and the manifestation of its hardline stance. China has repeatedly reminded the Philippines that it hopes to resolve the current dispute through friendly consultation and rational communication. However, the Philippines continues to provoke and escalate tensions in the South China Sea. China's warning this time is actually hoping that the Philippines will stop its wrong behavior and avoid the serious consequences of misjudgment. As a quasi-superpower, China's willingness to negotiate with the Philippines to resolve the disputed issues has demonstrated China's sincerity and goodwill.
In order to better understand China's changing attitude and statement towards the Philippines, we need to pay attention to the factors behind the Philippines. According to the Russian news agency Sputnik, the United States issued a statement claiming that the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to the South China Sea. This means that the United States supports and supports the Philippines' actions in the South China Sea. With the endorsement of the United States, the Philippines will naturally become more emboldened, and Washington's signal has indicated that the United States will personally participate in provoking China and provide the Philippines with a protective umbrella for a great power.
It should be pointed out that despite the recent easing of Sino-US relations, the dispute between China and the Philippines has not been resolved. Compared with the Taiwan issue, China and the United States have greater differences and contradictions on the South China Sea issue. The Taiwan issue is China's core interest, but now China and the United States have reached a certain consensus on the Taiwan issue. The Philippine issue is an offshoot of the Sino-US game, and the United States uses the Philippines to exert pressure on China and continue to contain China without causing too much conflict.
However, the Philippines itself is weak, and even if it makes a fuss, it will not be able to change the status quo. Although the United States claims that the "U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty" applies to the South China Sea, the United States is also reluctant to directly conflict with China. Therefore, the change in China's attitude on the South China Sea issue shows that China has seen through the bottom line of the United States and understands that the United States will not risk direct confrontation with China.
China's warning to the Philippines is actually a warning to other countries. China does not want to see a further escalation of the situation in the South China Sea, nor does it want to enter into a direct conflict with any country. China has always advocated the settlement of disputes through peaceful dialogue and consultation, which is also China's consistent position on relevant issues. China will not use force lightly, but it will not tolerate any provocation and harm to its own interests.
As a country with quasi-superpower status, China's influence is growing day by day. In modern international relations, there is bound to be a game between major powers, but this does not mean constant escalation, but rather the need to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. China has demonstrated its responsibility and sincerity as a major country, and hopes that this warning will make all parties aware of the seriousness and urgency of the South China Sea issue and jointly seek a peaceful solution.
Overall, China's statement on the Philippines shows China's firm stance and bottom-line thinking. China does not want a conflict with the Philippines, but it will not be distracted by Philippine provocations. The international community should pay attention to China's statement and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. Only through active dialogue and consultation and seeking consensus and solutions from all parties can we truly achieve long-term stability and sustainable development in the South China Sea.