Recently, the Philippines has been frequently active in the South China Sea, posing a challenge to China's maritime security and territorial sovereignty. At a time when relations between China and the Philippines have deteriorated, China has restarted land reclamation projects in the South China Sea, but has not chosen Scarborough Shoal and Ren'ai Jiao. What does this mean exactly?What will be the impact on the Philippines?China's resumption of land reclamation projects is actually the 22 Manila Bay land reclamation projects contracted by the Philippines on August 10 this year. Although the Philippines claims that the suspension of the project is due to environmental and legal considerations, many people say that it is actually a countermeasure to China in the Ren'ai Jiao incident. The Philippines recently signed an abrupt waiver to approve the resumption of land reclamation projects without giving up its trespass on Second Thomas Shoal and approaching Scarborough Shoal. What are the political considerations implied by this move?How will China respond to this new situation?This article will take a closer look at this. The Manila Bay land reclamation project in the Philippines, which was once stalled by various pressures and resistance, has now been restarted. What exactly does this project mean?Is it the hope for the development of the Philippines, or is it a risk to the environment and strategic security?Let's dive in.
Manila Bay, located on the southwest side of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is surrounded by mountains and plains that form a natural barrier, while the bay has a wide area of water, connecting the densely populated capital city area. Not only is it an important naval base in the Philippines, but it also played an important role in World War II, and its strategic value is self-evident. Manila, the densely populated capital of the Philippines, is small but home to tens of millions of people, leading to increasing tensions in urban areas for resources and land use. In 2017, the Philippines proposed the Manila Bay Reclamation Project, planning to build a pearl city covering an area of about 407 hectares to ease the pressure on the development of the urban circle. Last year, the Philippines selected a Chinese company to contract the project in a foreign bidding process. However, due to various reasons, construction was forced to stop only three months after it began. Now, the Philippine side has started the project again and is ready to put the Pasay 265 and Pasay 360 projects into construction immediately. What kind of development opportunities does the resumption of the Manila Bay land reclamation project mean for the Philippines?At the same time, what are the challenges and risks?The land reclamation project will bring economic and urban development opportunities to the Philippines.
According to the relevant planning of the Philippines, the land reclamation project will change the face of the coastal area of Manila Bay, provide more land resources and development space, attract more investment and talents, and inject new vitality into the development of the city. However, land reclamation projects also face a series of environmental and strategic security risks. The impact of reclamation activities on the marine ecological environment, as well as the potential risks brought by artificial islands to regional marine traffic and ecological balance, need to be paid close attention to. The strategic position of the site of the reclamation project is an issue that needs to be comprehensively weighed and carefully addressed. At present, the Philippines** has stated that it will strictly control the construction standards of land reclamation projects to ensure that the impact on the environment is minimized, and will continue to cooperate with the international community to jointly maintain regional peace and stability. In the face of the resumption of land reclamation projects, the Philippines needs to carefully weigh the pros and cons, plan scientifically, and make decisions that are in line with the country's long-term development interests and regional peace and stability. At the same time, the international community also needs to take an open and inclusive attitude to jointly pay attention to and participate in the development and implementation of reclamation projects, and jointly maintain regional peace, stability and prosperity.
The resumption of land reclamation projects will bring new development opportunities to the Philippines, but it will also need to be cautious about the environmental and strategic security risks that may be brought about by the projects. Let's wait and see what impact this major project will have on the Philippines and the region as a whole. Recently, the Philippines signed an exemption order for the Manila Bay reclamation project, and for this reason, the Philippine side's previous doubts about the project have gradually disappeared. The mayor of Pasay made it clear at the hearing that the project has no environmental problems and meets the requirements of the relevant Philippine system. This project can not only solve the conflict between people and land, provide more development space, but also bring considerable tax revenue to the Philippines** and create a large number of local jobs. However, the American side has reservations about the project. The Philippines** faces external pressures and internal choices to choose between China and the United States. The Philippines now realizes that the United States alone is no longer economically viable, and that missing out on cooperation with China will miss out on an important opportunity for economic growth. The fact that the Philippines is still a participant in the Belt and Road Initiative after withdrawing from the Belt and Road Initiative shows that the Philippines is eager to strengthen cooperation with China.
However, the Philippines still favors the United States in terms of defense, which has become an obstacle to China-Philippines economic cooperation to a certain extent. In the current situation, the Philippines needs to have a clear understanding of its position and abandon double standards in order to achieve long-term development. As for why China did not choose Scarborough Shoal and Ren'ai Jiao, this involves a complex historical and current situation, which requires in-depth understanding and objective analysis. China has built a number of artificial islands in the South China Sea land reclamation project, some of which have become important strategic fulcrums. However, the situation in the South China Sea is still complicated, and China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea are still illegally occupied by some countries. In order to safeguard China's maritime and territorial rights and interests, should we continue to build more strategic bases in the South China Sea?The development of land reclamation projects in the South China Sea has attracted global attention. The South China Sea is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and one of the most contested seas in the world. Its geopolitical location and abundant resources have kept the South China Sea in the spotlight. Therefore, the development of China's land reclamation projects in the South China Sea has always attracted much attention. In the past ten years, China has successively built a number of artificial islands in the South China Sea, such as Woody Island, Mischief Island, Subi Island, Fiery Cross Island, Dongmen Island, Nanxun Island, Chigua Island and Huayang Island.
Among these islands, Woody Island, Mischief Island, Fiery Cross Island, and Subi Island all have modern airports, and the sea and air are combined with each other, becoming an important strategic fulcrum for China's patrol and protection in the South China Sea. However, the situation in the South China Sea remains very complicated. At present, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries still illegally occupy a large number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The illegal occupation of these islands and reefs not only undermines China's maritime rights and interests, but also poses a threat to regional security and stability. In order to better consolidate the strategic layout of the South China Sea and safeguard China's maritime and territorial rights and interests, some people have called for continuing to build more strategic bases in the South China Sea. They believe that the land reclamation project can not only strengthen the actual control of the South China Sea, but also improve the military defense capability of the South China Sea by building more military facilities, and provide more solid support for China's strategic position in the South China Sea. However, land reclamation projects also face some challenges and controversies. Some countries and international organizations have expressed concern and doubts about China's land reclamation projects in the South China Sea, believing that such practices may exacerbate regional tensions and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea. In addition, land reclamation projects will also have a certain impact on the ecological environment of the South China Sea.
Land reclamation may alter the hydrological and geological conditions of the sea, affecting coral reefs and marine life. Therefore, in the process of land reclamation projects, it is necessary to fully consider the issue of ecological and environmental protection, and take effective measures to reduce the impact on the ecological environment of the South China Sea. The development of land reclamation projects in the South China Sea has been controversial, however, it is of utmost importance for China to safeguard its maritime and territorial rights and interests in the South China Sea. How to balance regional stability and ecological environmental protection while safeguarding China's interests is an issue that requires careful consideration. Land reclamation projects are not only a national affair, but also an important issue in regional and international relations. In the process of advancing the land reclamation project, China must fully consider the concerns of regional countries and the response of the international community, seek dialogue and cooperation with neighboring countries and relevant parties, and strive to contribute to peace and stability in the South China Sea. The development of land reclamation projects in the South China Sea is of great strategic significance to China. Maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, protecting the ecological environment of the South China Sea, and safeguarding China's maritime rights and interests are important missions for the development of China's land reclamation projects.
In the future, China needs to continue to prudently promote land reclamation projects, and work hand in hand with regional countries and the international community to make joint efforts for peace and stability in the South China Sea.