The dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has always attracted much attention, and we have made several judgments: First, the conflict between China and the Philippines is mainly manifested as a first-class war, which is unlikely to trigger a world war. Second, the United States is using the Philippines to provoke China in order to create a competitive posture in its favor, but it does not have the strength to wage war in the South China Sea and does not intend to directly intervene in the Sino-Philippine dispute. Moreover, in order to divert domestic contradictions, the Philippine authorities have chosen the route of introducing extraterritorial forces to confront China, and the provocative actions will not stop. Finally, China will stick to the bottom line, but it will not actively escalate the conflict, because we are more focused on promoting the signing of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. However, this does not mean that China is not prepared for the worst. Recently, Brawner, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, boarded the broken landing ship "Sierra Madre" on the "beached" reef to convey Marcos's so-called "appreciation" and "Christmas greetings". This move is even more obviously of a military provocative nature, and the squadron has made solemn representations to the Philippines.
Wang Yi bluntly told Manaro that China-Philippines relations are at a crossroads, and the Philippines must act cautiously when faced with a choice of which way to go. If the Philippine side misjudges the situation, insists on colluding with unfriendly external forces, and continues to cause trouble, China will resolutely respond. Manaro expressed hope that the two sides can manage their differences in a mutually acceptable way, promote a de-escalation of tensions and prevent conflict. It can be seen from the statements of both sides that China is extremely dissatisfied with the Philippines' behavior of introducing extraterritorial forces to confront China and constantly causing trouble, and is ready to deal with all situations, even fearing the outbreak of war. To be clear, China's response to the Philippines' provocations is not simply "one punch to avoid a hundred blows," but rather needs to consider factors such as its relationship with ASEAN and the progress of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. China is unlikely to escalate the conflict unless it is absolutely necessary.
However, China will never tolerate small countries bullying big ones, which shows that we are prepared for the worst. If the Philippines wants to provoke a confrontation, we will play with you, but if you want to send construction materials to the wrecked ship, then don't think about it, because if you insist on it, we will not hesitate to use force. So, why does the Philippines want to converge again?The Philippines tried to use anti-Chinese actions to deflect domestic contradictions and seek support from the United States, but did not dare to directly provoke a war. They are well aware that once a conflict breaks out, it may not be possible to control the progress of the situation. Therefore, Masco Jr.'s intention is to continue to complain, claiming to be bullied by China, in order to show a tough stance on China, and at the same time hope that China will not take drastic measures. So that they can continue the game. Obviously, the South China Sea dispute has become a means for the Philippines to stabilize its domestic rule and move towards a leading course. In this protracted confrontation, "fighting without breaking" is still the main characteristic.
However, the biggest fear of this strategy is that China will lose patience or that something will happen. By then, it will be too late for little Masco to regret it.