The Philippines is trying to challenge China with numerical superiority, planning to dispatch 40 shipsFishing boats, to deliver supplies toSecond Thomas Reefon the broken ship. They believe that such an event would demonstrate the rights and freedoms of the Philippines to the international community. The Philippines** has taken a two-faced approach to this, on the one hand, it "admonishes" these civil society groups, saying that their actions will bring risks to them;On the other hand, it means that the actions of the fishermen are feasible in principle. In solidarity with the Philippines, they also announced that they would set up one in the South China SeaCoast Guardto spy on the ships sent by China to show their confidence and confidence.
However, the Philippines did not expect that China had already sent 135 shipsFishing boats, quickly inSecond Thomas ReefAssemble nearby. PhilippinesCoast GuardSurprised to find more than 135 Chinese shipsFishing boatsClustered near Oxbow Reef, this reef is close to each otherSecond Thomas Reef。The Philippine side tried to send a warning to the Chinese vessel via radio, but received no response. Oxbow Reef is the gateway to the Jiuzhang Reef and is ChinaFishing boatsThe main gathering place andSpratly IslandsThe core fulcrum.
China's stated intention to act is to see the move. The Philippine side was dispatchedFishing boats, then China will respond in the same way, defeating the Philippine side with numerical superiority. In addition, the Chinese side did not just send 135 shipsFishing boats, other measures have been taken to maintain maritime sovereignty and security. The current international situation is not optimistic, and the Philippines has conducted joint maritime Xi with the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries. For China, it is of paramount importance to maintain maritime sovereignty and security. Therefore, the Chinese leadership personally confronted the armed policeCoast GuardThe Corps conducted inspections and stressed the importance of improving maritime rights protection and law enforcement capabilities.
ChinaCoast GuardThe development of ships has three characteristics: fast, numerous and stable. First of all, ChinaCoast GuardThe speed of the ship is comparable to **, and the maximum speed is also 30 knots. Secondly, China has a large number ofCoast Guardships, more than 200 unitsDisplacementUp to more than 1,000 tons. Compared to the United States, Japan and the Philippines, China'sCoast GuardThe total tonnage of the ship is more, and it occupies an absolute advantage. And finally, the Chinese partCoast GuardBoatsDisplacement120,000 tons, which is comparable to **. Such tonnage makes ChinaCoast GuardShips have been reduced a lot in terms of being constrained by climatic factors. In addition, there are many in ChinaCoast GuardThe ship is converted from ** and has a certain sea firepower projection capability, so that it is not inferior in the face of the Philippine side.
China sent 135 shipsFishing boatsJust the beginning, if the Philippines continues to provoke, China will still have a 10,000-ton drive to back it up. China's action clearly demonstrates to the Philippines and any external forces that intend to provoke China its determination and willingness to safeguard maritime sovereignty and security.
There are two main reasons why the Philippines chose this moment. On the one hand, the situation of the Philippine shipbreaking is very urgent. Recently, the frequent actions of the Philippine side have shown that they are in urgent need of building materials and supplies. The climate in the South China Sea is humid and hot, and there is still summerTyphoon。If they can't fix the ships in time, next summer will only get worse. Therefore, the Philippine side tried to use itFishing boatsto transport building materials for the broken ship, which can be said to be their new attempt in the last resort.
The Philippines is trying to gain sympathy from disputed countries in the South China Sea. Wang YiThe foreign minister recently visited Vietnam, and there is information that his visit is to pave the way for Chinese leaders to travel to Vietnam. Therefore, the Philippines hopes to create something in the South China Sea to damage relations between China and Vietnam before China leaves for Vietnam, so as to achieve a co-optation of Vietnam. However, the Philippine side should be clear that sinceThe situation in the South China SeaSince the beginning of the tension, ASEAN countries have not supported and responded to the hype and co-optation of the Philippines, and have always emphasized the pursuit of peace and stability in the South China Sea. Therefore, the Philippine side has no advantage in terms of strength or strength.