The old man often said: "If you don't listen to the old man, you will suffer in front of you!""Since the second half of this year, the Philippines' actions in the South China Sea have been incomprehensible, and even the former spokesperson of the Philippines has come forward to speak out. Not long ago, the Philippine "Manila Times" published an article entitled "Vietnam, which is also a party to the South China Sea dispute, moves closer to China, but the Philippines demonizes China and quarrels with it." The main criticism of the Philippines' misguided foreign policy led to the Chinese Coast Guard ships driving away small boats employed by the Philippine Coast Guard.
The article directly called this behavior ridiculous, and even the author felt ashamed of his country, believing that the behavior of the Philippines was irrational and utterly ignorant, and had reached the point of madness. The article mentions that China-Vietnam relations have reached a new level, while China-Philippines relations have fallen to a freezing point. This is truly regrettable. After all, the Philippines would have been the first country to visit China in 2023, and this is an opportunity that many countries want to strive for. China not only gave the Philippines the opportunity for the first talks, but also signed 14 cooperation agreements on the Belt and Road Initiative, communication technology, agriculture and fisheries, e-commerce and other fields, with a total value of more than $26 billion.
It's a pity that it backfired, but the Philippines turned its face and didn't recognize people. Since August this year, two Philippine supply vessels and two coast guard vessels have repeatedly illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands, and have repeatedly provoked and caused incidents. The Philippines, on the other hand, has not reflected on itself, but has strongly condemned China's actions, claiming that China has violated international law.
It was not until December 9 that the Chinese Coast Guard imposed legal controls on three Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Bureau vessels that the Philippines had intruded into the waters adjacent to Scarborough Shoal. If the provocations continue, no one can say how China will respond. It is worth mentioning that the contradictions within the Philippines have already manifested themselves in this article. In fact, before the end of the term of office of former Philippine Duterte, he repeatedly warned the Philippines to maintain friendly relations with China.
Duterte also reportedly publicly reminded his successor, the current Marcos Jr., that the Philippines must handle its relationship with China well or risk unnecessary trouble. Now, the trouble is really coming. If Marcos Jr. also allows Philippine ships to move frequently in the South China Sea, it may trigger internal disputes in the Philippines and even affect Marcos Jr.'s status. Therefore, it is recommended that Marcos Jr. think twice before acting and listen to the advice of his seniors.