Recently, tensions in the South China Sea region have seen three distinct changes. First, the Chinese Navy has increased its military presence in the region, and a Type 052D destroyer has been stationed in the standoff area. Foreign media said that there may be another Type 052D destroyer that will be reinforced to the sea area. Second, the focus of the confrontation between China and the Philippines may have shifted from Second Thomas Shoal to Mischief Island. Commercial satellites** showed that there were Chinese and coast guard vessels near Mischief Island, while there were no traces of ships from either side near Second Thomas Shoal. The third change is that China has issued a tough warning to the Philippines.
The People's ** published an article by a commentator of the bell clearly pointed out that the Philippine actions in the South China Sea are "extremely dangerous", and China will follow and resolutely respond. What do these three changes mean?The increase in the number of Chinese naval forces means that the Chinese side will be strengthened in its response capabilities. In the early days of the confrontation between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, China's response was mainly based on coast guard ships, and the navy dispatched Type 056A frigates as the backing force of coast guard ships. We have always wanted the situation to escalate, but the Philippines does not seem to understand our goodwill and sees it as a concession.
Since our goodwill cannot impress the Philippines, we must use some military means that the Philippines can understand. About a month ago, the Philippines discovered the appearance of Chinese Type 054A frigates in the confrontation area, which caused panic on the Philippine side, which hastily mobilized various forces to the confrontation area and sought to buy second-hand frigates internationally. Now, with the arrival of the main fleet of the Chinese Navy, the appearance of Type 052D destroyers demonstrates the ability of the Chinese Navy to further strengthen its military presence in the South China Sea. The pressure on the Philippines will mount day by day, and China will not leave anything to chance.
If the Philippines wants to play, we play with them, and we have enough strength to deal with the Philippines. We need to be clear that our Navy is not increasing because the Philippine Coast Guard is unable to handle the situation, but because of two considerations. First of all, in addition to the Philippines, we note that the United States continues to send ** and aircraft to intervene in the affairs of the South China Sea. In the face of these regular military forces, our coast guard force is obviously outmatched, so we need the Navy to send ** to provide support. Second, involving sea vessels in the confrontation is a warning to the Philippines. Regrettably, the Philippine side does not seem to have understood this warning.
At present, we may already have more than one Type 052D destroyer in the confrontation area, which indicates that we have recently begun to significantly increase our naval military strength, and the scale of the increase has increased significantly. This action may mean that a critical moment in the confrontation between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has appeared, and this round of confrontation will quickly escalate or even completely resolve the confrontation situation, and the final critical moment may not be far away. The Philippine side has expanded the scale of the standoff. Another interesting change is that, according to foreign commercial satellite photographs**, the focus of the Sino-Philippine standoff appears to have shifted from Second Thomas Shoal to the waters off nearby Mischief Island.
Including the newly deployed Type 052D destroyers of the Chinese Navy, they all appeared in the waters near Mischief Island. Does this mean that the Philippines has given up on causing trouble at Second Thomas Shoal and is turning its attention to Mischief Island?Apparently not. Mischief Island is not Ren'ai Jiao, there is a PLA airport and port, and it is a large island and reef base where fighter planes and sea boats can be stationed. The Philippines may not be very smart, but it will not give up on Second Thomas Shoal to provoke the hard bone of Mischief Island. The Philippines may try to expand the scope of its provocation to include Mischief and Scarborough Shoal in the context of their operations after the setback at Second Thomas Shoal.
The Philippines may think they have a home-field advantage and can send more ships to participate, and while their ultimate goal remains Second Thomas Shoal, they hope to get the Chinese Navy to respond with a multifaceted provocation in order to find opportunities in the waters of Second Thomas Shoal. Therefore, it can be said that the Philippines, after suffering a tough response from China, is trying to actively expand the scale of the confrontation in order to create chaos in the South China Sea and profit from it. It is difficult to determine whether this strategy is conceived by the Philippines itself or whether it is supported and manipulated by the United States behind its back. However, our approach to this challenge is simple.
As a large country with a large size advantage, we do not need to complicate the problem, and the best way to solve the problem is to deal with it toughly. The deployment of additional naval forces and more coast guard vessels to the South China Sea are all manifestations of our strong strength. What is the Philippines doing to respond to our initiative?I'm afraid there is no magic plan. Our strategy is not to be affected by external factors, especially not to be interfered with by the outside world, to stabilize the advantage, and gradually suppress the opponent. Why does the foreign media always try to incite us to take all kinds of actions?Because as soon as we complicate our actions, they have a chance to fight back. And our current tough response, step by step, makes it difficult for them to find a breakthrough.
China has made its position official. The bell commentator's article published by "People**" is regarded by the outside world as a direct signal from China's high-level, and some people say that "bell" is homophonic to "zhongsheng", which can be said to represent China's voice. In China's latest statements on the Philippines, we can see some clear signals. Although the phrase "don't say it in advance" is not directly used, the article still conveys a serious warning from China. Not so long ago, the People's Liberation Army Daily published an article by a bell commentator, which can be considered the voice of the top level of the Chinese side. The article emphasizes China's position on the inviolability of sovereignty and warns the Philippines.
From the sound of bells to the sound of the bell, from the top level of the center to the top level, the level of warning to the Philippines has gradually increased, which also means that China's tolerance and patience are gradually running out. The mobilization of the Chinese Navy's main ships also sent a clear signal. If the Philippines continues to provoke China in the South China Sea, after China's tolerance and patience run out, they will face "not to be unpredictable" and will face the PLA's relentless blows. This series of measures highlights China's firm position and determination on the South China Sea issue, and also sends a clear signal to the international community.