China's relations with its neighbors have always been complex, with interests at the heart of the relationship. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests, this is an immutable truth. Recently, with the intensification of the great power game, especially at the instigation of the United States, China's relations with neighboring countries, especially in the South China Sea, have undergone subtle changes. The U.S. plans to focus on wooing the Philippines and Vietnam. Recently, the USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and two escort cruisers went to the port of Xian Sa in Da Nang, Vietnam, for a five-day visit, after which US-Vietnam relations quickly warmed up, attracting international attention. Although Vietnam's move is widely seen as a sign of moving closer to the United States, in the great power game, it is the norm for small countries to be left and right.
In the great power game, it is the norm for small countries to be left and right. Therefore, although Vietnam's attitude towards the United States is the direction of our reference, the focus should be on Vietnam's attitude towards China. Recently, China paid a high-level visit to Vietnam, which focused on two aspects: resolving differences in the South China Sea and the future direction of China and Vietnam. According to the joint statement between China and Vietnam, it can be seen that China-Vietnam cooperation has reached a new height, especially the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and the "Two Corridors and One Circle" plan, which have played a positive role in promoting Vietnam's economic development. Although China and Vietnam have differences over the issue of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, these differences are not mainstream and will not affect bilateral cooperation.
Although Vietnam has shown signs of moving toward the United States in recent years, and the United States is also courting Vietnam, with the failure of Vietnam's international integration, Vietnam has a clearer understanding of real problems. While Vietnam could benefit from the transfer of U.S. industries, it was well aware that the U.S. would not be able to meet its demands. At present, the United States is mainly reaping the wealth of other countries to get out of its own crisis, and the only thing it can give is probably empty promises. Therefore, what China wants, Vietnam gives. Vietnam said it would properly handle maritime differences with China. The situation in the South China Sea is complex, with China at odds with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei over sovereignty. However, judging from the recent situation, it seems that the Philippines is the most aggressive.
Although the Philippines seems to be trying to portray China as a "maritime bully", this does not mean that there are no voices of reason within the Philippines. Former Philippine spokesman Tigrau recently made a series of remarks on the situation in the South China Sea, and his views can be summarized in three points. First, he criticized the current behavior and propaganda of the Philippines as almost ridiculous, such as sending a priest on deck, as if expecting Jesus ** to personally intervene to drive out the Chinese. Second, he highlighted the economic impact on the Philippines and contrasted Vietnam's recent rapprochement with China over its South China Sea disputes, noting that the Philippines' confrontation with China would only hurt itself.
Third, he pointed out that the Philippines is ashamed to allow the United States to portray China as an enemy, which is far from the truth. Tigrau made it clear that the Philippines does not have the support of the United States compared to Vietnam, and that the Philippines will be the biggest loser if Sino-Philippine relations break down.