Earlier this month, Philippine fishing and government vessels forcibly intruded on Scarborough Shoal, ignoring warnings from the Chinese coast guard, and China took the necessary control measures. However, the Philippines continued the conflict in the second provocation and sent more ships to try to break through in an attempt to deliver supplies to the ships stranded at Second Thomas Shoal. Surprisingly, the Philippine side, taking advantage of China's kindness, arranged for its military leader, Brawner, to disguise himself as a staff member to infiltrate the wrecked ship, and took a photo with members of the Philippine Guard and released it publicly**. The Philippine side is obviously hinting at China's negligence and lack of attention, trying to achieve its goals. At the same time, the Philippine side has also continued to exert diplomatic pressure on China and deliberately create all kinds of noise. This series of behaviors is incomprehensible, in addition to the irrationality of the Philippine side, the pressure behind it cannot be ignored.
After the provocation in the Philippines, the United States took the brunt of the criticism of China's behavior, and issued a statement saying that China's behavior "violates international law" and "ignores humanitarianism". In addition to the United States, countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada have also intervened, claiming that China's behavior is worrying. The Philippine side also recently announced that it will discuss the South China Sea dispute with the Japanese prime minister, indicating that there seem to be many "support groups" behind the Philippine side. However, these countries are only intervening to find an excuse to intervene in regional affairs and to create friction between China and the Philippines. Needless to say, these countries don't really care about the rights and interests of the Philippines, they are just pursuing their own interests. The Filipino people have developed a strong dissatisfaction and antipathy towards this behavior, which is also reflected in the criticism of Marcos Jr. in the Manila Times of the Philippines.
The Chinese Navy has appeared a 052D destroyer on Mischief Island, 40 kilometers from Ren'ai Jiao, which is the first appearance of this type of ship on Mischief Island. In addition, the Chinese side has also sent 056A missile frigates and a large number of fishing boats to appear in the South China Sea as "supernumerary forces". The main forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army are gradually moving into the South China Sea, which is a response to Marcos Jr.'s actions. On the one hand, the reason why China has taken such a big action is that Marcos Jr.'s behavior has become more and more irrational, and even to the point of going crazy, even the Philippines itself cannot stand itOn the other hand, it is also to send a message that the Philippine provocation will not deter China, but will lead to more confrontation. China's actions have been quite restrained and have saved face for the Philippines.
* is the mouthpiece of a country, and the speech of the Philippines** often represents the voice of the Filipino people. The Philippines expressed concern about Marcos Jr.'s provocative behavior against China, believing that he has detached himself from reality and is only trying to accomplish the provocative goals of the United States, but has not taken the safety of his own people into account. Negotiation is the best way to resolve disputes, and if Marcos Jr. continues to gamble on the fate of the entire country, he will only get bogged down in the Philippines. The United States and other countries will not suffer substantial losses despite their rhetoric, but the Philippines will be the most affected party if the situation gets out of hand. Marcos Jr. should be soberly aware of this, stop unnecessary provocations, and return to the negotiating table to solve the problem.