Recently, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has frequently conducted actual combat exercises in the South China Sea, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has also issued continuous warnings, which has led to some subtle changes in the Philippines' position on the South China Sea issue.
A key message was Marcos Jr., from the Philippines, who said in an interview with Japan**: "Although the United States has been assisting the Philippines in maritime patrols in the South China Sea, the Filipinos want to solve this problem on their own when it comes to the issue of Second Thomas Shoal." ”
These words provoked people to think: what exactly did Marcos Jr. want to express?What does it mean that "Filipinos want to solve this problem on their own"?Perhaps Marcos Jr. intends to keep a certain distance from the United States on the South China Sea issue and does not want it to interfere in the "dispute" at Second Thomas Shoal.
However, it should be noted that this does not mean that Marcos Jr. is going to completely change his national policy and no longer rely on the United States. After all, such a shift is not feasible. The Philippines has chosen to stand on the US policy toward China, and it is difficult to back down. Moreover, with the recent frequent confrontations between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, Marcos Jr. has no intention of easing Sino-Philippine relations. Therefore, from the perspective of the overall direction, we should not have too many illusions, especially when it comes to the issue of territorial sovereignty, and our attitude is still resolute and unyielding.
So, does Marcos Jr. intend to let the United States go and settle the "Ren'ai Jiao dispute" with China on his own?This seems a bit far-fetched. The Philippines will not give up its interests so easily. Even if the United States does not intervene, the situation in the South China Sea will not subside. Therefore, it does not seem that this matter will turn around much.
We need to understand Marcos Jr.'s intentions. But first of all, let's be clear that Ren'ai Jiao is China's inherent territory, and this is an issue that is non-negotiable. On this issue, the only correct thing for the Philippines to do is to stop coveting Ren'ai Jiao, have frank exchanges with China, and adjust its attitude.
Therefore, it can be said that Marcos Jr.'s position remains firm and will remain confrontational with China on the "Ren'ai Jiao dispute" without backing down, but he does not want the United States to intervene. Arguably, Marcos Jr.'s approach was quite sensible, as he realized that U.S. involvement would only exacerbate divisions and would do nothing to resolve the issue.
This is exactly what China wants to see. This is a matter between the two countries, and it is best for the two sides to resolve it on their own, without the need for external forces to interfere. On the issue of Ren'ai Jiao, the Philippines can put forward its own opinions, but China pays more attention to the principle of convincing others with morality. Even if it can't convince the Philippines, China has other ways to deal with it, but that's another topic.
While Marcos Jr. seems to have given a more conciliatory response to China in words, the Philippines' actions have made clear their ambitions. According to the latest news, the Philippine military plans to build a facility on the "Ayunjin Shoal", which is China's Ren'ai Jiao.
According to the Philippine side, they intend to build facilities on Second Thomas Shoal, partly to provide shelter for surrounding fishermen, and partly to build some civilian buildings, such as lighthouses and marine research centers.
However, China's territorial issue has nothing to do with the Philippines. What qualifications does the Philippines have to start construction at Second Thomas Shoal?Clearly, the Philippines' intention is to deliberately delay the dispute. The Sierra Madre, which currently sits on Second Thomas Shoal, is already in jeopardy, and once the ship is in ruins, the Philippines will no longer be able to operate on Second Thomas Shoal.
Marcos Jr.'s ambitions are clear. However, the Philippines could not even escape the seizure of China's coast guard with the construction materials needed to repair the broken ship, let alone carry out the construction on Ren'ai JiaoIf the Philippines still wants to confront China in the South China Sea, then go ahead.