Recently, the game between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has entered a white-hot stage. However, anyone with a discerning eye knows that if the Philippines continues to fight with China like this, with or without the support of the United States and its so-called allies, the result will be doomed. The Philippines** must recognize that the consequences of angering China over sovereignty issues are unimaginable. Therefore, there are some recent signs that Marcos may be ready to "give in" to China.
The Manila Times, as the largest national newspaper in the Philippines by circulation, represents the official position and viewpoint. In its latest article, the newspaper analyzes the current situation in the South China Sea and China-Philippines relations, and criticizes the Philippine side's handling of disputes over the ownership of islands and reefs in the South China Sea that is out of touch with reality. This stance is in stark contrast to the tough remarks made by the Philippines and the military on China one after another, suggesting signs that Marcos is "soft" in his treatment of China.
Although Marcos** has previously shown an aggressive posture towards China, he has faced pressure from both China and the United States. Compared with the Taiwan issue, the South China Sea issue is of more strategic significance in the eyes of the United States. Therefore, the United States does not want to overstimulate China on the Taiwan issue, which will lead to an uncontrollable situation. As a result, the South China Sea issue has become another entry point for the US to intervene in its internal affairs and implement its strategy of containing China. As a "pawn" of the United States, the Philippines has become an extremely valuable resource for the United States.
Marcos** has always acted in accordance with the intentions of the US side on the South China Sea issue, and has shown an aggressive posture to the Chinese side. However, no matter what means the Philippines uses to provoke in the South China Sea, China can always defeat the Philippine offensive within a controllable range. The Philippine side can no longer continue to provoke through military exercises, joint patrols, material supplies and other means, and at this time, sending a leader to "sit on the beach" to comfort the soldiers and make harsh remarks to the Chinese side has become the last resort for the Philippine side to save face. However, if the Philippines continues to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, China will no longer be able to limit itself to "necessary measures", but may use force to make the Philippines realize the seriousness of the situation.
Marcos himself is well aware that in the current situation, a cold war with China is meaningless. At the APEC summit, he publicly expressed his desire not to go to war with China in the South China Sea. In addition, China-friendly forces in the Philippines, including Duterte, are also skeptical of Marcos's China policy on the South China Sea issue. They oppose Marcos' complete obedience to the United States and provoking confrontation between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea issue.
Therefore, some people believe that Marcos may be ready to "give in" to China after touching his nose with ashes. Of course, in the short term, it is unlikely that he will completely change his stance on China. Instead, he may take some action to ease Sino-Philippine relations. It is a wise move to use the "Manila Times", a platform with official attributes, to release the wind first and test the reactions of multiple parties.
In its latest article, the Manila Times gave a pertinent assessment of the South China Sea issue and China-Philippines relations. The article points out that the Philippines has ignored China's territorial sovereignty over the South China Sea, but the reality is that most countries, including Western countries, recognize the islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of China's territory. The article criticized that the Philippines relies too much on the ideological line led by the US military in resolving geopolitical issues. This mistake led them to send Philippine-flagged private vessels to proactively provoke disputed areas of the South China Sea, making them targets for Chinese coast guard water cannons.
However, regardless of whether there is any indication that Marcos is ready to "give in" to China, the United States will not allow the Philippines to change its stance on China at this time. In less than 24 hours, U.S. Affairs Assistant Jake Sullivan communicated with the Philippine adviser to express concern about China's actions in the disputed island areas in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the Philippines. This is a clear indication that the United States remains a strong supporter of the Philippines in confronting China in the South China Sea.
Now, let's wait and see how Marcos will respond to how this situation develops. After all, he will not easily risk a confrontation with China. At the same time, the internal forces of friendship with China will continue to exert pressure on Marcos to change his stance on China. Regardless of the eventual direction, the development of the South China Sea issue will affect the situation in Southeast Asia as a whole and have a profound impact on China-Philippines relations. Most importantly, all parties should aim for a peaceful settlement and work together to maintain regional stability and prosperity.
The escalation of the South China Sea issue has attracted the attention of the whole world, especially the tensions between China and the Philippines. Marcos** has some signs of "softness" on the South China Sea issue, which is partly influenced by pressure from China and the United States. However, the United States will not tolerate the Philippines changing its stance on China at this time, which was also confirmed by Sullivan, the assistant for affairs of the United States. In any case, the Philippines' actions on the South China Sea issue will have a far-reaching impact on China-Philippines relations, and all parties should work together to maintain regional stability and prosperity based on the principle of peaceful settlement.