Recently, a new confrontation between China and the Philippines in the waters around Second Thomas Shoal has triggered polarization in the Philippines, with some advocating continued confrontation with China in the South China Sea, while others have put pressure on Marcos Jr. to resolve their disputes with China in the South China Sea through dialogue.
People from all walks of life in the Philippines have called on Marcos Jr. to resolve the South China Sea dispute through dialogue and consultation
Not long ago, some elites from Philippine political, business and academic circles said in an interview that the South China Sea dispute is not the whole of China-Philippines bilateral relations, and the common interests between the two countries far outweigh the differences.
People from all walks of life in the Philippines have called for dialogue to resolve disputes in the South China Sea, reflecting the fact that Marcos Jr.'s approach has made them very worried, and they believe that the risk of the situation in the South China Sea getting out of control is increasing.
The Chinese coast guard has taken "control measures" against Philippine vessels that intrude into the waters of Second Thomas Shoal
In fact, it is understandable that these people in the Philippines have such concerns. Recently, the Philippines has often engaged in "porcelain" behavior on the South China Sea issue, sending ships to try to forcibly enter the waters such as Ren'ai Jiao and Scarborough Shoal without China's permission, seriously violating China's sovereignty.
After the Chinese side took necessary measures against the illegal intrusion of Philippine ships in accordance with the law, the Philippine side not only did not restrain its provocative behavior, but also showed a tough attitude, unwilling to make concessions on this issue, and even continued to spread false information, create chaos on the surface, and shift all the responsibility to China.
This series of actions has not only had a serious impact on China-Philippines relations, but also had a negative impact on regional security and stability.
Back to the present, Philippine Deputy Minister Domingo stressed in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that China is one of the most important economic and trade partners of the Philippines, and the economic and trade relations between the two countries are very close. He suggested that the Philippine side should "take a deep breath and take a step back" when handling Sino-Philippine relations, and treat bilateral relations rationally from the perspective of the overall situation.
Deputy Secretary Domingo of the Philippines].
It needs to be emphasized here that Domingo made the above statement in his capacity as the deputy minister of the Philippines, and he was interviewed by China, which is rare in the current political wind in the Philippines.
As for the business community, their position is similar. Barceron, chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes that the tension in the South China Sea will damage the economic and trade exchanges between China and the Philippines, and any provocative behavior is unhealthy.
The main reason why these people urge Marcos Jr. to resolve disputes through dialogue is that they are the most direct beneficiaries of China-Philippines economic and trade relations. Once bilateral economic and trade relations are greatly damaged, then their interests will be the first to suffer. Politics is a concentrated expression of the economy, and once the political relations between China and the Philippines turn cold, the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries will be greatly affected.
At the same time, some Philippine academics and think tanks are also urging Marcos Jr. to treat China-Philippines relations rationally. Anna, deputy director of the Philippine Institute for Strategic Studies in the "Asian Century," said that maintaining balanced diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines is in line with the strategic interests of the Philippines, but once this balanced relationship is destroyed, the Philippines will inevitably pay a heavy price.
After Marcos Jr. took office, he focused his diplomacy on the U.S.-Philippines defense relationship
As she said, during the Duterte era, China-Philippines relations were relatively stable, mainly because the Philippines did not take sides between China and the United States and adopted a balanced major power strategy. But now, with Marcos Jr.** focusing his diplomacy on the defense relationship between the United States and the Philippines, the diplomatic balance of the Philippines has gradually become "unbalanced."
In fact, in response to the Philippines' attempt to co-opt foreign forces to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, China recently made it clear that the escalation of the situation in the South China Sea is caused by the Philippines' reliance on the support of external forces, ignoring China's goodwill and restraint, and repeatedly provoking China's principles and bottom line. If Marcos Jr. fails to recognize this, it will only damage the Philippines' own interests and may even have a negative impact on regional stability.
It can be said that China has done its best on the South China Sea issue, but the Philippines has not grasped China's goodwill. Marcos Jr. said a few days ago that the Philippines used to deal with China through "traditional diplomatic means", but it has not made progress on the South China Sea issue, so the Philippines needs to carry out a "paradigm shift".