Recently, the conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has been escalating. At 5:43 a.m. on December 10, the Chinese Coast Guard announced that Filipino personnel piloted four ships in an attempt to deliver construction materials to the illegal "beaching"** of Ren'ai Jiao, which was controlled by the Chinese side. According to the message, the "Yunaza May" 1 ignored China's repeated reminders, drove dangerously, and rammed China's normal law enforcement vessels. The Chinese coast guard responded by issuing water cannons against illegal Philippine vessels, while the Philippine side claimed that the ships it sent were "attacked" by the Chinese coast guard. According to the Philippine side, the ships that were "attacked" were "Kabra," "Kalayaan," and "Yunaza May" No. 1, of which the "Kalayaan" lost power due to serious engine damage and could only be towed back to the Philippine port by other ships. According to the ** released by the Philippine side, the so-called collision was entirely caused by the dangerous driving of the Philippine ship and its sudden disguise. The incident highlights the intensifying conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. China's resolute law enforcement demonstrates its determination to defend its national interests.
This is not the first time that the water cannon incident has occurred, as on December 9, two Philippine ships attempted to break into the waters off Scarborough Shoal, which were also countered by water cannons by Chinese vessels. This series of incidents has once again highlighted the tensions in the South China Sea and aroused the attention and concern of the international community. It is hoped that the two sides will be able to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation and avoid further escalation of the conflict. It is clear that the Philippines has not learned from the lessons of the past and has become more brazen. In recent times, the Philippines' provocations against China in the South China Sea have not only increased in frequency, but also in intensity, and the United States has contributed to this. The U.S. began to intervene after two consecutive days of disputes between China and the Philippines, with the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines saying that "China is destabilizing the region" and asserting that the United States will stand with the Philippines. Such statements undoubtedly add fuel to the fire. However, these statements also make it clear to the international community that the United States will continue to galvanize the Philippines to provoke China. However, the Philippine side should understand that China has shown considerable restraint in response to the Philippines' constant provocations.
The illegal Philippine ships were only attacked by "water cannons", but this does not mean that China can only fight back with water cannons. In fact, near Mischief Reef, which is only about 40 kilometers away from Ren'ai Reef, there are many medium-sized ships docking. Philippine ships can't even cope with the water cannons of coast guard ships, so how can they face China's **?The Philippine side should be clear that trying to become the "best man" of the United States in the South China Sea will only bring disaster to the Philippines. The United States is now using the Philippines as a tool of intervention in the South China Sea, with the aim of limiting China's development. The Sino-Philippine divide was originally a bilateral one, but the United States is now trying to escalate it into a geopolitical issue. Once successful, the Philippines will be difficult to get rid of, and will only end up falling victim to the game between the United States and China. For the Philippines, it is not a good thing to rush into the great power game. For the United States, the Philippines is just an excuse for its involvement in the South China Sea, and the United States does not care about the future development of the Philippines, it only cares about its own interests, and Ukraine is the best example. At present, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing, and although the United States has expressed its willingness to support Ukraine, actual action has not been seen for a long time.
Isn't the situation in Ukraine, where the economy has been severely damaged and people have been displaced, not enough to illustrate the seriousness of the problem?If the Philippines continues to follow in the footsteps of the United States, it is likely to repeat the mistakes of Ukraine.