Recently, the Philippines once again sent four ships to brazenly intrude into the waters near Ren'ai Jiao, a Chinese territory. This is the second provocation in less than 20 days, following August 22. The Global Times reported that the Philippines had delivered illegal construction materials to the "stalls" on Ren'ai Shoal** without China's consent in an attempt to reinforce the islands and reefs it illegally occupied.
In response, the China Coast Guard issued a solemn statement, expressing its firm opposition to the illegal actions of the Philippines and demanding that it immediately stop all actions that infringe on China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. At the same time, the Chinese coast guard also said that it would allow the Philippines to deliver food and other essential daily necessities to "Za Tan"** due to humanitarian considerations.
The announcement drew a strong reaction from netizens in China, with some arguing that the Chinese coast guard was too weak and should take tougher measures to let the Philippines know the consequences. But I think we should understand this statement of the China Coast Guard, which reflects China's wisdom and determination in dealing with the Ren'ai Jiao issue.
The "stall"** on Second Thomas Shoal is an old ship** that the Philippines deliberately ran aground in 1999 in order to occupy Second Thomas Shoal. This ** has been exposed to the wind and sun at sea for more than 20 years, and it is in tatters and may disintegrate at any time. The Philippine side wants to transport construction materials onto the ship in order to delay the life of this "broken ship" and maintain its illegal occupation under the pretext of maintaining it.
However, this approach is futile, since this "broken ship" can no longer be repaired and can only accelerate its collapse. The Chinese coast guard did not allow the Philippines to transport construction materials on board the ship in order to weaken the foundation of its illegal occupation and make it impossible for it to continue to "sit in the stall". The purpose of allowing the Philippines to transport food and other essential daily necessities on board the ship is to avoid a humanitarian crisis and maintain China's image in the international community. It is a strategy that is both resolute and flexible, neither using force nor relinquishing sovereignty.
I understand the indignation and dissatisfaction of the Chinese people, but I also hope that the Chinese people will understand the country's strategic planning and strategic determination. The issue of Second Thomas Shoal is just one of many issues facing China, and it is not the most important. The real big problem is the United States, which is China's biggest adversary and China's biggest threat. The game with the United States is not over yet, and we cannot be distracted by some minor problems to the detriment of the overall situation.
There is an old Chinese saying that "if you can't bear it, you will make a big plan", which means that if you can't tolerate some small disadvantages, you will destroy the big plan. The Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, etc., are all minor problems, and they are all problems that can be solved. As long as we solve the big problem of the United States, the other problems will be solved. Therefore, we must be patient, confident, wise, and determined, not to be bothered by small problems, but to see the essence of big problems.