Filipino reporters once again landed on Scarborough Shoal and broadcast it live, a news that disappointed friends who were concerned about the South China Sea issue. The Philippine side's successful landing operation may be due to several reasons.
First, the Philippines used fishery administration boats and lowered their dinghys to land on the island, a move that the Chinese side may not have anticipated. Small boats in the Philippines have a shallower draft, which makes it easier to get close to the reef and move more quickly. In contrast, the Chinese side had larger ships and a deeper draft, and could not get close to the reef, otherwise there was a danger of running aground, so the Philippine side's sneak attack succeeded.
Second, it may be an agreed outcome between China and the Philippines. On January 17, the eighth meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea was held in Shanghai, and the two sides reached a tacit understanding on easing tensions in the South China Sea. China strictly abides by its commitments, but the Philippines has once again reneged on its promises and launched a provocation.
Third, China has once again exercised restraint. As long as the Philippines does not occupy the islands and reefs, China will continue to exercise restraint and avoid escalation. Filipino reporters landed on Scarborough Shoal, apparently reporting on journalism, and would not be stationed on the island. Therefore, the Chinese side has not taken drastic coercive action for the time being.
This is not the first time that the Philippines has landed on an island. On January 28, the Philippines sent people to Scarborough Shoal, which also stayed briefly and then quickly evacuated. This action can be seen as a repeat of the old tricks, and China has not taken coercive action. It is reasonable to speculate that China has its own bottom line, and as long as the Philippines does not break this bottom line, China will not take drastic actions that could exacerbate the contradictions. The bottom line may be that Philippine military police, fishermen or engineering workers are not allowed to occupy the islands and reefs. As for the Philippine journalists, they did not cause a big stir, so the Chinese side treated them with contempt.
On the surface, the Philippine side has achieved some success, but in fact it is only to gain some face. Scarborough Shoal is still under our control.
However, we would still like to see more uplifting news about our military police and fishermen.