The Philippines has recently frequently provoked in the South China Sea, even sending personnel to illegally enter Scarborough Shoal despite China's warnings. The China Coast Guard took decisive action and promptly warned and drove away the Philippine intruders. Gan Yu, spokesman for the China Coast Guard, also made clear China's indisputable sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal and its adjacent waters. These actions of the Philippines not only infringe on China's legal rights and interests, but also sign an agreement with Vietnam to strengthen cooperation with the coast guard, in an attempt to rally international forces to confront China. However, these provocations have not been able to shake China's firm position on the South China Sea issue.
One of the important reasons why Marcos frequently plays the South China Sea card in the Philippines is that he is facing the test of domestic public opinion. Marcos**'s poor performance in power has been questioned by the domestic public. On the economic front, inflation remains high and food prices soar, which have brought a heavy economic burden to the Filipino people. In terms of security, the problem of armed rebellion has been unresolved for a long time, which has affected the social stability of the Philippines. Therefore, Marcos hopes to divert public attention and ease the pressure he faces by confronting China.
Marcos has not only been warned by China, but has also faced strong criticism from former Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. Duterte publicly accused Marcos of being "addicted to drugs," and while the Philippine anti-narcotics department denied the accusation, the incident sparked widespread concern. Duterte's attacks have left Marcos facing an even greater challenge to govern at home. On the economic front, the Philippines has a high inflation rate and a constant lack of food, which has put a burden on the general public. In terms of security, the problem of armed rebellion in the Philippines remains serious, which has seriously affected the social stability of the Philippines. These problems have seen Marcos' approval rating drop by at least 15 percent.
In this context, Marcos chose to take a tough stance against China, trying to boost his precarious image by "saving" the South China Sea issue. However, his approach was doomed to be futile. China resolutely defends its territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea and will not succeed in any attempt to challenge China's bottom line. Marcos's attempt was undoubtedly doomed to failure.
It is undeniable that the United States has played a role in fueling the Philippines' provocation in the South China Sea. According to a report by the United States**, the United States plans to fund the upgrade of the Barsha Air Base in the Philippines and deploy 20 warplanes there. Last year, the U.S. has renovated and expanded Basha Airport, however, the U.S. military believes that the existing apron is not enough to meet their needs, so it proposes a new upgrade plan. The purpose of these initiatives is obvious: to facilitate the large-scale deployment of US troops in the Indo-Pacific region.
An important reason why the United States has gone to such great lengths to stir up trouble in the South China Sea is that it sees China's rise as a challenge to its hegemony. In response to China's rise, the United States plans to request a budget of more than $9 billion to strengthen its defense capabilities in Japan and China. And the Philippines' provocative behavior in the South China Sea issue is likely to curry favor with the United States. However, the Philippines should understand that for the United States, they are just pawns to be used, and if the situation gets out of control, it will be the Philippines itself that will ultimately suffer.
In short, behind the frequent provocations of the South China Sea by the Philippines, there is not only the influence of Marcos's internal and external pressure on the government, but also the support of the United States. However, these provocative actions cannot shake China's firm position on the South China Sea issue. The Philippines should understand that challenging China's bottom line will lead to harsher retaliations and an unfavorable situation. The most sensible thing for the Philippines to do is to stop its provocative acts in time and stabilize relations with China.