Philippine coast guard ships have repeatedly "attacked China's Scarborough Shoal" at night
After the warning, China took law enforcement countermeasures.
Recently, the Philippine Coast Guard No. 9701 official ship has illegally intruded into the waters near China's Huangyan Island many times. According to a February 9 report issued by the China Coast Guard, between February 2 and 9, 9,701 vessels illegally entered China's territorial waters about 20 nautical miles southwest of Scarborough Shoal on eight occasions. After repeated warnings by the Chinese coast guard to no avail, the Philippine ship was intercepted, monitored, and driven away in accordance with the law.
In response to this, Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Scarborough Shoal and its adjacent waters are undisputed China's inherent territory, and China has indisputable sovereignty over the relevant waters. The Chinese coast guard is resolute and vigorous in its rights protection and law enforcement activities, and will continue to expel foreign vessels that infringe on China's sovereignty in accordance with the law.
Just after the Chinese side announced the news, the Philippine Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that the Philippine Coast Guard 9701 ship was "dangerously driven away" by the Chinese coast guard ship on several occasions, and that on two occasions the Chinese ship crossed the bow of the Philippine ship. The statement said that Philippine coast guard vessels only carry out routine patrol duties in Philippine territorial waters, and the Philippine side disputed China's so-called sovereignty claims.
In fact, since Marcos Jr. came to power, Philippine coast guard ships have frequently appeared in the waters around China's Nansha Islands. In March 2022, the Philippine Coast Guard ship 510 was stranded in the waters near Ren'ai Jiao for a long time. In November 2022, a number of Philippine coast guard vessels illegally intruded into China's 12-nautical-mile territorial waters of Gaven Reef. These moves by the Philippine side are undoubtedly inseparable from the instigation and support of the United States.
Some analysts believe that Marcos Jr. has launched a line since he took office and has greatly strengthened military cooperation with the United States. In April 2022, the Philippines and the United States signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which includes allowing U.S. troops access to four additional Philippine military bases. With the support of the United States, the Philippines has frequently intruded into China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea in the name of "freedom of navigation".
In the face of the Philippines' continued provocations, China has always exercised a high degree of restraint. **Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China and the Philippines should respect each other's sovereignty, be good neighbors and trust each other, and handle differences prudently. China is ready to continue to manage differences with the Philippines through friendly consultations. However, Wang Wenbin also stressed that the Taiwan issue is a core interest of China, and the Philippines should not play with fire on Taiwan-related issues.
In fact, China and the Philippines have been seriously antagonistic over the South China Sea issue in history. In 1999, the Philippines** took advantage of the darkness to occupy Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands and illegally occupied the reef for a long time. Although the Philippine side promised to leave as soon as possible, it actually refused to withdraw its troops. It was not until 2016 that all Philippine troops on Ren'ai Jiao withdrew under pressure from China.
At present, a new round of tension between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea issue is mainly due to Marcos Jr.'s increasingly aggressive approach with the support of the United States. However, no matter how the situation changes, Nanhai Zhudao and its adjacent waters are undisputed as China's territory, and this historical and legal basis is firmly and clear. China will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty in the South China Sea, and hopes to resolve conflicts through dialogue and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
To sum up, the current situation in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines deserves attention. Some netizens believe that the Philippine side acted recklessly and ignored China's goodwill advice. Some netizens also believe that the Philippines, as a small country, also has anxiety about confronting powerful countries; Some netizens believe that big countries should be more understanding of the words and deeds of small countries. I wonder what readers think of this? Welcome to leave a message to discuss.