U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Manila and held talks with Marcos Jr., Secretary of Defense Chavez and others in the Philippines, and according to Philippine reports, after the talks, the Philippines agreed to open four military bases to the United States again under the framework of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
This means that in the future the US military will have nine military bases in the Philippines. Marcos Jr.'s attitude toward the South China Sea has changed 180 degrees thanks to U.S. support, and he visited China just a month ago.
As soon as Austin left, the Philippines immediately stirred up disputes in the South China Sea, including a forcible incursion into Ren'ai Jiao, reconnaissance of Sembin Jiao, and planned a four-nation joint cruise with the United States, Japan and Australia.
In addition, the Philippines also announced that it will hold the U.S.-Philippines "Shoulder to Shoulder 2023" joint military exercise from April 11 to 28, when there will be 120,000 U.S. troops and more than 5,000 Philippine troops participated in the exercises, mainly in northern Luzon, Palawan and Antique provinces, which are close to the South China Sea.
The Philippines** called the military exercise "the largest" of the United States and the Philippines and used the "Hippocampus" rocket artillery system to conduct live firing. Although the Philippine side has various reasons to explain, everyone understands that the target of this large-scale military exercise is China, and it is a showdown between the Philippines and China.
In addition, the Philippine military also committed a provocative act, and Vice Admiral Torribio Adach, Jr., commander of the Philippine Navy, landed on an island in the Nansha Islands occupied by the Philippines and took a photo on Thitu Island, arrogantly and arrogantly.
Thitu Island is an island of great strategic importance, and every time we see it being invaded, we feel indignant and look forward to recovering it as soon as possible.
Thitu Island, known as Tiezhi in ancient times, is the second natural island of the Nansha Islands, second only to Taiping Island. Chinese have lived here since ancient times, and this land has a special meaning for them.
Thitu Island is strategically located in the "heartland" of the South China Sea, 800 kilometers from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, 550 kilometers from Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, and 947 kilometers from Hainan Island in China.
The freshwater resources here are abundant, the soil is excellent, and the vegetation is lush. What's more, the waters of Thitu Island are rich in fishery resources, and there are also abundant oil and gas resources near Reed Bank.
Thitu Island has long been under the effective jurisdiction of Taiwan's Kuomintang authorities, but China has indisputable sovereignty over it. In commemoration of the "Thitu Tsu" when it took over the sovereignty of Nankai Zhudao, Thitu Island was renamed to its current name in 1946.
No challenge! ”
Kuomintang officers and soldiers could only helplessly watch as the Philippines illegally occupied Thitu Island and built it on a large scale, including the construction of airport runways, ports, and even encouraging fishermen to emigrate.
China responded immediately by sending 44 ships within Thitu's 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, including a Chinese Navy Type 056A frigate and the China Coast Guard ship 5203.
The Philippines' provocative behavior has subsided, but only half a month has passed before it has begun to make its presence felt again. Although the Philippines understands China's intentions, it remains afraid of a direct military conflict with China.
However, China has not deterred from this, and has taken a more resolute stance to protect its territorial sovereignty.
China's Vice Minister Sun Weidong visited Manila and co-chaired the 23rd China-Philippines Diplomatic Consultation and the Seventh Meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea Issue with Philippine Deputy Foreign Minister Lazaro.
Sun's visit focused on consultations on disputes in the South China Sea. According to the results of the consultations, it can be seen that the Philippine side lacks sincerity, so there are news reports that Philippine Navy Commander Torribio Adach Jr. landed on Thitu Island.
After the meeting, the Chinese side said, "The two sides had frank and in-depth exchanges on the situation in the South China Sea and maritime issues of concern to each other, and agreed to exercise restraint." The Philippine side directly quoted Lazaro's words, "China and the Philippines agree that maritime issues should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue, not through threats and intimidation." ”
He also expressed the hope that future news will no longer report on the China-Philippines maritime incident, but will focus on mutually beneficial efforts, which should start with China's restraint of aggression.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army decided to hold a large-scale military training in the South China Sea over a period of 38 days, from March 24 to April 30. The exercise covers the Shoulder-to-shoulder 2023 joint military exercise, which is extremely rare in the history of the South China Sea.
Through this exercise, China has sent a clear message to the Philippines that it is unrealistic to draw the United States into the South China Sea for more benefits. China strongly warns that the Philippines will be fully responsible for any escalation of confrontation on major islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
Recently, China sent Vice Minister Sun Weidong to Manila to try to persuade the Philippines to pull back from the precipice and avoid the most worrying "use of force in the South China Sea". However, the strength of the Chinese People's Navy, coupled with the reclamation of islands in the South China Sea in the past decade, especially after the confrontation between China and the United States in the South China Sea in 2016, no country dares to directly challenge China in the South China Sea.
This is a contest of strength, and the Philippines should recognize the reality and live in peace with China.
China has been a peace-loving country since ancient times, and we have always used the utmost patience to resolve differences and disputes with other countries. However, if the Philippines remains stubborn, we will not be relentless.