The news that the Philippines dispatched light transport planes to drop supplies to Ren'ai Jiaoza has aroused the attention of Chinese netizens.
As we look at this move, we need to remain calm. Because the cost of airdropping supplies by transport planes is quite expensive and limited, it is unlikely that they will be able to replenish construction materials. Moreover, China had previously allowed the Philippines to resupply the broken ship with necessities.
Analysis of satellite imagery by John Pollock and Damien Simon of the Royal Institute of International Affairs confirmed that China's blockade of the Philippines from breaking ships and resupplying Second Thomas Shoal is unprecedented. The latest satellite imagery shows that Chinese coast guard vessels have blocked the Philippines' main access to the broken ship at Second Thomas Shoal, leaving the Philippines trapped in disputed waters, with aircraft as the only means of replenishment.
China's aim appears to be to isolate the base and force the Philippines to withdraw.
It has been speculated that China's tightened control over Second Thomas Shoal may be related to a Philippine operation in December 2023. At that time, the Philippine military top brass boarded the beached and wrecked ship and invited foreign journalists to record the collision with the Chinese coast guard ship. During the confrontation, about 11 Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels blocked a resupply mission to the Sierra Madre landing ship in the lagoon.
A spokesman for the Philippine Commission said: "China is trying to gauge the number of times we need to resupply the beach.
The latest satellite imagery shows Chinese coast guard vessels with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons operating near the Philippine landing ship Sierra Madre. Compared to September 2023, when it stayed around the reef, China's control over the Philippines has been significantly tighter.
The Philippine dispatch of planes to drop supplies has objectively reduced the frequency of confrontation between ships on both sides. And light aircraft are only suitable for airdropping food, which can also give China peace of mind. However, China is still dissatisfied with the Philippines' hype of airdrops.
At the moment, China's primary concern is to control the Philippines' efforts to reinforce the USS Sierra Madre. We need to be wary of the possibility of the Philippines sending ships to shipwrecked ships to transport household items, as this could be adulterated with construction materials.
We also need to be prepared for the Philippines to drop construction materials. If the Philippines does this, we will use fishing boats and other forces to prevent Philippine Marines from salvaging building materials before we do. We also need to deal with the situation where Philippine ships pull Western journalists to challenge the Chinese coast guard blockade to avoid negative impact on China.
In the contest between China and the Philippines over the Ren'ai Jiao issue, the Philippines' airdrop and replenishment did not give the Philippine side much advantage. On the contrary, China is in full control of the situation, and its control power continues to increase. As long as we make sure that the Philippines can't continue to reinforce the broken ship, we'll have the last laugh in the end.
In this regard, what do you think in front of the screen, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!
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