Why didn't China simply remove the wreck from the Renai Reef area?
The Chinese patrol carried out a slight "slap in the face" on Ren'ai Jiao in the Philippines, which raised many questions. Why didn't China pull or remove the wreck from Second Thomas Shoal?
In fact, to answer this question, one must think from multiple perspectives.
1. Strategic reconnaissance and shooting reconnaissance.
The Filipinos have "sat on the beach" at Renai Jiao and changed their stance three times in order to test China's "bottom line" in the South China Sea and its control over the "islands". The move is aimed at examining whether China will make concessions in the South China Sea in order to achieve its international strategy. In addition, Ren'ai Jiao, located on the east coast of the South China Sea, is also the most important shipping route in the whole of Asia. The occupation of these islands and islands by the Philippines will give it an advantage in maritime transportation.
2. The dispute between international law and legitimacy.
There is a good chance that the Philippines will justify it under international law by its long-standing misconduct against Second Thomas Shoal. This is very important for countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, which believe that the South China Sea is the only way to guarantee the security of their homeland. At the same time, the Philippines also wants to use this opportunity to increase its influence in ASEAN, but also to cover up and defuse its internal political conflicts.
3. The U.S. dilemma that the Philippines is looking forward to.
The Philippines is eager to take advantage of the strategic opportunity of the United States to encircle China as a way to increase its value. The incident in the South China Sea is a good proof for the Philippines. However, due to the decline of the Philippines, the United States is paying less attention to it. As the smallest country in ASEAN, the Philippines is also a relatively weak country, so it wants to use the South China Sea issue to enhance its voice in ASEAN and the world.
Why surround them and grab their attention?
The reason why the Chinese patrol force has adopted the strategy of encircling and luring the enemy into the depths is to bring certain benefits to China.
1. Maintain peace and security in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea region is not only the lifeblood of East Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, but also closely related to energy, economy and trade, and international markets. If a war breaks out between China and the Philippines on the "island of benevolence" in the South China Sea, it will involve other countries, making the situation in the entire South China Sea difficult to control. In addition, the instability of the situation in the South China Sea will also have a certain impact on the situation in the Taiwan Strait. In order to maintain the situation in the South China Sea, China has adopted a strategy of "encircling but not attacking, and luring it to settle down" to avoid further escalation of the conflict.
2. From a global perspective.
China has encountered severe tests in both international and international security aspects. If there is a conflict with the Philippines, it will have an impact on China's **, energy and foreign investment, especially in the southeast of China. In addition, the United States can contain China by blocking the shipping lanes of the Strait of Malacca. As China is in a period of transition and needs to maintain its own security, it has adopted a cautious strategy on the South China Sea issue.
3. Balance between benefits and costs.
The Philippines' volatile attitude towards the Philippines' "island of benevolence" has allowed China to plunge into extreme unease by "dismantling a sunken ship." Such a strategy of "encirclement without attack" has enabled China to demonstrate sincerity, sincerity, capability, determination, and legal basis in dealing with complex maritime disputes. Although China has not made significant moves on this issue, it has been able to achieve deep structural adjustment through this strategy, thereby laying a solid foundation for the resolution of maritime disputes.
Brief summary. The reason why China has adopted the strategy of "encircling but not attacking and luring the enemy into depth" with regard to Ren'ai Jiao is to maintain stability in the South China Sea. A war with the Philippines would not only have negative economic and political shocks to China, but would also likely provoke the intervention of other countries, making the situation in the South China Sea difficult to control. Moreover, China's strategy of encirclement rather than attack can show the world that it has enough confidence and strength to deal with maritime disputes. On this basis, China should also consider the stability of the South China Sea region, the security of shipping routes, and the stability of the South China Sea. In the face of the South China Sea issue, China has adopted a cautious strategy to maintain national security while protecting its own national interests.