China and the Philippines used to be the main confrontation in the South China Sea, but that seems to have changed in recent days. The sudden appearance of two Chinese ships in the rear of the Philippines has made the Philippine military nervous.
According to reports, two Chinese research ships have recently appeared at the Binghan Bulge in the eastern Philippines. Although the name is a bit jerky, it is a rather sensitive area. The Binghan Bulge is actually an undersea plateau in the eastern Philippines that is said to be rich in natural resources. Interestingly, according to the results of the international arbitration, the Bingham Uplift belongs to the continental shelf of the Philippines, so the Philippines has the right to explore and exploit natural resources here, although this does not mean that it is the territory of the Philippines.
In the past, the main area of confrontation between China and the Philippines was actually in the South China Sea, that is, the western part of the Philippines. Therefore, if the South China Sea is regarded as the "main battlefield", the Binghan Bulge in the eastern part of the Philippines can also be regarded as the "rear" of the Philippines to some extent. In the case of fierce confrontation on the "main battlefield", the appearance of Chinese ships in the rear of the Philippines naturally caused a high degree of vigilance on the part of the latter.
The Philippine military stressed that they are keeping a close eye on the two Chinese research vessels, but the process is limited by objective conditions. A spokesman for the Philippine Navy noted that the Navy was originally planned to be sent from northern Luzon for aerial reconnaissance, but bad weather had a negative impact, thus limiting all aerial reconnaissance activities of the Philippine military.
However, he stressed that the military will try again as soon as the weather improves. At the same time, they monitored that the Chinese ship had left the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
Located in the eastern part of the Philippines, the Bingham Uplift is an area of great concern. In addition to the Philippine military, the country's coast guard has also demonstrated impressive speed of action.
The Philippine Coast Guard said it had sent a vessel on a two-week mission around the Bingham Bulge starting March 4. A rear admiral said they would also monitor the activities of Chinese research vessels in the region. As the Coast Guard deploys its maritime power, the air power is also on high alert. Philippine Coast Guard aviation claims that they are on standby in case of any eventuality.
It is clear that the actions of the Philippine military and coast guard are not only reacting to threats, but also appearing to be a great enemy. The two departments unanimously showed a nervous attitude, and the attitude of Marcos Jr. himself in the Philippines can be imagined. The crux of the matter lies in the emergence of two Chinese research vessels, and the more specific reasons for this may be the following.
First, the Philippines has always considered the Bingham uplift a "no-go zone". Although the Philippines has the right to explore and exploit here, it cannot be considered territory. The Philippines does not care about these regulations, they believe that they have privileges here, which is not fundamentally different from Philippine territory.
In 2017, Duterte** decided to rename the Bingham Bulge as the "Philippine Bulge" in an effort to assert its "sovereignty" claim. Given the Philippine stance on the region, the presence of a Chinese research vessel here is undoubtedly very conspicuous in the eyes of the Philippine authorities.
At present, the relationship between China and the Philippines is fraught with tensions, especially over the South China Sea dispute. Compared with the "main battlefield" of the South China Sea, the Binghan uplift can be described as the "rear" of the Philippines. In the current tense situation, the presence of ships from countries with tense relations with the Philippines is bound to cause a high degree of alert on the part of the Philippine authorities.
In addition, Marcos Jr. clearly has a heart. Not long ago, he visited Australia and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation on so-called maritime issues. This is widely seen as another move to bring in external forces to confront China. Now, as the ASEAN-Australia summit is about to begin, Marcos Jr. is once again on his way to Australia. According to sources, Marcos Jr. will continue to emphasize the so-called maritime issues at the summit.
This series of actions shows that the Philippines is plotting some kind of action with the United States, Australia and other countries, and the target of the action is obvious. Therefore, Marcos Jr. seems to have a weak mentality at the moment, which is why the sudden appearance of a Chinese research ship surprised the Philippine authorities.
In addition, there is one more situation to be aware of. In fact, the American side discovered the appearance of a Chinese research ship in the Bingham uplift area and subsequently notified the Philippines. The Philippine military and coast guard acted urgently. This shows that the Philippines has made serious mistakes in grasping the situation in its neighborhood, and the problems reflected may be quite serious.
Review the appearance of the Chinese research ship at the Bingham Bulge. In fact, something similar has happened before. In 2017, then-Philippine defense secretary claimed that Chinese survey vessels were operating in Bingham, possibly conducting exploration and even seeking so-called "submarine resettlement sites" in advance to prepare for future PLA underwater forces.
At that time, the Chinese side gave a four-point response. One is to point out that the Binghan Bulge is not Philippine territory; second, to emphasize the freedom of navigation enjoyed by foreign vessels in the region; Third, it denies that China has carried out any activities or operations here; Fourth, it said that the Chinese side has notified the Philippines. This was the case last time, and it is likely to be similar this time.
Now, the Chinese research ship is here again, apparently reminding the Philippine military of the scene of 7 years ago. Given the delicate nature of the current Sino-Philippine relationship, it is legitimate for them to feel that the situation is not good.