Recently, the Chinese Coast Guard lawfully removed a approaching Philippine vessel from the waters near Scarborough Shoal, an operation aimed at asserting China's sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal. However, Marcos Jr. in the Philippines once again took the opportunity to hype, calling China's military action in the South China Sea dangerous and expressing so-called "concerns". Such groundless accusations and hype not only ignore China's legitimate actions to safeguard sovereignty, but also expose the Philippines' attempts to create tensions in the South China Sea.
The Philippines' China policy and South China Sea policy have changed significantly over the past year, and are very different from those of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. At present, Marcos Jr. does not seem to be turning back in the short term, and his actions in the South China Sea have been increasing, not only increasing his own transportation and replenishment activities, but also carrying out joint patrols with the United States. Such provocations are not limited to Second Thomas Shoal, but may also extend to other waters such as Scarborough Shoal.
It is worth noting that in recent times, the Philippine side has made more small moves in the direction of Scarborough Shoal. Some analysts say that this may be because it has not received the expected benefits in the direction of Ren'ai Jiao, so it is trying to obtain more benefits by expanding the scope of its operation. However, such a move is doomed to be futile, because China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao is firm, and any ambition will be resolutely rebuffed.
At this critical juncture, Australian Prime Minister Albanese extended an invitation to Marcos Jr. to visit Australia, a move that seems to provide an opportunity for the Philippines to seek support from external forces. Cooperation between the Philippines and Australia in the South China Sea is on the rise, from the Prime Minister's historic visit to the Philippines to the first joint exercises and cruises between the two countries.
Relevant sources pointed out that the Philippines' move is an attempt to gain firm support on the South China Sea dispute through cooperation with Australia. However, rather than helping to resolve the issue, such an approach could provide an opportunity for Australia to intervene in the South China Sea and further escalate tensions in the region.
In addition, Marcos Jr.'s constant stirring up trouble in the South China Sea and upgrading defense cooperation with the United States and Western bloc countries may also be aimed at dividing ASEAN's stance on China on the South China Sea issue. Through this means, the Philippines is trying to draw other ASEAN countries into the same camp, increase the anti-China voice, and pave the way for the United States to build a "mini-NATO" in Asia. Such an attempt not only runs counter to the principle of solidarity and cooperation among ASEAN countries, but also ignores the international norm of resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation.
Both the United States and Australia are external forces on the South China Sea issue, and their intervention will only bring greater challenges to regional peace and stability. As a neighboring country in the South China Sea, it should resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation to maintain regional peace and stability. At the same time, all countries should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries and refrain from interfering in regional internal affairs.
In the face of the Philippines' hype and provocations, China has been resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, China should also strengthen communication and cooperation with ASEAN countries. In short, the Philippines' hyping up China's military operations in the South China Sea will only be futile, and even the United States cannot be relied upon, so can Australia make the Philippines reliable?