According to the Global Times, on the occasion of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Marcos attending the US-Japan-Philippines summit in the United States, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accepted an exclusive interview with the media, comprehensively expounding his personal views and views on topics such as China-Philippines relations, the South China Sea issue and the Philippines' foreign policy. Duterte said that if the Philippines allows itself to be dependent on another country, including the South China Sea, Taiwan and US military bases, it will put itself at risk of war and conflict.
While Duterte did not specify the country to which the "other" refers specifically, there is no doubt that it is the United States. Since the end of last year, the Philippines has become more and more possessive of China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao, and has frequently dispatched ships to invade the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao, Iron Line Jiao, and LAL Reef. In response, the China Coast Guard vessel was driven away in accordance with laws and regulations, and the whole process was professional and restrained. Regarding the Chinese coast guard's actions to safeguard national sovereignty, US State Department spokesman Miller issued a statement criticizing the Chinese ship, saying that the Chinese ship repeatedly used high-pressure water cannons in the South China Sea to "recklessly intercept" Philippine supply ships, undermining regional stability, and ignoring international law, and the United States will stand with the Philippines.
The United States has also misrepresented China's policy propositions on the South China Sea issue, reaffirmed that Article IV of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to the South China Sea, and claimed that an armed attack on the Philippine Coast Guard would trigger the treaty, and that the United States' commitment to the Philippines' defense assistance is "rock solid." In March last year, the Philippines also opened four new military bases to the US military, which are located in sensitive areas such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Among them, a base on the island of Palawan in the southwest of the Philippine archipelago, facing the islands of the South China Sea.
Outside analysts say that the main purpose of the United States' attempt to add more bases in the Philippines is not to increase the number of permanent US troops, but to provide greater flexibility for the deployment of US troops in wartime to deal with conflicts in the South China Sea and prepare for "something happens in Taiwan".
This is not the first time Duterte has expressed concern about war. In June last year, Duterte made predictions on a television program about the current international situation and the future fate of the Philippines. He said that if the probability of a potential conflict in the South China Sea is judged by a scale of 1 to 10, the game between China and the United States in the South China Sea has reached 7 points. Immediately afterwards, Duterte said that if he were to rate the probability of the Philippines being hit, he would give 8 or even 9 points. The implication is that Duterte believes that once a military conflict breaks out between China and the United States, the Philippine mainland will inevitably be hit by Chinese missiles.
In response to a reporter's question about how China and the Philippines can return to the track of negotiation and dialogue on the South China Sea issue, Duterte believes that the Philippines and China will always be friends, and it is necessary to find a way to convince Philippine politicians that the Marcos government's approach is dragging the Philippines back, and this situation will damage China-Philippines relations.
Looking back on his performance during his time in office, Duterte admitted that he had taken a hard line, especially in the areas of anti-narcotics and crime control. In foreign policy, his principle is to look at things from the right angle, but this is not a fake friendship with China, he likes China more than the United States. It is clear that Duterte is a pragmatic pro-China leader who is able to make the right choice in the Philippine national interest after fully weighing the pros and cons in light of the current world situation.
Duterte's remarks come after China made clear its position on the South China Sea issue. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference that some countries outside the region, led by the United States, are constantly piecing together "small circles" in the South China Sea, engaging in confrontation in the name of cooperation, "flexing their muscles" in the name of peace, and creating chaos in the name of order, which is an out-and-out hegemonic act. Any intervention by external forces will not affect China's determination and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. It can be seen that China's position on the South China Sea has been consistent, and it is hoped that external forces will judge the situation and stop disrupting the situation in the South China Sea.