According to the China Coast Guard, two Philippine vessels, the 4410 Coast Guard and the 3004 official vessel, trespassed into the waters adjacent to Scarborough Shoal without the permission of the Chinese government. The Chinese Coast Guard drove the two Philippine vessels away in accordance with the law. It is understood that Huangyan Dao and some adjacent islands and reefs in the South China Sea have always been China's inherent territory, and China has indisputable sovereignty over them. The intrusion of Philippine vessels into Scarborough Shoal is a violation of China's sovereignty, and the Chinese coast guard's removal is a professional and restrained attempt to protect its maritime rights and interests.
The incursion of Philippine ships into Scarborough Shoal is a sign that the confrontation between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea has heated up. In 2024, the number of Philippine vessels trespassing on some islands and reefs in the South China Sea, such as Ren'ai Jiao and Scarborough Shoal, has increased significantly, and the scope of activities in the disputed waters of the South China Sea has been expanding, even including Oxbow Reef and Wire Reef. In addition, the Philippines also organized two landings on the Iron Line Reef in three days, including dozens of people, including Philippine brigadier general and coast guard spokesman Talila.
In response to the provocative actions of the Philippines, the Chinese Navy's Z-8 helicopter took off and drove away. In addition to its military response, China has also strengthened its sovereignty in the South China Sea through diplomatic means. The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly called on the Philippine side to stop provocations and declared the PLA's unswerving determination to maintain stability in the South China Sea. In the face of China's intense warnings, the Philippines' ambitions to covet sovereignty in the South China Sea have not changed, and it has sought to upgrade bilateral relations with its ally, the United States. By relying on the support of external forces, it provokes bloc confrontation in the South China Sea and seeks maritime hegemony.
The timing of the Philippine vessel's incursion into Scarborough Shoal coincided with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducting firing training in the South China Sea. According to the navigation warning issued by the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day from April 28 to 30, shooting training was conducted in some waters of the South China Sea, and sailing was prohibited. In this navigational warning, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration also marked the specific latitude and longitude coordinates for shooting training. During the training, all extraterritorial vessels were prohibited from entering the restricted area of the exercise, which lasted for three days, meaning that the relevant area would be closed for 72 hours.
The PLA's military operations in the South China Sea are aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and are a response to external forces' provocations against the situation in the South China Sea. But the Philippines does not seem to heed the warnings, and this has nothing to do with the support of the United States.
The Philippines' trespass on Scarborough Shoal comes as it conducts an "shoulder-to-shoulder" exercise with the United States in the South China Sea. According to information released by the Philippine military, the "shoulder to shoulder" not only gathered 16,700 Filipino and American soldiers in the military exercise, but also invited Australia and France to participate in some exercises, and another 14 countries participated as observers. Geographically, for the first time, the exercise will be held in a disputed area 12 nautical miles outside Philippine territorial waters. In terms of the content of the exercise, it will include simulating the sinking of target ships and regaining control of the islands, and the Philippine Coast Guard will also deploy six ships for the exercise for the first time.
The exercise was held before the summit of the leaders of the United States, the Philippines and Japan. In other words, it comes at a time when the three countries are strengthening their relations. Even Philippine Army Lieutenant Colonel Lojico said the drills were not aimed at other countries, including China. But it is indisputable that the exercise is aimed at countering China's growing influence in the region. In the face of the Philippines' efforts to enlist external forces to intervene in the situation in the South China Sea and its heinous acts of provocation and trouble, the Chinese military will not condone it. Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of the Mainland, pointed out that the Chinese armed forces are closely monitoring relevant trends, will take strong and effective measures to resolutely deal with them, and will never allow them to disrupt the South China Sea.
In addition, when Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohammed in Beijing, Mohammed also said that Malaysia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and opposes external forces stirring up trouble in the South China Sea. Against the backdrop of the complex and volatile situation in the South China Sea, Mohammed's remarks are quite meaningful, indicating that the relevant countries in the South China Sea do not want foreign forces to interfere, so I advise the Philippines to return to the track of dialogue and not to rely on external forces, which will only be countered.