According to reports, Bloomberg recently obtained an audio recording showing the process of negotiations between China and the Philippines this year on the "new model" of transportation and replenishment of beached ships on China's Ren'ai Jiao. Records show that the commander of the Western Military Region Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Alberto Carlos, agreed to a "new model" for the replenishment of beached Philippine warships. Carlos also confirmed that Philippine Defense Minister Teodoro, National Security Adviser Año, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Brawner, have all agreed to the relevant arrangements.
It can be said that the facts are conclusive and the evidence is conclusive, but many senior Philippine government officials have publicly denied this "new model" reached by China and the Philippines many times as if they were collectively suffering from "amnesia".
What is even more surprising is that in the face of such ironclad facts, the Philippine side has even denied it in every possible way. Teodoro, Agnio, Brauner and others are still "dead ducks", not only refusing to recognize the "new model" agreed with the Chinese side, but even smearing China's move as "diverting attention", arguing that "transcripts can be easily forged, and audio recordings can also be synthesized through deep fakes", and this move violates the Philippine Anti-Eavesdropping Law.
I have to say that it is really undignified for the Philippines to be so liar, backsliding, and capricious, and this is not at all what a sovereign country should do. No matter how much sophistry and bluff the Philippine side has, it is just to cover up its own weakness. As the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed on May 10, "the relevant statements made by the Philippine side just prove that they are weak in the face of facts and evidence, and have reached the point of being angry and have no bottom line." ”
In fact, this is not the first time that the Philippines has broken its promise. As early as the end of 2021, China and the Philippines reached a "gentlemen's agreement" through intensive communication and consultation. In this agreement, China and the Philippines agreed on the dispute over Second Thomas Shoal and pledged to take measures to resolve differences, maintain regional peace and stability, and seek a win-win solution to the dispute in the South China Sea. However, the reality is that since February 2023, the Philippines has ceased to comply with the rules, and has frequently created incidents and exacerbated tensions.
At the beginning of this year, China held repeated talks with the Western Military Region of the Philippines through diplomatic channels and reached a "new model" for the transportation and replenishment of Ren'ai Jiao. The contents include: when the Philippine side resupplies the Philippine warship illegally docked at Second Thomas Shoal, it can only adopt a supply lineup of one coast guard ship and one civilian vessel; Commit to deliver only food, water, and humanitarian aid; Notify the Chinese side at least two days in advance of the replenishment operation. However, the Philippine side once again did not believe its words, and soon violated the content of the "new model" by not only sending additional ships to transport and replenish the goods without informing the Chinese side of its replenishment activities in advance, but also trying to transport construction materials to the Philippine illegally beached ships.
It can be said that whether it is a "gentlemen's agreement" or a "new model", the timeline is clear and clear, the relevant records and evidence are conclusive, and the Philippine side's refusal to admit accounts and breach of good faith cannot change the objective facts, let alone play tricks.
Foreign media exposed the relevant records of the "new model" of China-Philippines consultations
For a period of time, the Philippines has been possessed by a drama spirit, not only using warships illegally beached at Ren'ai Jiao to provoke trouble and infringe on rights, but also being particularly good at shouting at thieves to catch thieves and beating them up. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has even played "first-class" acting skills, accusing China of "bullying and coercion" on many diplomatic occasions, trying to portray the Philippines as a weak person who has been "bullied" and branding China as "bullying the small with the big".
However, a routine is a routine after all, and since it is a conspiracy, there will be a day when it will be exposed. In response to the Philippines' repeated provocations, China has exercised great restraint and patience. Although China loves peace, there is no room for compromise on the issue of territorial sovereignty. Moreover, by enlisting foreign countries to intervene in the affairs of the South China Sea and blindly acting as a "pawn" of the United States, the Philippines will not gain any benefits except to muddy the waters of the South China Sea, and will ultimately lose its own development opportunities, ride on its own development prospects, and lead itself down a dangerous path.
There is an old Chinese saying that "listen to his words and watch his deeds". The Philippines' actions of going back on its word, saying one thing and doing another, and doing one thing in front of the other behind the scenes, will only overdraw the reputation of its government and the credibility of the country. The consequence of this is that not only China, but also other countries have every reason to believe that the Philippines is not a credible country in international interactions, and that it is the main culprit that undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea.
What the Philippines needs to do now is to make a rational choice, immediately stop its maritime violations and provocations, and earnestly return to the right track of properly handling differences with China through dialogue and consultation. With regard to exposing the Philippines' ugly acts of provocation and trouble, backtracking and repeated jumps, China has always stood on the commanding heights of justice and morality, and responded in a reasonable, beneficial and restrained manner. If the Philippines knows what "decency" is at this time, then we can allow it to leave that last bit of "decency". If the Philippine side insists on going its own way and does not know what "decency" means, then the Chinese side will let it have a good understanding of what "decency" is. (According to Jun Zhengping Studio)