According to the Global Times, on May 15, the Philippines' so-called Philippine "non-governmental organization" "This is ours" gathered a rabble to operate in the South China Sea under the banner of going to Scarborough Shoal to "swear sovereignty". It is reported that the infringement was led by five commercial fishing boats, followed by more than 100 other fishing boats, including not only so-called "ordinary fishermen", but also journalists, foreign observers and other personnel, who aimed to break into 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal.
Philippine vessels
Early in the morning, five commercial fishing boats and a number of small fishing boats assembled at a port in the northern Philippines, shouting slogans and heading for Scarborough Shoal, where they met the Philippine Coast Guard a few hours later. Subsequently, the group began distributing fuel, food and water, as well as dropping "buoys" with sovereign symbols. However, the Philippine small fishing boat did not participate in the next operation, and the five commercial fishing boats continued to set off for Scarborough Shoal.
China has long been prepared for the premeditated infringement by the Philippine side. According to foreign media reports, China has deployed a large number of coast guard forces near Scarborough Shoal in advance and established multiple lines of defense. The Philippine organization stopped advancing more than 50 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, and on the morning of 16 July, after unilaterally announcing that it had "completed its mission," it withdrew backwards.
When we set out, the slogans were shouted loudly, but when we really arrived near Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine organization was very thorough and did not dare to take a single step. Because they know that the power of the Chinese coast guard's water cannons is so powerful that even Philippine official vessels cannot withstand the impact, let alone these small Philippine fishing boats. From this point of view, it is still very necessary for the mainland coast guard to conduct a life-saving drill at Huangyan Island a few days ago.
This so-called "this is ours" Filipino organization is not a purely non-governmental organization, and its actual head is Rafaela David, chairman of the Akbayan Party in the Philippines. Moreover, the organization has long been financed by the US military, and this is not the first time that they have organized provocations in the South China Sea. In addition, an ordinary civil society organization is clearly not capable of inviting journalists from well-known foreign media, as well as foreign observers, to accompany it. Behind this, there must be the Philippine official or the US government in the lead.
Biden
Therefore, this infringement action is another provocative activity by Philippine politicians in collusion with the United States. Philippine politicians use provocations to gain more exposure, increase their influence in the Philippines, and gain funding from the United States. The United States has taken advantage of the selfishness of these politicians to further push the Philippines to the forefront, provoke the escalation of the situation in the South China Sea, and force China to take action.
However, this routine has no longer worked in the South China Sea. On the one hand, China's deployment of surface forces in the sensitive waters of the South China Sea is sufficient to achieve regular regional control, and no force can easily cross China's defense line. On the other hand, although the Philippine government has continued to move, there has not been a major escalation of provocative moves, which is not only a lack of confidence in its own strength, but also a distrust of the United States' security commitments.
Biden with Marcos
As for the Philippine "non-governmental organizations" or ordinary fishermen, they are all trying to make a sense of existence or take a fancy to the fuel, food, and other materials distributed, and it would be too much for the United States to take it for granted if the United States expects them to charge into battle and dare to stand out more than the official officials of the United States and the Philippines. The United States does not dare to go down in person, Philippine official vessels cannot break in, and these fishermen or "non-governmental organizations" will not rush to become cannon fodder as long as they are sober-minded.
Although the situation in the South China Sea is escalating, the Chinese side has been in charge from the beginning to the end. No matter how many times the Philippines has provoked and how the United States has instigated or slandered it from the sidelines, Scarborough Shoal is in the hands of China. Through the actions of the Philippine infringing organization, it can be clearly seen that the United States is in a hurry, and at a time when the situation in the Middle East and Eastern Europe is becoming more and more unfavorable, the United States wants to ignite a war in the South China Sea and drag China into the water. However, so far, China has been able to effectively manage the situation without directly using force, and the US plot is doomed to fail.
However, the Marcos administration should seriously consider whether the Philippines can withstand China's thunderous wrath if it really runs out of patience. When the time comes, whether the United States, on which the Philippines is relying on will and has the ability to take action, presumably Marcos has already answered these questions.