As the sovereignty dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea heats up, the military game between the two sides near Scarborough Shoal has also entered a white-hot stage. Not long ago, the Philippines organized more than 100 civilian ships to march towards Scarborough Shoal with great momentum, which once made the situation tense.
However, as the Philippine fleet approached the final 50 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, the tide turned dramatically. I saw that the 052D missile destroyer of the Chinese Navy suddenly appeared and issued four solemn warnings to the Philippine side in just 30 minutes, demanding that the other side immediately stop its provocative acts and leave the waters under the jurisdiction of the mainland, otherwise it will bear the consequences.
In the face of such a tough military deterrent, the Philippine fleet was instantly disorganized and its morale was greatly reduced. The originally menacing hundred-ship troops collapsed in a blink of an eye, and fled in a hurry, and the scene was very comical for a while.
What is even more interesting is that as the situation further ferments, the true purpose of the Philippine side's so-called "landing on Scarborough Shoal" has also surfaced. It turned out that the main goal of their operation was to send fuel, food, fresh water and other supplies to Filipino fishermen in the 50-kilometer sea area near Scarborough Shoal.
So, why does the Philippines engage in such a farce of "reverse march" at this juncture? On the surface, they are asserting their so-called "sovereignty" over Scarborough Shoal, but in fact, they are trying to attract the attention of the international community by creating incidents and creating public opinion chips for them to exert pressure on China on the South China Sea issue.
It is worth mentioning that the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group also happened to be operating in nearby waters at that time. However, in the face of the attack on the Philippines and asking for help, the US military, known as its "hardcore ally", did not lend a hand, but chose to avoid it and hurriedly detoured to Singapore's Changi Naval Base, for fear of being affected by the pond fish. This also shows the hypocritical nature of the so-called alliance between the United States and the Philippines, and "friendship" is nothing more than an exchange of interests for each side to take what it needs.
This incident once again highlights that the situation in the South China Sea is continuing to heat up. The Philippines' small moves to fish in troubled waters will only exacerbate regional tensions and undermine already fragile foundations of mutual trust. As parties directly concerned in the South China Sea issue, China and the Philippines should resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and safeguard the overall situation of peace and stability in the South China Sea.
In response to the provocative actions of the Philippines, while firmly defending its territorial sovereignty, China should maintain strategic focus, strive to turn the crisis into an opportunity, steadily advance the construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, enhance regional maritime and air defense capabilities, and firmly seize the dominance of the South China Sea. Only in this way can we effectively deter foreign forces from meddling in trouble and maintain long-term peace and stability in the South China Sea.
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