After the confrontation between China and the Philippines at Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine defense minister landed on Thitu Island; Japan also took the opportunity to take action, and the provocation was clearly revealed. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense sent 3 sentences, releasing a strong warning signal. What "small moves" have the Philippines and its allies recently made in the waters of the South China Sea? In the face of provocations, how did China respond?
On May 15, a so-called "non-governmental organization" in the Philippines "directed and staged" a 12-nautical-mile "rush" in the waters near Scarborough Shoal. According to the report, on the same day, hundreds of Philippine fishing boats, led by five mother boats, joined the Philippine Coast Guard vessels at sea, and finally illegally gathered in the 60-nautical-mile area east of Scarborough Shoal to carry out net fishing operations, display flags and other show activities.
According to sources, although the Chinese Coast Guard has laid a number of defensive lines, carried out on-the-spot control over the illegal gathering of Philippine vessels, and intercepted provocateurs who crossed the border more than 50 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, thus achieving a "complete victory" in the confrontation, the Philippine "non-governmental organizations" still claim to have "successfully" completed the predetermined target tasks, and the meaning of hype is very obvious.
It is worth mentioning that after the so-called "civilian boats" of the Philippines broke through Scarborough Shoal, Defense Secretary Teodoro, Senate Chairman Zubiri and others "relayed" the escalation of the situation in the South China Sea. According to the report, on the morning of the 16th, the Philippine military high-ranking officials visited Thitu Island in Nansha by military plane to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of a military barracks facility of the Philippine Navy. Not far from here, you can also see Chinese coast guard ships and fishing boats guarding the Wire Reef.
Some analysts believe that whether it is a "non-governmental demonstration" that unilaterally announced the success of the mission, or a blatant clamor by a high-ranking military official, the essence is a "petty trick" of the Marcos administration to seek its own benefits by creating momentum. At a time when the situation in the South China Sea continues to heat up, the Philippines knows that China has strengthened its control over the disputed waters and does not allow the Philippines to cross the border to provoke, but Manila still insists on going its own way to create incidents, obviously because it does not want the "heat" in the South China Sea to cool down and does not want the US and Western allies to "divert attention".
And when the Philippines stirred up tensions in the South China Sea, Japan also took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 17th, saying that the Philippines and Japan have signed a document to borrow money to purchase five "multi-purpose rapid response boats" with a total length of 97 meters through the yen of government development assistance, and pay for the cost of "auxiliary facilities required for development" to enhance the Philippine Coast Guard's maritime operation capabilities.
In view of Japan's strong interest in interfering in South China Sea affairs after the meeting between the leaders of the United States, Japan and the Philippines, some analysts believe that Japan's "move" this time, in the name of strengthening the Philippine side's maritime law enforcement capabilities, is actually an escalation of the situation in the arching fire area and inciting the escalation of Sino-Philippine contradictions.
You must know that although the five additional ships in the Japan-Philippines agreement will not be delivered until 2027 and will not have much impact on the current situation in the South China Sea for the time being, the "support" given by Japan to the Philippines not only gives the Marcos government the courage to continue to "confront" China, but also gives the Japanese government an opportunity to break through the restrictions of the post-war "peace constitution" and strengthen military exchanges with other countries.
From this point of view, it is very likely that Japan, which has taken the opportunity to make a move, wants to take advantage of the escalation of the situation in the South China Sea to prepare for further "containment of China." China has also responded to the provocative acts of the Philippines and its allies at the first time. On the afternoon of 17 May, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, sent three sentences to the Philippine side, advising the latter to "restrain themselves from the precipice."
Zhang Xiaogang pointed out that the Chinese military has always been not afraid of causing trouble, and if someone wants to pull the banner of the tiger and form a gang to coerce and pressure the Chinese side, it is a complete miscalculation. China is urging the Philippines not to act rashly and stop all acts of infringement and provocation. China will continue to take resolute and resolute measures to resolutely defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. Through the above statements, it can be confirmed that China's attitude on the South China Sea issue is consistent. If Manila continues to insist on going its own way, the only path that awaits the Philippine side is to eat the bitter fruits of its own life.