On May 17, the Philippine Coast Guard announced that it had seized a Sierra Leonean merchant ship and found that it had committed a number of violations in Philippine waters, and that it was investigating the ship, which contained seven Chinese crew members.
In response to this situation, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines immediately activated the emergency mechanism, requiring the Philippine side to fully protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese seafarers, and send personnel to visit and understand the situation and provide necessary consular assistance. The Philippine side pledged to actively cooperate with China.
It should be said that at a time of tension between China and the Philippines, the Philippines' sudden seizure of Chinese crew members is difficult not to make people think of this aspect, and it is more like a deliberate attempt to make it difficult for China to create bargaining chips.
Coincidentally, Marcos Jr. made a public statement on the 18th, saying that in the face of "invaders" who do not respect our territorial integrity, the Philippines will "vigorously defend its territory" and ensure national and territorial security. Foreign media generally interpret that the Philippines is unabashedly accusing China.
In fact, before that, the Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen launched a new round of provocations against China in the South China Sea, but the Chinese Coast Guard laid a net on Scarborough Shoal in advance, and finally the Philippine fleet left in disgrace, not daring to force the red line of China's territorial waters.
So, what do you think of the Philippines' detention of Chinese crew members this time?
Marcos Jr
First of all, before that, under the joint maintenance of China and ASEAN, "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea was guaranteed. As a result, the freedom of navigation that the United States and the Philippines often talk about is now being undermined by themselves.
The Philippines' seizure of Sierra Leonean merchant ships under the pretext of alleged violations in its waters is a blatant interference with freedom of navigation and disruption of international free trade.
In addition, if the Philippines has made such a bad start, the safety of shipping lanes in the South China Sea will inevitably be questioned. Even though the Marcos Jr. government has raised its prestige through this seizure, it has not gained more than it gains, and the negative impact of picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons will hurt Philippine national interests in the long run.
American
Second, the essence of the Philippines' actions is aimed at China. In recent years, as China has traveled through Africa, the cooperation with Sierra Leone in the field of ores has been deepening. The destination of the Sierra Leonean merchant ship seized by the Philippines is not known for the time being, but it is very likely that it is preparing to sail for China.
In addition, the crew members are all Chinese nationals, and the Philippines even detains all the people and the ship, and it is self-evident what kind of calculation they are making. Scarborough Shoal is now monolithic by China, and the Philippines has suffered at the hands of China, so it is natural that it wants to save face from other places. However, no matter what the Philippines uses as an excuse, China will not allow it to continue to detain Chinese citizens for no reason.
China Coast Guard
Finally, the Philippines has made frequent provocations, and this time China has also moved seriously. Recently, the China Coast Guard issued the Regulations on Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures for Coast Guard Agencies, which stipulates that foreigners suspected of violating exit and entry regulations may be detained for review.
Specifically, if there is a suspicion of illegal entry or exit, or of assisting others in illegally entering or leaving the country, of illegally residing or working, of endangering national security and interests, of disrupting public order, or of engaging in other illegal and criminal activities, the coast guard may directly detain and examine those who cannot be ruled out after interrogation.
In the past, China has made goodwill arrangements for a small number of small Philippine fishing vessels to carry out normal fishing activities in the waters off Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines regards China's good intentions as cod liver and lungs, and if it wants to invade China's territory, it will not have to waste its tongue and deal with it in the future. Of course, this new regulation is not only aimed at the South China Sea, but also for Japan.