After the first joint exercises between the Philippines and the United States, Canada and Australia, the Chinese military also patrolled Scarborough Shoal, and within 24 hours, Philippine Vice President Sarah angrily rebuked Marcos Jr.
After the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Summit, the Philippines began to feel uneasy again. The United States and the Philippines not only held a "2+2" meeting, but Germany Defense Minister Pistorius also visited the Philippines for the first time, and the two sides also reached a consensus on strengthening military cooperation. Then, in the past two days, the United States, the Philippines, Australia, and Canada have launched joint exercises.
It is reported that the navy and air force of the United States, the Philippines, Australia and Canada launched a two-day joint training in the waters around the South China Sea, which is also the first time that the four countries have held a joint naval and air exercise.
At a time of tension in the South China Sea, the United States, the Philippines, Australia and Canada launched a joint exercise that clearly aimed at China, and the day before the exercise began, the foreign and defense ministers of the United States and Australia publicly raised "concerns" about China's actions in the South China Sea at a meeting.
In fact, since this period of time, the United States and its allies have stepped up exchanges with the Philippines, and the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia and other countries have successively carried out military cooperation with the Philippines, and joint exercises have been held frequently.
Obviously, the United States wants to use this move to disrupt the situation in the South China Sea and create more contradictions and conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, so as to promote the implementation of its "Indo-Pacific strategy". And the Philippines has become a pawn for United States and its allies against China. However, in the face of provocations from the United States, the Philippines, Australia and Canada, China has also taken action this time.
On the same day that the four countries held joint military exercises, the PLA's southern theater also launched combat readiness patrols in the sea and airspace near Scarborough Shoal. Although it is common for the PLA to hold joint combat patrols, this time it was by no means a simple combat patrol in terms of time and place.
You must know that in recent years, in addition to frequent illegal intrusions into Ren'ai Jiao, the Philippines has also often come to the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal to make trouble. This time, the United States, the Philippines, Australia, and Canada joined forces to flex their muscles, and the People's Liberation Army also showed its strength, and it chose Scarborough Shoal, which the Philippines is quite concerned about.
First, this is China's response to the joint exercises of the United States, the Philippines, Australia and Canada; Second, it is also a declaration of China's sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, including the entire South China Sea. On the same day, the Southern Theater of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) also posted on its official account that all military activities that disrupt the South China Sea, create hot spots, and undermine regional peace and stability are under China's control.
In fact, in April this year, when the United States, the Philippines, Japan and Australia held joint military exercises, the People's Liberation Army also launched combat readiness patrols in the South China Sea. In addition, the Philippine side also revealed that three warships of the Chinese Navy of the four countries followed their ships during the exercise.
It can be seen that the situation in the South China Sea is under China's control, and it is by no means just talk. It is worth mentioning that less than 24 hours after China's war patrol of Scarborough Shoal, Marcos Jr. was also in trouble. It is reported that Philippine Vice President Sarah · Duterte publicly issued a statement angrily reprimanding Marcos Jr.
Since the Marcos Jr. government allowed the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Duterte's alleged "crimes against humanity" in the "war on drugs", Sarah bluntly said that the Marcos Jr. government will only listen to the will and interference of any foreign power. Previously, Marcos Jr. opposed the ICC's investigation into Duterte over the matter.
This incident is also enough to reflect that the contradictions between the Marcos Jr. family and the Duterte family continue to deepen, and the reason why Marcos Jr. let the ICC intervene is also out of fear of the Duterte family, after all, Duterte and his son have announced that they will participate in next year's midterm elections.
In addition, Sarah resigned from all positions in Marcos Jr.'s cabinet not long ago, which actually indicates a "breakdown" in the relationship between the two families. So, Marcos Jr. also began to target Duterte. A large part of the reason why the two families have come to this day is that the two sides have become more and more different in terms of governing philosophy.
Marcos Jr.'s excessive focus on international affairs and neglect of domestic affairs, and his blind currying favor with United States have long aroused the dissatisfaction of the Duterte family, and there are certain differences in the attitudes of the two sides on China-related issues. Now that the battle between the two families has officially begun, the pressure on Marcos Jr. will increase.
Aside from the Duterte family's own prestige, as Sarah said, Marcos Jr.'s behavior by only following foreign powers has caused domestic dissatisfaction, and Marcos Jr. will inevitably have to pay for his own mistakes.