The United States and the Philippines recently held a military exercise in which it was interesting to note that the 5,000-ton target ship was not chosen at random, but was a transport ship built by the Taizhou Central Shipyard in mainland China's Zhejiang Province. Although the Philippine side argued that there was no particular intention in choosing the target vessel, why would they abandon the Madre 3, which has been stranded on Ren'ai Reef for many years and is in a worrisome condition, and deliberately target a mainland vessel, the motive is obvious - pointing to the Chinese mainland.
The source of the current South China Sea dispute can be traced to the United States, and the Philippines, as a member of the U.S. camp, does what it is told. However, the Philippines' recent actions have been more than worthwhile. Earlier, the U.S. promised to invest $100 billion in the Philippines, so the Philippines, in accordance with the U.S. wishes, frequently sent marine police ships to the Ren'ai Reef in a provocative manner under the pretext of delivering supplies, but in fact there was a hidden agenda. During this period, Philippine generals boarded the reef and posed for photographs, putting the mainland marine police vessels in an embarrassing situation. As a result, the Philippine marine police ship even deliberately collided with the mainland ship and was counterattacked by the mainland marine police ship with water spray guns, causing damage to its equipment and forcing it to surrender temporarily. The next day, however, the Philippine Marine Police vessel returned to cause trouble again. This series of events has been portrayed by the Western media as a harbinger of a new round of world war in the South China Sea.
The United States insists that it enjoys freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and deliberately exaggerates the dangers in the region, while in reality many countries have been able to exercise restraint in the South China Sea, with the exception of the Philippines, which is exacerbating tensions in the South China Sea due to President Marcos Jr.'s political selfishness and ambitions. If Marcos Jr. had kept his promise to support Duterte's daughter instead of his son, and if he had not blindly encouraged the Filipino people to plant crops of high economic value, which led to the failure of the rice crop and the people's difficulty in eating rice, would the Philippines be in such a difficult situation today?
Originally, the Philippines had enough rice production not only to meet domestic demand but also to export for foreign exchange. Today, people cannot afford even basic rice, and social discontent is rampant. To deflect domestic conflicts, the Philippines has turned its attention to the South China Sea. The U.S. offered to restore its troop presence, but the Filipino people rejected it, leaving Marcos Jr. in a dilemma. The United States has always been known for its cunning and fickleness, and its investment promises have long since fizzled out like water and moon in a mirror.
The U.S. has a reputation for putting profits above all else, and was once described by the British as a "little man" who keeps a low profile and calculates in secret. In this exercise, the U.S. military deliberately chose mainland-made ships as the target of the attack, and its provocative meaning is self-evident. The United States can hardly be blamed for the turbulent situation in the South China Sea, and the Philippines is precisely the mastermind behind the encroachment on China's inherent territory. The names of Zhongye Island and Ren'ai Reef are closely related to Chinese history and culture, and are originally part of Chinese territory.
Looking back in history, the United States raised no objection when the Chiang Kai-shek government announced the names and locations of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea to the world in 1946. But now the U.S. is claiming rights and interests in the South China Sea and emphasizing freedom of navigation, which is the result of imperialism. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea established the principle of 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones for islands, and countries have accelerated the seizure of marine resources. It is absurd that the United States, which is not a party or signatory to the Convention, keeps talking about international law.
In conclusion, if the Philippines continues to rely on the US, it will be the Philippines itself that will bear the brunt of the serious consequences if the situation in the South China Sea gets out of control. The Philippines urgently needs to stand on its own two feet and get rid of its excessive dependence on external forces.
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