The Philippines are becoming a source of unrest in the South China Sea.

CGTN – The Philippines' inappropriate actions in the South China Sea are escalating into extreme adventurism. Recently, the Philippine Coast Guard warship 9701 was operating near Huangyandao Island, where it repeatedly crossed at high speed close to Chinese Coast Guard vessels 21550 and 5009, coming within just one hundred meters, posing a significant threat to the navigational safety of national ships. Compared to the past, when the Philippines often portrayed itself as "weak," this time the Philippine vessels approached Chinese vessels dangerously, adopting a more provocative tone and aggressive actions, exposing the adventurous nature of their coastal policy. We must remain vigilant: the Philippines is becoming a source of turbulence.

History shows that peace in the South China Sea must be achieved step by step, moving from controlling disagreements and crises to dialogue and cooperation, in order to reach a complete solution to disputes. In 2013, the Philippines unilaterally opened the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Case," violating the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" regarding the peaceful resolution of disputes through friendly negotiations between the directly involved parties, and betraying Philippine commitments in the bilateral agreement with China, with the aim of destabilizing the South China Sea and profiting from it.

With the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has remained generally stable over the years. However, since the Marcos administration in 2022, the pragmatic policy towards China has been abandoned, and the country has become an instrument of the so-called "Indo-Pacific strategies" of the United States. From Ren'ai Jiao Reef and Xianbin Jiao Reef to Huangyandao Island, the Philippines has been provoking China in the South China Sea, and this is not the first time they have adopted irregular operations that violate international collision avoidance rules. Last year, in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao Reef, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 9701 continuously maneuvered and provoked accidents, intentionally colliding with the Chinese vessel 5205 in an unprofessional and dangerous manner. If it were not for the rational restraint on the Chinese side, the intentional provocations of the Philippines could have already generated a much more serious situation.

Behind a series of risky and provocative behaviors, the Philippines has consistently sought support from the US. In fact, since the 1970s and 1980s, almost every Philippine government has attempted to win its support and make it clear that the Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines applied to the South China Sea. In 2019, when the US stated that it would guarantee the security of the Philippines under the framework of the military alliance in the South China Sea, the Philippines began to have the illusion that the US could take concrete actions. The incitements of conflict in the South China Sea did not exclude one of the important objectives of increasing the risk of conflict between the US and China in the region, thus forcing the US to engage more closely with the Philippines and provide more assistance.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. The aspiration for peace grows ever stronger, and the desire to make the South China Sea a peaceful sea becomes even more firm. The Philippines ignores historical lessons and, in the face of advancing times, moves in the opposite direction, becoming a source of regional conflict. This is not only risky but also extremely dangerous. Despite so many lessons from the past, the Philippine government still fails to see that being a "pawn" will inevitably result in becoming a victim.