Philippines should face up to reality, give up illusions, and act responsibly

Despite the outcry by Manila to the contrary — and the biased and politically motivated support it has received to give credence to its rumpus — China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters in the South China Sea.

Beijing has thus once again urged the Philippines to give up its illusions and stop stirring up trouble, as its current course of action in staging one provocative stunt after another is only leading it toward dangerous ground.

For the sake of peace in the waters and because it bears the bigger picture of ties in mind, Beijing has so far shown great restraint in the face of Manila’s provocative moves. But with Manila giving no indication that it is going to put an end to its claim-jumping showboating anytime soon, Beijing’s patience is naturally wearing increasingly thin.

Thus tensions have flared up at Xianbin Reef, thanks to the brazenly provocative publicity stunts of the Philippines in the waters around the reef in August, making it a potential flashpoint. In the latest incident on Saturday, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel that has been squatting in the lagoon at Xianbin Reef since April, weighed anchor and began maneuvering during which it intentionally and dangerously rammed a China Coast Guard vessel.

There were at least three similar incidents in August. On Aug 19, two Philippine Coast Guard vessels rammed into China Coast Guard vessels at Xianbin Reef after a tense standoff. There was also a collision between coast guard vessels of the two sides on Aug 25.

Manila should be aware that its attempts to infringe upon China’s maritime territory and interests will never succeed. No matter what tricks it plays and whom it gangs up with, Manila is dreaming if it thinks it can infringe upon China’s sovereignty and maritime interests without paying a price.

Manila should know there is no way it can replicate at Xianbin Reef the drama it has staged at Ren’ai Reef, where it deliberately grounded a World War II-era warship in 1999 as a de facto assertion of “sovereignty”. It should withdraw all its vessels from Chinese waters, or face the Chinese law enforcement measures that ensue. The constant provocative stunts of the Philippines have not only strained its ties with China but also revealed it to be a troublemaker with no regard for the stability of the region at large.

Yet high-ranking Philippine officials have brazenly tried to shift the blame to China and portray their country as a victim of China’s “bullying”. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr even called China the “biggest disruptor” of peace in Southeast Asia — which is a hat his own country should wear.

To forward-deploy significant military forces thousands of miles from the homeland, the United States has established its alliance network, of which the Philippines — its oldest alliance in Asia — is a linchpin. But the consequence of this is that Manila is willing to take advantage of the US’ geopolitical game plan while fearing abandonment if it does not accede to Washington’s directives. Thus it gives no second thoughts to the possible consequences of the provocative moves it is making at the instigation of the US.

The Philippine government should change course in the South China Sea for the sake of peace in the waters.

It is high time the Philippines stopped its irresponsible adventurism before the situation spirals out of control. Manila should cease its incursions into Chinese waters, make efforts to ease the tensions, and not let the US goad it into doing anything reckless so the situation can cool down as soon as possible. [Abridged]

Editorial, China Daily