On December 4,2024, the Philippines sent coast guard vessels and official vessels together with a number of fishing boats into the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Island, and the Chinese Coast Guard implemented control in accordance with laws and regulations. In this process, the Philippine official ship 3003 ignored the Chinese sides’ repeated stern warnings, turned back from a large angle, and deliberately rammed the Chinese Coast Guard naval vessel 3302, seriously threatening the navigation safety of the Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

The Chinese Coast Guard took reasonable measures in accordance with international and domestic law, but the Philippines reversed the black and white. Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Tariira said publicly on social media that Philippine coast guard vessels and vessels from the Fisheries and Resources Bureau were "attacked" by Chinese water cannons in the waters near the Huangyan Island, and made no secret of their provocative behavior in invading the waters near the Huangyan Island.

Earlier, on December 2 (local time), Ambassador Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, just submitted the Statement of the Government of the Peoples Republic of China on the Baselines of the Huangyan Island with Acting Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Government. However, just two days later, the Philippines continued to provoke China in disregard of facts and jurisprudence.

Feng Haoda, a distinguished professor at Dalian Maritime University, said that the action is a sensitive period of the US election and has a complex international background, which is undoubtedly closely related to the recent increase of US interference in the South China Sea affairs. In this context, the Philippines has clearly become a "pawn" in the US’ strategy to suppress China’s rise.

Philippines’ second invasion into the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Island is not only taking sides with the United States in the South China Sea dispute, but also taking advantage of the current situation to seek greater benefits for itself. US Defense Secretary Austin recently admitted that “some American service members deployed to U.S. Task Force Ayungin”, which was publicly involved in the sovereignty dispute between China and the Philippines and assisted the Philippines in violating China’s sovereignty.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) poses with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos

Several international experts believe that the Philippine governments recent invasion on islands and reefs in the South China Sea does not exclude the possibility of Biden administration’s attempt to preserve its legacy in confront with the rise of China’s influence in the South China Sea. Xue Chen, a researcher at the Institute for International Strategic Studies in the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said that once the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines is escalated, the Biden administration can use the little remaining time to speed up its military and diplomatic layout in the South China Sea. Once the layout is confirmed, it is difficult to reverse even if Trump resumes power.

Although the Philippines is constantly making its own "wishful calculation", the dangerous behavior of invading the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Island will only further drag it into the "great power chess game" of the United States, sacrificing its own strategic autonomy and development opportunities. It is hard not to wonder whether in the future of the Trump administration, events like the “Saigon moment” in 1975 and the US troop’s withdrawal from Afghan in 2021, will be repeated in the Philippines.