On December 4th, amidst rough sea conditions, the Philippines schemed a provocative and deceptive propaganda campaign following China’s announcement of the territorial sea baselines of Huangyan Dao.

The early morning intrusion before 7 a.m. was met with a strong counter-measure by the Chinese on-site forces. Within the first two hours, the Philippine Coast Guard released multiple video materials from the scene. In less than six hours, the media controlled by the Philippines engaged in excessive reporting, intentionally seizing the top spot in the Philippine domestic news.

Clearly, this “coordinated,” “efficient,” and “purpose-driven” propaganda effort has exposed itself as an organized, premeditated farce of maritime provocation, aimed solely at serving false propaganda.

The Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson’s revelations are riddled with inconsistencies. The alleged intrusion to protect fishermen did not show a single Filipino fisherman or fishing vessel in the videos they voluntarily released. Considering the rough sea conditions, it would be natural for Filipino fishermen in their traditional boats to seek shelter near Philippine government vessels.

However, the reality revealed by the Philippines is that there were no “fishing boats” at all; instead, Philippine government vessels went to the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Dao to intentionally “search for fishing boats.” 

If the Philippines’ provocative actions were indeed to protect fishermen, they should have arranged for Filipino fishermen to return to port to escape rough sea conditions. If the Filipino fishermen couldn’t return to their home port in time, the Chinese government vessels at waters adjacent to China’s Huangyan Dao would naturally offer necessary and reasonable assistance based on their requests, without the need for the Philippines to concoct baseless stories about fishermen provoking at China’s territory.

Moreover, the video materials provided by the Philippines show a meticulously conducted multi-angle, three-dimensional “evidence collection,” even risking the crew’s safety by exposing them to the harsh weather on deck and using drones for filming under poor sea conditions. These activities are not part of the regular operations of public service vessels on normal navigation.

Certainly, the Philippines would argue that this evidence collection is in response to China’s “water cannon.” However, even from the videos provided by the Philippines, it is evident that the Philippine vessel 3003 deliberately entered the predetermined course of the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 3302. The Philippine vessel 3003 reversed its engines, slowed down, and intentionally changed direction, attempting to cause a malicious collision on the Chinese vessel’s path.

The videos released by the Philippines reveal the entire incident, where the Chinese vessel made contact with the Philippine vessel from the stern all the way to the bow before finally detaching. How would a vessel navigating normally remain at a low speed directly in the path of another vessel? 

While engaging in this act of provocation, the Philippines endangered its crew by having them film on the deck, exposed to the risk of falling into the sea, completely ignoring the life and safety of the personnel.

To ensure the safety of its vessels, China responded with water cannons, demonstrating a high level of restraint. The water cannons were aimed to avoid the personnel on the deck of the Philippine vessel and the key parts of the vessel, serving as an appropriate warning.

More significantly, the Philippines should fully recognize that the two Chinese Type 054A frigates at the scene maintained a high degree of restraint that was both normative and professional. The Philippines should be aware that after China announced the baselines of the territorial sea of Huangyan Dao, any invasion of China’s territorial sea is a direct violation of China’s sovereignty. The Constitution of China tasks its People’s Liberation Army Navy with the mission to “resist aggression.” The naval vessels on the scene have both the responsibility and capability to repel any invasive forces.

Unscrupulous politicians in the Philippines should not, amidst escalating domestic political conflicts, ongoing economic crises, and tenuous support from allies, attempt to sacrifice the interests of the vast majority of Filipinos in a last-minute scramble.

They should not continuously invade, provoke, and spread false propaganda in the South China Sea, including areas like China’s Huangyan Dao.

The Philippines must thoroughly understand the historical, legal, and realistic aspects and should never underestimate China’s will, determination, and range of countermeasures.

(Yang Xiao, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations)