The situation in the struggle in the South China Sea changed dramatically almost overnight: the Chinese side first resolutely disarmed and arrested the elite Philippine military who invaded the waters off Ren'ai Jiao, and then issued a statement by the embassy in the Philippines, directly naming the US military.
Facts have proved that after the new China Coast Guard regulations came into effect on June 15, we did what we said. The Philippine military staged a farce of "defying the law" and sent members of special forces to Ren'ai Jiao at night in an attempt to replenish supplies and rotate personnel on the beached and broken ship, and carried weapons, but was intercepted by the Chinese coast guard and the operation failed miserably.
The official announcement issued by China confirms that during the interception, our personnel "boarded and inspected" and "towed" the Philippine vessel, and the Philippine vessel violated the "International Maritime Collision Avoidance Rules" and deliberately approached the Chinese vessel in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a "collision", and the responsibility lies with the Philippine side. As for the details of the specific actions, we have not released further information for the time being.
(The wrecked ship on Ren'ai Reef can't hold up for a few years)
However, the Philippine media disclosed more details: the Philippine side's supply rotation operation was completely planned and implemented by the Philippine Western Military Region Command, and it was a purely military operation, so the Philippine Coast Guard later claimed in the announcement that "this is not an action of the Coast Guard"; The Philippine military sent a total of 6 speedboats to rush through Ren'ai Jiao at night, but all of them failed under the interception of the Chinese coast guard, and the Chinese side towed away 1 command mother boat, punctured 1 rigid inflatable boat, and seized 4 rigid inflatable boats (later returned after negotiations).
During this period, the Chinese coast guard boarded a Philippine speedboat and disarmed all the personnel on board, the Philippine soldiers did not dare to fire the first shot, and the Chinese side seized eight automatic rifles. According to Philippine media reports, Philippine Navy special forces personnel were injured during the operation, one of whom was seriously injured and had his finger broken, and the Chinese side detained several Philippine soldiers before releasing them through negotiations. We are unable to confirm or falsify these details and will have to wait for the China Coast Guard to release more details in the future.
However, judging from the information released by our side, our side is saving a little face for the Philippine military, after all, these details directly show that the Philippine side has suffered a fiasco. Moreover, the Philippine media reports are also full of extreme emotions and make illogical accusations against China. The actions of the Chinese coast guard are reasonable and lawful, and they are professional and restrained, and if it were not for the Philippines' deliberate provocation and infringement of rights, and repeated forced intrusion into the mainland's islands and reefs, there would have been no maritime conflicts at all.
(Philippine media coverage)
The official Philippine response confirmed the failure: the Philippine side did not respond for more than six hours after the Chinese side released a brief message, and then the Philippine military and coast guard issued separate announcements "condemning" China's actions as "reckless" and "dangerous". Then, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines confirmed on social media that China's blocking actions had caused injuries to Philippine personnel and damage to ships. Philippine Deputy Foreign Secretary Lazaro then spoke with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Campbell, who reaffirmed that Article IV of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks against the Philippine Armed Forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of its Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea. A spokesman for the US State Department also repeated the general view at a regular press conference.
(The Philippines "shook people" for the first time after the incident)
Judging from the remarks of the US side, the United States does not intend to use this mutual defense treaty at present, and even the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group, which has been roaming the South China Sea and its surroundings for more than two months, has already left the South China Sea before "June 15," which obviously does not want to "endorse" the actions of the Philippine side. Moreover, whether it is Campbell or the spokesman of the US State Department, there is only one core meaning, that is, the United States "supports" the Philippines, but it is currently limited to "verbal" ......
(There is nothing new in the statement of the US State Department)
China's rights protection efforts did not stop there. At the same time that Ren'ai Jiao cleanly delivered the "first blow after 6.15", the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines issued a statement naming the US military, condemning the US military for launching secret psychological warfare in order to curb China's influence during the new crown epidemic, using social media accounts to impersonate Filipinos to spread false information about the insecurity of Chinese vaccines and anti-epidemic materials, and inciting the Philippine people's distrust and fear of Chinese vaccines. The Chinese Embassy calls on the people of China and the Philippines to remain vigilant, expose disinformation and fan the flames of boycotting the US military, and jointly safeguard China-Philippines relations and peace and stability in the South China Sea. It can be said that the situation of the struggle in the South China Sea has undergone major changes as China has taken a "two-pronged approach" in the maritime struggle and diplomacy, and countered the collusion between the Philippine and US authorities with more forceful words and deeds.
(The Roosevelt is no longer in the South China Sea)
Immediately after the victory at Ren'ai Jiao, the Chinese side lifted the "lid" on the US military by name, and in its statement, it explicitly called on the Filipino people to take their destiny into their own hands and work with China to protect China-Philippines relations and peace and stability in the South China Sea. This is to counter the U.S. instigation and coercion of the Marcos Jr. government in the Philippines at the diplomatic level, and cut off the "black hand" of the U.S. side in stirring up storms in the South China Sea. It can also be seen that China's strategy for the struggle in the South China Sea has changed, and it has begun to exert all-round efforts in the fields of law enforcement and rights protection, diplomacy and military struggle. Let's see how long the Marcos Jr. government can hold on.