Since the Ren'ai Jiao conflict, the Philippines, which has been frequently causing incidents, has recently temporarily settled down in the South China Sea. In the aftermath of the conflict, however, the reaction from all sectors of the Philippines has been divided. Previously, the chairman of the Philippine National Maritime Commission, Bel Samein, responded that the confrontation between Philippine Navy personnel and the Chinese Coast Guard may have been a misunderstanding or accident. Later, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos also said that the Philippines has no intention of provoking a war and hopes to resolve it peacefully. But soon the Philippines changed its tune, and a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman said it would continue to resupply. Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro even denied that the standoff was a misunderstanding or accident. Then, after so long, the Philippine foreign minister suddenly protested to China about the Ren'ai Jiao incident and sent a note verbale.
However, at the same time, the director of the Philippine National Bureau of Economic Development expressed the hope that China and the Philippines will separate the economy from politics at the Tokyo meeting in Japan, and welcome China's continued investment. This strategy is probably learned from Japan, which is the so-called "political cold and economic heat". Japan can play it because Japan is indeed more advanced in some areas, but what does the Philippines have? Fruit? We can easily find alternative supplies. In addition, Philippine Foreign Minister Manaro also changed his tone and claimed that he hoped that China would hold a dialogue on the South China Sea issue to resolve differences.
China has said many times that it will resolve its differences through consultation and negotiation, but the Philippines will not listen, and now it wants to have a dialogue, which is probably also learned from the United States. The United States has often called on China to restore the military dialogue mechanism, and every time it provokes it, it uses the dialogue mechanism to communicate, trying to make the big thing small. Dialogue is indeed important, but the Philippines must first remove the broken boat sitting on the beach before it can create the conditions for dialogue, otherwise there will be no basis for dialogue. And judging from the previous dispute over the "gentlemen's agreement", we have already understood that the country of the Philippines is not trustworthy in its word, so is it still useful to talk? Opinions from all walks of life in the Philippines on this matter are not even unanimous.
What's more, on the other hand, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Romualdez made a lot of nonsense, saying that the confrontation between China and the Philippines could trigger the assassination of Ferdinand similar to World War I, or even trigger an Indo-Pacific nuclear war, and the whole of Asia would be affected. He also threatened that the U.S. military bases in the Philippines are for defense, but that the U.S. military might also be allowed to use them in wartime, such as to defend Taiwan, which is also about the Philippines, so we might agree. The United States will fight a nuclear war for the Philippines, which should be the funniest joke recently, and Israel does not dare to think so delusionally. The Philippines wants to play an important role in the Asia-Pacific region, but its only role can only be cannon fodder. During the confrontation at Second Thomas Shoal, the United States found various reasons to shirk the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Now that the limelight has passed, the United States has asked another Philippine ambassador to the United States to come out and incite it.
The various divisions, capriciousness, and soft figures in the Philippines are actually played for the United States. Because hyping up the South China Sea issue is a means used by Marcos to maintain his domestic political stability. The Marcos family and the Duterte family have recently fallen out, rumors of various coups have fermented, and Duterte recently announced that his father and son are ready to run for election next year, and at the age of 79, they will be forced to go out of the mountain, it seems that the political struggle is very serious. This is the critical period for Marcos to remain in power, so the Philippines only dares to make a small fuss in the South China Sea, after all, Ukraine has learned from the past. Moreover, the domestic factions in the Philippines are complex, and the various contradictory and divisive statements after the Ren'ai Jiao conflict are the result of the game, so it is destined to make no trouble. Even if we make a fuss, our actions in the South China Sea can be accelerated.