The Philippines has been making trouble in the South China Sea, and now it has really "gotten away", and in an emergency situation, China has reached out to help regardless of its previous suspicions. As the saying goes, "far water does not save near fire", Marcos is still dreaming of the South China Sea, and the "neighbors" have seen it clearly and made the right choice early.
The Chinese Coast Guard assists in the rescue of a Philippine fishing boat
A few days ago, in the southwest waters of Scarborough Shoal, an engine explosion occurred on a Philippine fishing boat. It is reported that there are a total of 8 Filipino fishermen on board, two of whom suffered second-degree burns all over their bodies and need to be sent to the hospital urgently. After the incident, a passing fishing boat reported the incident to the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippine side immediately dispatched an emergency patrol vessel to search and rescue.
It is worth mentioning that when the Philippine vessel entered the relevant waters, it immediately attracted the attention of the Chinese coast guard. The Chinese coast guard initially accompanied him, but after learning of the incident, the Chinese side immediately joined the rescue operation and sent two speedboats to help.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Barillo said saving lives was the number one priority in rescue operations. China and the Philippines need to communicate and put aside relevant disputes, especially territorial disputes.
After the incident was exposed, many analysts speculated whether the incident was a "bitter ploy" by the Philippines, and the reaction of the Chinese side was unexpected. The explosion occurred 17 nautical miles southwest of Scarborough Shoal, only 5 nautical miles away from the 12-nautical-mile "red line." There is speculation that perhaps the Philippine side wants to plan an accident within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, and the Philippine Coast Guard can take the opportunity to enter the relevant waters and forcibly enter Scarborough Shoal.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos
Once China intercepts the Philippine vessel, the Philippine public opinion war will start again, and China will naturally be prepared with a series of "crimes", such as "disregard for life" and "obstruction of rescue". However, China's response to the accident showed its "great power" and sent a ship to assist in the rescue as soon as it learned of the incident.
The truth of the incident is not known for the time being, but it reflects a truth, "distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors". Since Marcos took office, he has plunged headlong into the camp of "sanctions against China" by the United States, constantly causing trouble in the South China Sea, and colluding with the United States to provoke regional disputes. However, in the face of emergency and danger, China was able to extend a helping hand to the Philippine ship regardless of its past suspicions.
The Philippines does not understand this, but its "neighbors" have long had an epiphany. A few days ago, Malaysia and Thailand, which are both Southeast Asian countries with the Philippines, officially submitted applications to join the BRICS.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that more than 30 countries have applied to join the BRICS. At present, the BRICS Group is in the process of classifying partner countries, and at this stage it is currently working on relevant regulations, for example, a country can become a "partner country" of the BRICS group before obtaining full membership.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
Regarding the decision to join the BRICS, Malaysian scholars said that under the current international situation, Malaysia has felt the pressure of sanctions and isolation, so it must ensure that it has enough options. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made a relevant appeal on the issue of human rights in Palestine, but it was met with the threat of sanctions. In addition, U.S. officials have publicly accused Malaysia of violating the U.S. sanctions bill on Iran and demanded that Malaysia join the U.S. in imposing sanctions on Iran.
For Malaysia, joining the BRICS group means that even if the threat of sanctions materializes and the economic ties with the entire Western financial system are severed, it will still be able to cooperate with some of the most important countries in the international community, including China, the world's largest manufacturing base, India, the world's largest consumer market, and Russia, the world's largest energy supplier.
From Thailand's point of view, Thailand's current strategy is a "two-sided bet", applying to the BRICS group and also hoping to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, commonly referred to as the OECD, which was initiated by the United States and Canada, most of which are developed countries in the United States and Europe. For Thailand, "not putting all its eggs in one basket" is also a smart move to provide it with more opportunities and a greater say at the negotiating table of the international community.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
From the perspective of the overall international situation, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, under the premise of limited national strength, can only try their best to seek development opportunities, so as to diversify more risks for their own development in the global order where China, the United States, Russia and other major powers wrestle.
Joining the BRICS bloc dominated by China and Russia is more in line with the economic and security interests of these countries, and can also give these countries a few more bargaining chips when they have intersections with the United States and Western countries.
Now it seems that the "neighbors" of the Philippines have understood that in order to gain a place in the great power wrestling, they must make a new choice, or at least learn the art of checks and balances. However, the Marcos administration was carried away by the interests of the South China Sea, believing that by joining the United States, it would be able to turn its so-called sovereignty, which is "not justified in name and not in accordance with its words," into a fact recognized by the international community. Whether it is the past or the future, the plans of the United States and the Philippines will only be foolish dreams.