Recently, a Philippine fishing boat exploded near Scarborough Shoal, and China generously helped, but afterwards the Philippine media stabbed China in the back and staged a real version of "The Farmer and the Snake".
According to reports, a Filipino fishing boat named Akio wanted to illegally approach Scarborough Shoal, but for some reason, when the boat was sailing in the waters southwest of Scarborough Shoal, it suddenly exploded its engine, and instantly ignited a fire, engulfing the entire ship in flames, injuring eight fishermen on board, two of whom were in critical condition, with third-degree skin burns.
At this time, the Chinese Coast Police, who were closely monitoring the Philippine ships not far away, sensed that something was wrong, and the 3302 and 3105 ships patrolling nearby quickly went to help the Philippine ships extinguish the fire and provided the injured fishermen with much-needed lifebuoys.
At the same time, the Philippine side also quickly dispatched emergency patrol vessels to carry out search and rescue, and after the explosion of the Akio, the fishing boat was seriously damaged and was in a sinking state. Fortunately, thanks to China's rescue, a catastrophe was averted.
After the personnel were saved, the Philippine patrol ship towed the burning and sinking fishing boat away and took the crew with them. Subsequently, the Philippine Coast Guard expressed its gratitude to the Chinese side through radio communication.
At that time, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Barillo also pointed out that saving lives is the first priority, and in the rescue operation, both China and the Philippines temporarily put aside the dispute and worked together to save lives.
However, instead of thanking China for its assistance, some Philippine media and some netizens maliciously spread rumors. Some even claimed on social media that it was the Chinese coast guard that used naval artillery to sink a Philippine fishing boat and then pretended to rescue it. This kind of baseless accusation is obviously another attempt by the Philippine media to make itself a victim and at the same time smear China.
However, these speculations by the Philippine media were quickly slapped in the face by the Chinese side. After the Philippine media raised questions, the Chinese side and the Philippine Coast Guard jointly disclosed the truth at that time. Only then did the Philippine media stop spreading rumors and recognize China's sovereignty in disguise.
If the Philippine ship had not exploded at the time, what was its intention to be close to Scarborough Shoal?
The Philippines has been creating trouble in the South China Sea for so long, and no action is superfluous, and this deliberate approach to Scarborough Shoal must have another purpose. Some analysts believe that this may not be a simple accident, but a "bitter ploy" by the Philippine authorities, trying to take this opportunity to provoke trouble near Scarborough Shoal.
At that time, the site where the Philippine fishing boat caught fire was located 17 nautical miles southwest of Scarborough Shoal, just outside the "red line" of 12 nautical miles, but it was in the 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone.
However, it cannot be ruled out that the Philippines wants to forcibly invade Scarborough Shoal this time to test the reality of our coast guard. But unexpectedly, the attempt failed, and as soon as it approached the waters of Scarborough Shoal, the ship exploded. If so, it can only be said that it is self-inflicted.
In recent years, the Philippines has made frequent provocations in the South China Sea, the most typical of which are illegal activities in Scarborough Shoal and Ren'ai Jiao. Any possibility could become a reality, and China must be prepared.
At present, our side has long strengthened its control over these important islands and has repeatedly thwarted attempts by the Philippines. According to official sources, recently our side directly drove the Shandong ship to the vicinity of Luzon Island in the Philippines.
Prior to this, China had deployed Type 075 amphibious assault ships and Type 071 dock landing ships, as well as three Type 055 destroyers in the South China Sea. The direct deployment of aircraft carriers in the South China Sea is still very rare. The deployment of the Shandong is intended to clearly warn the Philippines not to try to occupy any Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea, nor to try to collude with external forces.
The Philippines can at least see that at the critical moment, it is China's close neighbor that is the first to lend a helping hand, not the United States, which emphasizes the "US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty" at every turn. After all, the so-called treaty of the United States came at the cost of the lives of Philippine military personnel. This will not only cost innocent lives, but will also cause the Philippine government to lose the support of the people.