Negotiations between China and the Philippines have just begun, and the United States has expressed its dissatisfaction? Biden sent three henchmen one after another to encourage the Philippines to go on a big job, why didn't Marcos Jr. get into the trap? Constantly making empty promises to the Philippines, the United States has smashed itself in the foot again this time.
Negotiations between China and the Philippines have begun, and three channels have prevented the situation from getting out of control
As time goes on, the situation in the South China Sea seems to have entered a delicate stage. Although the Philippines continues to verbally make harsh statements, in practice, it has pushed for further engagement with China in an effort to prevent the confrontation between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea from turning into a real war. United Kingdom's Reuters news agency recently broke the news that China and the Philippines signed an agreement called "Arrangement for Improving China-Philippines Maritime Communication Mechanism" on July 2, and set up three main communication channels specifically for resolving maritime conflicts.
The first channel is used by the "designated representatives" of the leaders of China and the Philippines.
The second channel is used by the foreign ministers and vice-ministerial-level officials of China and the Philippines, or by designated representatives of the foreign ministries of the two countries.
The third channel, at the law enforcement level, involves the coast guards of the two countries and will be established after the signing of the corresponding memorandum of understanding between the two sides.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded to this rumor in public, saying that China has always been committed to properly handling maritime issues with the Philippine side through dialogue and consultation, and said that both countries agreed to strengthen communication and dialogue between the two sides related to diplomacy and coast guards, and jointly maintain the stability of the maritime situation and the "great relations" between China and the Philippines, which is equivalent to acknowledging the existence of these three communication channels. Coincidentally, in addition to the establishment of these three channels, the Associated Press revealed on July 16 that China and the Philippines have recently reached an agreement to set up a direct telephone line between the two heads of state to prevent the confrontation between the two countries from getting out of control in the waters where sovereignty disputes exist.
Obviously, after a long period of confrontation, the Philippines has gradually realized that the Philippines has maintained a tough attitude on the South China Sea issue and has no benefit, and that the China Coast Guard is fully capable of carrying out normal law enforcement activities in the South China Sea without triggering war, and according to these law enforcement activities, the Philippines often falls behind.
As a result, the Philippines appears to have changed its approach and begun to work on establishing channels of communication from China to avoid misfire, while using the establishment of these channels as a starting point for negotiations in an effort to push for further de-escalation in the South China Sea.
From China's point of view, we undoubtedly welcome the transformation of the Philippines, because China and the Philippines are already neighbors separated by a strip of water, and coupled with the huge gap in comprehensive strength between the two countries, if the confrontation continues, it will only be the Philippines that will suffer, and China will also take into account the feelings of other South China Sea countries when enforcing the law in the South China Sea. Therefore, the sooner the dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is eased, the more in China's interests will be. In the face of this change in the situation in the South China Sea, the United States seems to be a little anxious, and tries to indirectly interfere in the foreign affairs of the Philippines, and Biden even specially sent three henchmen to "cheer" for the Philippines.
Biden sent three henchmen in a row to encourage the Philippines to continue to make trouble
On July 18, Austin, the United States Secretary of Defense, personally called Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro, and the two sides specifically discussed the right to fly, sail and operate anywhere permitted by international law.
At the same time, Austin also expressed "strong support" from the United States to the Philippines.
In fact, the Philippines and United States have discussed the so-called right of free passage more than once, and now Austin specially picked the bone eye of the easing of Sino-Philippine relations to call over, apparently believing that the Philippines has lost confidence in the United States on the South China Sea issue, so he has to come forward to say that the United States's "pro-Philippines" position has not changed, and instigated the Philippines to continue to make trouble in the South China Sea.
Earlier, on July 16, Charles Brown Jr., chairman of the United States Joint Staff Council, also paid a visit to the Philippines, a nominal supreme leader under the current U.S. military system, and every trip has strong political significance.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post revealed that Brown and the Philippines have finalized a "military information protection agreement", and once the final signing is completed, it means that the alliance between United States and the Philippines will be further deepened, and the two countries will have common guidelines on "protecting top-secret military information and discovering potential threats in the South China Sea."
The other is Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser of the United States.
Although Sullivan did not visit the Philippines in person, he added fuel to the fire on the South China Sea issue.
Speaking at the Colorado Security Forum on July 19, Sullivan said the United States would take "all necessary measures" to ensure that the Philippines could resupply the old warship stranded on Second Thomas Shoal.
At the same time, Sullivan also said that he claimed that the U.S.-Philippines military mutual defense treaty applies to public ships in the South China Sea, saying that China also knows that once "that line" is crossed, the U.S.-Philippines joint defense will be activated.
As for how the United States will participate in the Philippine "replenishment" activities, Sullivan's response is very interesting, saying that the United States wants to "maintain the status quo" and that the United States will continue to stand firmly behind the Philippines when it takes supplies.
United States has not contributed to the work, and the Philippines has recognized its face
From Sullivan's statement, we can see that United States's position on the South China Sea issue is still at the stage of "talking and fighting", fearing that the intervention of the United States military will lead to a sharp escalation of the situation in the South China Sea, so Sullivan chose to put political pressure on China, claiming that United States is "behind" the Philippines. But the crux of the matter is that as long as the conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea does not cause deaths, the US-Philippines mutual defense treaty cannot be activated, but in a series of normalized conflicts between China and the Philippines, the Philippines has often been deflated, and United States will only sit by and watch the play silently, shouting that it is United States, and it is the Philippines that is really beaten.
Although this is a choice that is in line with the interests of United States in the South China Sea, this attitude of "a friend who dies will not die in the poor" will really chill the heart of the Philippines, and United States keep saying that the US-Philippine military alliance treaty is unbreakable, but at the time of the front-line confrontation in the South China Sea, it is also the front-line personnel of the Philippines who are being picked up by the Chinese coast guard.
Therefore, we can almost expect that no matter what the Biden administration says, the Philippines will become more determined to promote the de-escalation of the situation in the South China Sea, United States perhaps unaware that the more they show the Philippines this kind of "mouth cannon", the more the Philippines will feel that the United States is unreliable, which is completely shooting itself in the foot.