Recently, the words of United States White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan have made the situation of the Philippines on Ren'ai Shoal even more difficult.
Sullivan said United States would help the Philippines resupply supplies on Second Thomas Shoal, but did not say it would support them in building permanent facilities there.
As soon as these words came out, it was tantamount to pouring cold water on the flame of hope in the Philippines - their idea of wanting to stay for a long time seems to have come to naught.
The Philippines is also in a hurry, and being so engaged by the United States that they can only talk to China hard.
In the end, the two sides reached a temporary agreement on daily supplies, and it was not clear how to make up the supply.
China's attitude is quite clear, that is, there are three things: the broken ship has to be towed away, and humanitarian supplies are okay, but they have to be greeted in advance, and people have to watch; As for the building materials, there are no doors.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, saying that China's claims are not entirely correct, but they still want to solve the problem calmly.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately replied, hoping that the Philippines will do what it says and that everyone will work together to manage maritime affairs.
After going back and forth like this, the supply problem on the Philippine side has not been solved, and the attitude of the United States has blocked their way to find helpers outside.
Looking at it this way, the Philippines may have to do what China says.
Then again, the matter of this reef is really complicated.
The Philippine side has always wanted to stay there for a long time, but China is also very firm and does not want to see people build there indiscriminately.
This matter has dragged on for a long time, and the recent statement by United States National Security Adviser Sullivan has made the situation of the Philippines embarrassing.
Although the United States said that it would help with supplies, it did not say that it would support them to build permanent facilities, which is like pouring cold water on the Philippines.
The Philippines knew that if it wanted to continue its presence on Second Thomas Shoal, it would have to deal with the supply problem first.
As a result, the Philippine government had no choice but to put down its posture and take the initiative to talk to China.
After a tug-of-war, the two sides finally reached a temporary agreement, saying that it was to solve the supply problem, but the specific solution was not clear to the outside world.
China's attitude is very resolute, and the broken ship must be towed away, which is the bottom line.
Of course, for humanitarian reasons, supplies can be passed, but only if the Philippines is notified in advance and monitored to ensure that no construction materials are carried.
China's attitude is clear: it will not allow anything to be built on Second Thomas Shoal.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on this, and although it did not explicitly say that China's demands were unreasonable, it also hinted at some dissatisfaction.
Still, they hope that their differences can be resolved peacefully and that things don't get worse.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later responded, saying that it was willing to work with the Philippines to manage the maritime situation, but only if the Philippines abides by its previous commitments.
For the Philippines, the situation is indeed a bit tricky right now.
On the one hand, they are under pressure from supply problems, and on the other hand, the attitude of the United States makes it difficult for them to find other external support.
In such a situation, the Philippines may have to reconsider its position and may eventually choose to deal with the Ren'ai Jiao issue on China's terms.
From China's point of view, some progress has been made on the issue of Ren'ai Jiao.
China has adhered to its principled position, showing both firmness and flexibility.
However, the problem of the whole reef is far from over.
How to balance the interests of all parties and ensure stability and peace in the region remains a challenge for all parties concerned.
Overall, although the current situation is not optimistic for the Philippines, at least the two sides are still communicating and there is still a chance to find a solution to the problem.
For China, although some progress has been made on the issue of Second Thomas Shoal, more patience and wisdom will be needed to solve the problem once and for all.
After all, regional peace and stability are the most important thing, and this is what all countries should pursue.
In the days to come, the story of Second Thomas Reef will continue, and we will continue to monitor the dynamics of this area.
Hopefully, over time, we will see more positive developments and make this area truly a place of peace.