The Philippines frequently stirs up trouble in the South China Sea. Experts: Dialogue and consultation are the right way to properly resolve disputes.

　　China News Service, Beijing, February 3: Title: The Philippines frequently causes trouble in the South China Sea. Experts: Dialogue and consultation are the right way to properly resolve disputes.

　　China News Service reporter Li Chun and Guo Chaokai

　　In response to Philippine National Security Advisor Año’s accusations against China’s position and proposition on the Scarborough Shoal issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin refuted it at a regular press conference on February 2. Wang Wenbin pointed out that Huangyan Island is China’s inherent territory and China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters.

　　Experts interviewed by reporters from China News Service pointed out that the Philippines committed infringements and provocations in the South China Sea first, and China's countermeasures against the Philippines are necessary, legitimate, legal, reasonable and reasonable. Dialogue and consultation are the right way for China and the Philippines to properly handle the South China Sea disputes. The intervention of major powers outside the region will not only be ineffective in easing the situation and resolving disputes, but will instead make the problem more complicated and difficult to resolve.

　　Recently, the Philippines has frequently stirred up troubles on the South China Sea issue. On January 21, a small aircraft from the Philippines airdropped supplies to a warship that illegally beached the Second Thomas Shoal. The Chinese Coast Guard controls and handles the incident in accordance with laws and regulations, and has made temporary special arrangements for the Philippines to supply necessary living supplies.

　　On January 28, four Filipino personnel illegally intruded into China's Scarborough Shoal for activities, and the Chinese Coast Guard gave them a warning and drove them away in accordance with the law. According to Hu Bo, director of the Center for Marine Strategic Studies at Peking University, this move is because the Philippines "cannot take advantage of Ren'ai Reef and goes to other places to cause trouble." Since last year, the Philippines has launched a full-scale attack in the so-called "West Philippine Sea", comprehensively eroding China's sovereignty over islands and reefs and maritime rights and interests in diplomacy, public opinion, and actions.

　　The Philippines has actually been doing this for a long time. In 1999, a Philippine tank landing ship illegally "sited ashore" on China's Ren'ai Reef on the pretext of malfunction. Since then, although the Philippines has repeatedly promised to withdraw the ship, it has still not fulfilled the contract. Instead, it is trying to achieve permanent occupation of Second Thomas Shoal through large-scale repair and reinforcement.

　　China urges the Philippines to tow away the warship "sitting on the beach" and restore the Second Thomas Shoal to its original condition. At the same time, out of humanitarian considerations, China has made temporary special arrangements for the Philippines to transport food and other necessary living supplies to the warships "sitting on the beach". However, this "gentleman's agreement" has now been unilaterally broken by the Philippines.

　　Since December last year, the Philippines has taken more frequent actions. It has sent ships to provoke provocations at Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, dispatched officials in disguise to board ships in disguise, and operated official ships to dangerously collide with Chinese law enforcement vessels on the scene.

　　Some experts here pointed out that the Philippines' "North-South Coordination" simultaneous provocations in the two directions of Scarborough Shoal and Ren'ai Reef have two main purposes. "The first is to distract China's energy, and the second is to amplify the effect of public opinion in an attempt to gain support from the international community."

　　Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Marine Strategy at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told China News Service that Ren'ai Reef was originally an uninhabited island. It was the Philippines' deliberate promotion of militarization of the South China Sea that changed the "status quo" of Ren'ai Reef and surrounding waters. . The Philippines has escalated the confrontation to the extremely dangerous level of "paramilitary operations" with a series of complex and spillover irresponsible actions. This is an extremely irresponsible act of escalating the crisis, not to mention the involvement of countries outside the region in the process. Keep fanning the flames.

　　At the eighth meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea held on January 17, the two sides agreed to further improve the sea-related communication mechanism, continue to properly manage and control sea-related conflicts and differences through friendly consultations, and handle maritime emergencies, especially It is to manage and control the situation on Ren'ai Reef.

　　However, judging from the two incidents in which the Philippines airdropped supplies from aircraft on January 21 and broke into the Scarborough Shoal on January 28, the Philippines has not kept its words and deeds consistent. In the past, it failed to evacuate its illegal "beaching" warships, and now there are attempts to build permanent facilities to occupy Ren'ai Reef for a long time. Only by respecting history and recognizing reality can the Philippines stop on the wrong path.

　　At the meeting on January 17, China and the Philippines reiterated that disputes in the South China Sea are not the entirety of bilateral relations and believed that maintaining communication and dialogue is crucial to maintaining maritime peace and stability. Yang Xiao believes that based on the principles of equal consultation and mutual understanding, the two sides sit down to negotiate and resolve disputes, which has sufficient modern practice and rich successful experience.

　　"The Philippine side should be very clear that China can negotiate any differences, including the current disputes, and will do what it says." Yang Xiao said that only the parties directly involved in the relevant disputes can resolve them peacefully through consultation, negotiation and peaceful resolution. Only by staying on the right track of "dual-track thinking" can we truly restore peace and stability to the region, development and prosperity to our people, and sustainable security to all neighboring countries. (over)