Opinion | Instigated by US, it's Philippine's military moves that have angered China

Augustus K. Yeung

What is Joe Biden like, unlike Donald Trump? The more closely you study him, the better you understand him and his strategy: He's far more sophisticated and rational than his rival, Donald Trump, the former president. On leadership, Biden triumphs over Trump in leading NATO, hence the European Union. By hijacking NATO, which is under U.S. stewardship, Biden is fighting a proxy war – bolstering up Ukraine and fighting against Russia, which is out to stop the U.S.' eastward encroachment and expansion plan.

In its relations with China, the Biden administration is much tougher than Trump, lavishing sanctions on the world's second-largest economy and disrupting global trade and commerce.

Trump's making a comeback. His threat is becoming real every day; Biden has a Plan B. He solicits the Philippines, seizing on Marcos Jnr's weakness, threatening to destroy him – if he fails to comply with this strategic plan, which will only be activated – when Trump poses the ultimate threat in the November presidential election.

As November draws nearer and as Trump gets tougher, the tense situation between China and the Philippines becomes more intense: Any observer can see, feel, and understand the development and escalation of violence by focusing on the following variables: frequency, duration, intensity, and vividness. The level of violence is on the rise!

If Biden wins the election, there wouldn't be much use of Marcos Jnr as a pawn or as an instrument. For Biden, with "old friend" Xi Jinping as the leader, plan B has limited strategic value.

Note: Biden won't hurt Xi; the way he's hurting Putin, the "pariah".

How valid is this theory? Wait till the fog is gone, and you'll see.

Philippine troops have been damaging and removing Chinese fishing nets in waters near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, according to Xinhua.

Official news agency Xinhua reported on June 4 that military personnel stationed at Second Thomas Shoal on the BRP Sierra Madre had cut nets placed by Chinese fishermen in the surrounding waters.

Tensions have been rising near the Sierra Madre, a rusting World War II-era ship the Philippines deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 – to strengthen its sovereignty claim.

Video footage shows Philippine troops in rubber boats cutting nets and pulling some of them aboard their vessels near Second Thomas Shoal.

The Xinhua report alleged that Philippine military personnel had damaged over 2,000 meters of fishing nets and taken more than 100 meters since May 15. It said the Chinese coastguard had helped the fishermen to retrieve their damaged nets.

Second, Thomas Shoal is among the contested areas. A prime fishing ground in the Spratley Island chain, it is known as Renai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.

The shoal is located within the area the Philippines claims as its exclusive economic zone, but it is also claimed by Beijing. It has become a hotspot in the past year – with increasingly tense confrontations between the Chinese coastguard and Philippine vessels.

Manila has yet to comment on the latest accusation. It comes after Chinese state media on Sunday claimed troops from the Siera Madre had pointed guns at a Chinese coastguard patrol in May when supplies were being delivered to the outpost.

Footage from China's coastguard shows at least two men on the grounded warship aiming their rifles at the Chinese crew.

A video released by the Philippine military shows the Chinese coastguard intercepting supplies that had been airdropped near the ship.

General Romeo Brawner Jnr, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the troops were holding their rifles to guard against the Chinese coastguard's provocative" actions,  not pointing weapons at anyone.

"It was just in preparation for self-defense in case something happens because they were very close," Brawner said.

Philippine military officials told reporters that the Chinese coastguard's inflatable boats came within five to 10 meters of the Sierra Madre, and coastguard officers had confiscated some of the airdropped supplies…

"The Philippine side has repeatedly infringed and provoked, escalating the tensions, which is unacceptable to China," ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing on Tuesday, June 4.

"We urged the Philippines to stop creating further friction and return to the path of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation," she added.

Manila has taken a more assertive stance with Beijing over the South China Sea – since Ferdinand Marcos Jnr became president two years ago. The Philippines has also sought to strengthen military ties with the United States and its regional allies, including through increased joint exercises – moves that have angered China. (Source: SCMP)

The first sentence in this last paragraph has glossed over a significant "secret deal": Relations between Beijing and Manila were good – when Marcos Jnr visited Beijing, where the Chinese president was hosting Marcos, promising to help his nation in various ways.

It was after President Marcos had a meeting with Secretary Gina Raimondi that the change of attitude happened. It was said that Raimondi had threatened Marcos, informing him that the U.S. would activate charges on the family – and confiscate its assets…

It was this incident that had caused the attitude change, pushing Marcos to the U.S. side. From then on, Marcos' anti-China stance has been getting more hostile toward a neighbor – which had been enjoying a cordial relationship with Rodrigue Duterte, the former president.

Marcos Jnr single-handedly becomes a pawn in the Biden administration, which is currently using the Philippine army to antagonize and enrage the Chinese – to beat his archrival Donald Trump, who has made a name for himself by using smearing tactics, tarnishing China's image, waging a trade war – to show-and-tell American voters he was out to "Make America Great Again."

 

 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

To contact the writer, please direct email:AugustusKYeung@ymail.com

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