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[Global Times-Global Network reporter Fan Wei] The Chinese Coast Guard issued three messages in succession in the early morning of August 19 to inform the Philippines of its provocative and infringing actions in the South China Sea. The notification shows that the Philippines has changed its previous mode of infringing with a combination of "coast guard ships + civilian ships" and sent two coast guard ships to try to launch illegal intrusions on multiple islands and reefs in the South China Sea under the cover of night, and deliberately rammed the law enforcement vessels of the Chinese Coast Guard. The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against Philippine ships in accordance with the law. Relevant experts said in an interview with the Global Times on August 19 that the Philippines intended to test China's bottom line, but the Philippines obviously misjudged the situation. The provocative actions it made this time are highly dangerous, which also exposed the Philippines' helpless state against China's strong countermeasures.

△The Philippine Coast Guard ship deliberately rammed the Chinese Coast Guard boat

According to the official report of the Chinese Coast Guard, the Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411 initially attempted to intrude into the waters near China's Xianbin Reef. Faced with the legal control of the Chinese Coast Guard, after the infringement failed, the No. 4410 Coast Guard ship ignored China's repeated warnings and route control and turned west to China's Ren'ai Reef to carry out intrusion activities. As a result, it was also controlled by the Chinese Coast Guard in accordance with the law. The Philippine Coast Guard ships carried out intrusion activities in succession on two islands and reefs in the South China Sea where the situation is tense, which is a feature of the Philippines' infringement actions this time.

"The Philippines has linked the two points of Xianbin Reef and Ren'ai Reef in series and carried out consecutive intrusion operations, the purpose of which may be to test China's bottom line." Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Marine Strategy of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, analyzed in an interview with the Global Times on August 19 that China had reached a temporary arrangement with the Philippines on controlling the situation at Ren'ai Reef. Based on the three-point principle position, China allowed the Philippines to deliver some humanitarian living supplies to the illegally "grounded" warships after being informed in advance and confirmed by China on the spot. The situation in the Ren'ai Reef area has temporarily eased, but the Philippines has attempted to open up a new "front" at Xianbin Reef. Its large-tonnage coast guard ships have been stranded in the Xianbin Reef lagoon for more than four months, and Xianbin Reef has become a new "hot spot". This time, the Philippines tried to unilaterally intrude on Ren'ai Reef after failing to intrude on Xianbin Reef. It may be to test the strength of China's countermeasures, especially to "find out" whether China will adopt different response strategies against the Philippines at Xianbin Reef and Ren'ai Reef.

According to the official announcement released earlier, on July 27, in accordance with the temporary arrangement reached by China and the Philippines, the Philippines sent a civilian ship to deliver daily necessities to its warship that was "beached" on Ren'ai Reef. The Chinese Coast Guard confirmed this and supervised the whole process. The transportation was carried out with the Chinese side being informed in advance. After the Chinese side confirmed on the spot that only humanitarian daily necessities were transported, the Chinese side released it. However, this time the Philippines attempted to enter the two islands and reefs of Xianbin Reef and Ren'ai Reef without the permission of the Chinese government, especially violating the temporary arrangement between China and the Philippines on the supply of daily necessities for the illegal "beached" ships on Ren'ai Reef. The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law.

"I think the Philippines should also be able to see clearly that China has shown enough goodwill on both Ren'ai Shoal and Xianbin Reef, and China's position is consistent. China will not allow the Philippines' illegally 'beached' warships to exist permanently, let alone allow Philippine ships to stay on Xianbin Reef for a long time. China's local forces can also ensure that if the Philippines treacherously continues to carry out infringing actions, then the Philippines will not be able to enter any island or reef." Yang Xiao said.

It is worth noting that the Philippine ships once again made fierce confrontational moves in this intrusion, deliberately ramming Chinese coast guard ships. The last time the Philippines acted so radically was on June 17, when it attempted to deliver supplies to the illegally "grounded" warships, and its supply ship dangerously approached and deliberately collided with the Chinese ships sailing normally. Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Marine Law and Policy of the China Institute of South China Sea Studies, believes that two months later, the radical actions taken by the Philippines in the waters of Xianbin Reef and Ren'ai Reef are more like "venting anger" actions taken by the Philippines because it has no other options for strong countermeasures against China.

This mentality of the Philippines is also vividly reflected in the on-site evidence collection video. Through the video shot by the Chinese Coast Guard using night vision evidence collection equipment, it can be seen that at 03:24 and 03:25 in the morning of August 19, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship No. 4410 collided with the port side of the Chinese Coast Guard Boat No. 21551 twice in succession. Through the wake of the ship, it can be seen that at 3:24, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship No. 4410 collided with the Chinese Coast Guard Boat No. 21551 in an accelerated state when the Chinese Coast Guard Boat No. 21551 had already slowed down. At 3:25, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship No. 4410 suddenly turned and collided with the Chinese Coast Guard Boat in the face of the surveillance of the Chinese Coast Guard Boat No. 21551. The Philippine Coast Guard ship carried out a collision in the dark night environment, which not only violated the "Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea", but also seriously threatened the personal safety of Chinese Coast Guard law enforcement officers. The Philippines faced the control measures taken by the Chinese Coast Guard in accordance with the law in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, which reflects that the Philippine ship in the accident "collapsed in mentality".

According to Philippine media reports, Philippine National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told Philippine media on August 19 that the Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411 that ran into the Xianbin Reef were damaged due to the collision. Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tariela claimed that the Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 4411 had its hull damaged when it was intercepted by the Chinese Coast Guard ship No. 3104, and that the Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 4410 had structural damage after colliding with the Chinese Coast Guard ship No. 21551. Pictures released by the Philippines showed that after colliding with the Chinese Coast Guard ship, the Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411 had large holes.

Why did the Philippines go against the flow on the road of maintaining regional peace and stability? Li Kaisheng, a researcher and vice president of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, believes that the Philippines has been unwilling to give up after the "June 17 Incident". Since Marcos Jr. came to power, his performance in governance has been lackluster. His aggressiveness on the South China Sea issue is one of the few political achievements that can manipulate public sentiment and increase domestic recognition. However, after the Chinese side strongly blocked the supply of the warship stranded on Ren'ai Reef on June 17, the Philippines had to reach a temporary arrangement with China. Considering that the Marcos Jr. camp had been lashing out at the "gentleman's agreement" between the Duterte government and China some time ago, this setback undoubtedly made Marcos Jr. feel ashamed and urgently needed to make up for it to repair his "tough" image of safeguarding the interests of the Philippines.

"However, no matter how the Philippines collides, it will definitely hit a hard 'rock'. Real peace is based on strength. China's strong force in the South China Sea is not only a reliable barrier to defend China's sovereignty, but also a stabilizer to ensure the calmness of the South China Sea and regional peace and stability." Li Kaisheng said.