news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

On August 19, Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411Without the permission of the Chinese government, it illegally entered the waters near Xianbin Reef in China's Nansha Islands.At 3:24 a.m. on the 19th, Philippine ship No. 4410Ignoring China's repeated warnings,In an unprofessional and dangerous manner,Deliberately ramming the Chinese boat No. 21551 that was carrying out normal law enforcement operations，Causing collision.

Since mid-April this year, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 9701 has been illegally and destructively anchored in the Xianbin Reef Lagoon in China's Nansha Islands for more than four months. The Philippines has also carried out multiple replenishment operations against the Coast Guard Ship, which has once sparked heated international public opinion. Who is the real owner of Xianbin Reef? Who lied about the "Xianbin Reef" incident? Who is challenging the rules and order of the South China Sea?

In this regard, China Central Radio and Television South China Sea Voice interviewedmiddleYang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations、Chen Xiangmiao, associate researcher at the China Institute of South China Sea Studies, for authoritative interpretation.

On May 6, Philippine Coast Guard ships 4402 and 9701 were transferring supplies in the waters of China's Xianbin Reef. Image source: China Coast Guard

Why does the Philippines frequently break into the Xianbin Reef?

Voice of the South China Sea: Why did the Philippines send coast guard ships to rush into the Xianbin Reef?

Yang Xiao:The Philippines dispatched a coast guard ship to rush into the Xianbin Reef, most likely to provide transportation and replenishment for the ships stranded at the Xianbin Reef. The overall intention of the action is very clear, which is to further expand the illegal occupation of Xianbin Reef, including upgrading the scale of the semi-permanent floating platform and actually building a "quasi-beached" forward base. The Philippines' bad intention seriously violated the requirement of the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" not to occupy new uninhabited islands and reefs. It is a malicious provocation to the peaceful status quo in the South China Sea, a serious damage to the international and regional order, and a comprehensive betrayal of commitments, neighbors and partners.

Chen Xiangmiao:The Philippines has been making small moves at Xianbin Reef this year. In April, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 9701 began to stay there for a long time. Philippine government ships and fishing boats then frequently visited. The Philippines also organized marine scientists and media reporters to carry out so-called "diving activities" and held the first flag-raising ceremony on June 12, the Philippines' "Independence Day". Including this intrusion and deliberate collision, all these actions show that the Philippines' ambition to illegally occupy Xianbin Reef is obvious.

Who is the real owner of Xianbin Reef?

Voice of the South China Sea: The Vice President of the Philippine Senate said on the 18th that Xianbin Reef is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and the Philippines has not violated China's sovereignty. What is the true situation regarding the history and sovereignty of Xianbin Reef?

Chen Xiangmiao:The Philippines seems to have forgotten history and the principles of international law. The Chinese government has been exercising effective administrative jurisdiction over Xianbin Reef. Fishermen from coastal areas of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and other places in China have always used Xianbin Reef as a traditional activity area. They once named Xianbin Reef "fish scale" based on its observed shape. In 1935, the Chinese government named Xianbin Reef "Xibina Reef" and renamed it "Xianbin Shoal" in 1947. In 1983, the Chinese government announced the official name of "Xianbin Reef" to the international community. In 1987, the Chinese Nansha Comprehensive Scientific Expedition Team landed on Xianbin Reef during a comprehensive survey of the Nansha Islands and erected a stone tablet. The Philippines' naked territorial expansion on Xianbin Reef is a contempt for historical facts and a violation of international law.

On May 23, Philippine Coast Guard ships 4409 and 9701 transferred suspected cement construction materials in the waters of China's Xianbin Reef. Image source: China Coast Guard

"MABUHAY PORTLAND" is a building material brand in the Philippines. Its main product is cement. The picture comes from the Internet

Who lied about the "Xianbin Reef" incident?

Voice of the South China Sea:The Philippine Coast Guard ship has been anchored at Xianbin Reef for more than 100 days. Will it have an impact on the local marine ecology?

Yang Xiao:The damage done by the Philippine Coast Guard to the marine ecology of the Xianbin Reef is very obvious. The large-tonnage Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 9701 uses a very large anchor and is moored in the Xianbin Reef lagoon. The water level in the lagoon is very shallow. Under the influence of waves and sea wind, the ship keeps dragging the anchor, and the anchor underwater will damage the coral reef. Usually we do not anchor in the lagoon unless we encounter very serious sea conditions. After the coral reefs are destroyed, the marine life living in the coral reefs will lose their living space and die, and the entire ecosystem will be severely damaged.

Voice of the South China Sea: The Philippine Coast Guard once claimed that there was an abnormal amount of dead and broken corals dumped on the sandbar of Xianbin Reef, and used this to accuse China of possibly reclaiming land and destroying the ecology of the South China Sea.

Yang Xiao:While the Philippines hyped up the South China Sea ecological and environmental arbitration issue, it also took various measures to destroy the marine ecological environment without hesitation. In essence, what we have seen is that the Philippines, out of its ambition for territorial expansion, allowed the coral reef of Xianbin Reef, 10 meters underwater, to be destroyed, and the originally peaceful habitat of the surrounding marine life was reduced to ruins, committing a serious crime of destroying the marine ecological environment.

Chen Xiangmiao:The Philippines is accustomed to using the strategy of "lying". At the beginning of this year, the Philippines first claimed that "China will carry out island construction on Xianbin Reef" on the grounds of discovering broken corals. In April this year, the Philippines deployed the 9701 on Xianbin Reef for a long time on the grounds of monitoring China's "land reclamation activities". Using the law as a "cover" for territorial expansion is a common trick of the Philippines. "Gradual territorial expansion" is also a common strategy used by the Philippines to illegally occupy islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The Philippines once used Xianbin Reef as a temporary transit station, but now it is trying to control and illegally occupy it for a long time.

The Philippine Coast Guard Ship No. 4410 ignored China's repeated warnings and deliberately rammed the Chinese Coast Guard Boat No. 21551, resulting in a collision. Image source: China Coast Guard

Who is challenging the rules and order in the South China Sea?

Voice of the South China Sea: What kind of signals are being sent by the Philippines' various actions in the South China Sea? And what impact will it have on the situation in the South China Sea?

Yang Xiao:The Philippines' provocation is a marginal policy aimed at testing the possibility of intervention by the United States as an ally under extreme circumstances. However, the Philippines' small thoughts and tricks will inevitably lead to China's further shift of maritime control to the Philippines, making it more difficult for the Philippines to control the situation and more intense on-site confrontation. The Philippines must abandon its inferior practice of provoking its neighbors and testing its allies, and return to the right track of resolving issues through dialogue, negotiation and consultation.

Chen Xiangmiao:Just last month, China and the Philippines reached a new temporary arrangement on the transportation of supplies to Ren'ai Reef. However, recently, Philippine Deputy Foreign Minister Maria claimed that the temporary arrangement would be re-evaluated, which seems to indicate that the Philippines has no sincerity in cooperating with China to manage differences in the South China Sea. The confrontation between China and the Philippines on Xianbin Reef is not only consuming China's resources and patience, but also damaging the foundation of China-Philippines relations. The Philippines will also have to incur additional economic and diplomatic costs. The only beneficiary may be the United States.

Voice of the South China Sea: The United States and the Philippines have always accused China of breaking rules and violating international law in the South China Sea. What is the real situation?

Yang Xiao:The essence of the Philippines' current actions is to occupy islands and reefs. This is a serious deviation from the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, a malicious change of the status quo in the South China Sea, a serious damage to peace and security in the South China Sea, and a collective betrayal of commitments, neighbors, partners and allies. This will not be allowed or recognized by China and other countries surrounding the South China Sea.

Chen Xiangmiao:The joint statement of the just concluded ASEAN series of foreign ministers' meetings once again called on all parties to commit to the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Philippines has clearly deviated from the purpose and provisions of the Declaration, placing the demands of a small number of Philippine politicians above the common interests of regional countries. The current Philippines is willing to play the role of the "fulcrum" of the US hegemony strategy, and what it maintains is not the "order based on international rules", but the US "order based on power". It is clear who is maintaining peace in the South China Sea and who is challenging the international order.

Source: Voice of the South China Sea