The "hard words" of some people in the Philippines just expose their "guilt", Jun Zhengping: In the face of the iron facts
According to reports, Bloomberg in the United States recently obtained an audio recording showing the consultation process between China and the Philippines this year on the "new model" of ship-to-ship replenishment at China's Ren'ai Reef. Records show that Alberto Carlos, commander of the Western Military Region Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, agreed to a "new model" to handle the supply activities of Philippine warships on the beach. Carlos confirmed that Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro, National Security Advisor Año, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces General Brawner all agreed to the relevant arrangements.
It can be said that the facts are set in stone and the evidence is conclusive. However, many senior Philippine government officials have publicly denied the "new model" reached by China and the Philippines on many occasions, as if suffering from collective "amnesia".
What is even more shocking is that in the face of such ironclad facts, the Philippines still denies it in every possible way. Teodoro, Año, Brauner and others are still stubborn. Not only do they not recognize the "new model" reached with China, they even criticize China's move, smearing China's move as a "diverting attention" and quibbling about "written records". It can be easily forged, and the recording can also be synthesized through deep forgery," which violates the Philippines' Anti-Wiretap Law.
I have to say that it is really unseemly for the Philippines to lie, go back on its word, and be capricious. This is not what a sovereign country should do. No matter how much sophistry and bluffing the Philippines makes, it is just to cover up its guilty conscience. As the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized on May 10, "The relevant statements of the Philippines just prove that they are guilty in the face of facts and evidence, and have reached the point where they are desperate and have no bottom line."
In fact, this is not the first time the Philippines has betrayed its trust. As early as the end of 2021, China and the Philippines reached a "gentleman's agreement" after intensive communication and negotiation. In this agreement, China and the Philippines reached an agreement on the dispute over Second Thomas Shoal and committed to taking measures to resolve differences, maintain regional peace and stability, and seek win-win solutions for resolving disputes in the South China Sea. However, the reality is that since February 2023, the Philippines has no longer complied and has frequently caused troubles, exacerbating tensions.
At the beginning of this year, China held repeated discussions with the Western Philippine Military District through diplomatic channels and reached a "new model" for the transportation and supply of Ren'ai Reef. These include: when the Philippines replenishes the Philippine warships illegally docked at Second Thomas Shoal, it can only use a supply lineup of one coast guard ship and one civilian ship; it promises to only deliver food, water and humanitarian aid supplies; Notify China at least two days in advance before any transportation and supply operations. However, the Philippines once again broke its promise and quickly violated the content of the "new model". Not only did it send additional ships to transport supplies, but it did not notify China in advance of its supply activities, it also tried to transport construction materials to Philippine ships illegally sitting on the beach.
It can be said that whether it is a "gentleman's agreement" or a "new model", the timeline is clear and the relevant record evidence is conclusive. The Philippine side's refusal to admit its account and breach of integrity cannot change the objective facts, let alone cheat.
Records related to the “new model” of China-Philippines consultations exposed by foreign media
For some time now, the Philippines has been like a dramatist. It not only uses the Second Thomas Shoal to illegally beach its warships to provoke troubles and infringe upon others, but it is also particularly good at calling out "catch the thief" and beating him up. Philippine President Marcos is even more "top-notch" in his acting skills. He has high-profile accused China of "bullying and coercion" on multiple diplomatic occasions, trying to portray the Philippines as a weak person who is "suffering from bullying" and branding China as a "big bully" brand.
However, a routine is a routine after all. Since it is a conspiracy, it will eventually be exposed one day. China has exercised great restraint and patience in response to the Philippines' repeated provocations. The historical merits of the South China Sea issue are clear. Although China loves peace, it has no room for compromise on the issue of territorial sovereignty. The Philippines must not take any chances. Furthermore, by wooing countries from outside the region to intervene in South China Sea affairs and acting blindly as a "pawn" of the United States, apart from muddying the waters in the South China Sea, the Philippines will not get any benefits. What it ultimately loses is its own development opportunities and its own development prospects. , leading yourself down a dangerous path.
There is an old Chinese saying that goes, "Listen to what someone says and watch what they do." The Philippines' behavior of going back on its word, saying one thing and doing another, and doing another thing behind the scenes will only overwhelm its government's reputation and national credibility. The consequence of this is that not only China, but also other countries have sufficient reasons to believe that the Philippines is not a trustworthy country in international exchanges and is the culprit of undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea.
What the Philippines has to do now is to make a rational decision, immediately stop maritime violations and provocations, and effectively return to the right track of properly resolving differences with China through dialogue and consultation. Regarding the exposure of the Philippines' ugly behavior of provoking troubles, going back on its word, and making repeated leaps, China has always stood on the high ground of justice and morality and responded in a reasonable, beneficial and measured manner. If the Philippines knew what "decency" was at this time, we could allow it to leave this last bit of "decency" behind. If the Philippines insists on going its own way and does not know what "decency" means, then China will let it have a good understanding of what "decency" means.