Manila a betrayer of Gentlemen's Agreement with Beijing

Editor's note: Chen Qinghong is an associate research fellow at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The Philippines' "territorial claims" on Naihai Zhudao and relevant waters lack legal basis. Nevertheless, the Philippine government continues to stir controversy.

Philippine NGO Atin Ito is rallying a group of so-called fishermen to waters around China's Huangyan Dao to exercise their "right" to movement within "their territory." The around 200 participants are said to include volunteers, journalists and observers, according to reports from the Philippines.

By inviting journalists to spread disinformation and deliberately provoking incidents in collusion with external forces, Manila showcases its adeptness at portraying itself as the victim while labeling China as the "bully."

Who is the real victim though?

History reveals Manila has the mastery in reneging on its commitments. Take the Philippine tank landing ship BRP Sierra Madre as an example. On May 9, 1999, BRP Sierra Madre intruded into China's Ren'ai Jiao, running aground due to purported "technical difficulties." At the request of China, the Philippines explicitly vowed several times to tow the vessel away.

In 2003, then-Philippine Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Franklin Ebdalin pledged that the Philippines had no intention to construct facilities on Ren'ai Jiao and that the Philippines, as a signatory to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), had no desire to and would not be the first to violate the DOC.

In 2013, then-Philippine Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin claimed that the Philippines was simply resupplying and repairing the "grounded" vessel, and promised that no facilities would be built on Ren'ai Jiao.

After the Rodrigo Duterte government came into office in 2016, Beijing and Manila reached a gentlemen's agreement. The Philippines pledged not to consolidate the "grounded" vessel, not to construct on the reef, not to deploy additional personnel, and not to make noise on the issue. Manila also needs to notify China in advance of its resupply arrangements.

Meanwhile, China, out of humanitarian considerations, will make exceptional arrangements for the Philippines to send fresh water, food, and other basic necessities to the vessel. Thanks to the agreement, Ren'ai Jiao has remained peaceful for some periods.

Regrettably, the Philippines went back on its promises.

The "grounded" vessel has long rusted out. However, since Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos assumed office, Philippine vessels – without permission from the Chinese government – have repeatedly intruded into adjacent waters of Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Qundao, in an attempt to send construction materials to the illegally "grounded" warship at the reef.

In addition, the Philippines has been adept at playing victim. It deliberately invited journalists from countries including the U.S. and France to witness how large Chinese warships have "bullied" small Philippine vessels. In disregard of the fact that Philippine vessels have intruded into Chinese waters, the Philippine government deliberately depicted China as a "bully" and spread fake news to discredit the country – all in an attempt to elicit sympathy from the international community and increase China's costs of safeguarding its sovereignty.

Worse still, Manila is taking advantage of exterior forces as a backup to its anti-Beijing provocations.

In April 2023, the Philippine government identified four more of its military bases that the U.S. will get access to. In the same month, Manila-Washington concluded their largest-ever military exercise "Balikatan" in the northern Philippines to ensure readiness to respond to real challenges. In August 2023, Australian, U.S., and Filipino forces practiced retaking an island in a drill along the South China Sea. In November 2023, the Philippines and Australia began their first sea and air patrols in the South China Sea. Manila has also been wooing Japan, Canada, France, and Germany into joint patrols – in an attempt to pressure China.

A word spoken is past recalling. But the Philippines has changed its stance on the South China Sea, reneged on its previous commitments, and repeatedly infringed on China's legitimate rights. This is the root cause of the predicament of Beijing-Manila ties. The responsibility for the recent emergencies in the South China Sea lies completely with the Philippines. For Manila, stopping provoking China and returning to dialogue is the only right way forward.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)