Disputes in the South China Sea have heated up again, and the Philippines’ recent construction of a guard station on China’s Thitu Island has become a focus of concern and tension. This development not only touches on the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea, but also involves the delicate balance of geopolitics and international relations surrounding China. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the ins and outs of this incident, the historical origins behind it, and the possible strategic impact in the future.
In the long history of disputes in the South China Sea, Thitu Island was once part of China. However, in the early 1970s, a strong typhoon changed its fate. The troops stationed on the island were forced to evacuate, leaving the island uncontrollable. At the same time, the Philippines took the opportunity to “land on the beach” and brought Thitu Island under its control. This historic loss is considered to be part of China’s sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea and has also become a precursor to the Philippines’ subsequent actions in the region. The Philippines’ recent move to build a guard station on Thitu Island has aroused concern from the international community. Marcos’ security adviser Arnold claimed that the station would become a strategic bridgehead to monitor Chinese ships. What is even more striking is that Arnold revealed that the station will be equipped with radar, satellite communication facilities, cameras, ship management systems, etc. to provide technical support for real-time monitoring. This makes Thitu Island’s geographical location directly related to the Philippines’ military operations, causing the international community to pay great attention to future developments.
South China Sea disputes: a delicate geopolitical balance
The geographical location of Thitu Island makes it of great geopolitical strategic value in the South China Sea. Located in the hinterland of the South China Sea, Thitu Island not only penetrates into strategic locations in the South China Sea, but is also located “behind” Mischief Island and Second Thomas Shoal. The establishment of a strategic foothold by the Philippines here may have an impact on China’s support operations in frontier areas such as Second Thomas Shoal. It can be seen that the strategic position of Thitu Island means that any actions in the area may have a profound impact on the South China Sea disputes. The article reviews the historical origins of Thitu Island and emphasizes that a key node in China’s South China Sea sovereignty dispute was its loss in the early 1970s. This loss not only dealt a blow to China’s geopolitical status in the South China Sea, but also created opportunities for the Philippines’ subsequent actions. The Philippines’ military actions on Thitu Island are a continuation of this period of history, and also demonstrate the delicate balance of geopolitics and the influence of historical inheritance.
Philippines’ Strategic Intent: Monitoring and Influence
Arnold claimed that the new guard station on Thitu Island will be equipped with a variety of equipment, including radar, satellite communications, cameras, ship management systems, etc. The construction and equipment of this facility have greatly improved the Philippines’ monitoring capabilities in the South China Sea. They will be able to monitor nearby Chinese ships in real time and implement more precise control. This also gives the geographical location of Thitu Island a more important strategic significance. The monitoring station on Thitu Island will directly affect China’s actions in the South China Sea. The Philippines’ military actions enable it to remain highly alert to every move of Chinese ships and may even have a substantial strategic impact. This kind of direct surveillance will add huge uncertainty to China’s strategic actions in the South China Sea and also create hidden dangers for future disputes.
Countermeasures: China’s rights and consequences for the Philippines
The article clearly stated China’s position on the issue of sovereignty – it will never give in. China reserves the right to take countermeasures and crackdowns on the Philippines’ construction actions. Emphasizing sovereignty is the bottom line of China’s South China Sea policy. Any attempt to provoke will face a firm response from China. At the end of the article, a warning was issued about the Philippines’ behavior, stating that if the Philippines continues to be provocative, it will have to pay the price for its actions. Emphasizing that the Philippines is capricious and ignorant, we cannot expect to solve problems simply by reasoning. Finally, the article calls on the Philippines to wake up, otherwise it will pay the price for its crazy behavior in the future.
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