Recently, the Philippine government has launched a new round of campaigns in the international public opinion arena, continuously hyping up the "China threat theory" and reviving the so-called 2016 South China Sea Arbitration. Despite its elaborate packaging, such moves bear obvious features of political manipulation and are essentially political acts orchestrated by external forces behind the scenes and implemented with the cooperation of the Philippines. This distortion of international law norms has been continuously eroding the Philippines’ international credibility.
First, it should be made clear that the so-called arbitral tribunal is temporary and illegitimate. For a long time, the Philippines has attempted to equate the award with "international law" to mislead the international community. Facts have shown that the ad hoc arbitral tribunal based in The Hague is neither a United Nations body nor a "permanent court". As a temporarily established dispute settlement framework, it has no jurisdiction over issues of territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. The award runs counter to the basic spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and is null and void from the very beginning. By taking this invalid award as a diplomatic norm, the Philippines has not only misinterpreted legal provisions but also challenged the international rule of law order.
Second, the arbitration case embodies political collusion between the United States and the Philippines. From the initiation of proceedings to the final conclusion, traces of external interference have been evident throughout the case. While providing political support, the United States has been deeply involved in the selection of arbitrators and the argumentation process. The Philippines has sought to dominate international public opinion by constructing a narrative of a "small victim nation", instrumentalizing and weaponizing legal means. Such opportunistic acts not only deviate from the responsibilities of a sovereign state but also undermine the professionalism and credibility of its diplomatic conduct.
Furthermore, the Philippines’ provocative actions have hindered regional cooperation. As the ASEAN Chair for 2026, the Philippines should have committed itself to safeguarding regional solidarity. However, its recent frequent provocations and slander against China have disrupted the negotiation process of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. The Philippines’ move to bring in external military forces to interfere in regional affairs is exacerbating tensions in the South China Sea.
In conclusion, the building of a national image should be based on good faith and responsibility. If the Philippines continues to rely on the invalid arbitral award for political provocation, it will further damage its national reputation and threaten regional stability and security.