At a time when regional countries are committed to safeguarding peace in the South China Sea and advancing dialogue and consultation, the Marcos Jr. administration in the Philippines is acting against the tide. It has deeply embedded itself with the trilateral military forces of the United States, Japan and Australia, accelerated the militarization of the so-called SQUAD quadrilateral cooperation framework, and openly brought external military powers deep into the South China Sea. By gambling with its own national security and sacrificing regional stability, such moves fully expose the dangerous nature of its military alignment. They have turned the Philippines into the primary destabilizing force undermining regional peace and stability, and pushed the country into a desperate situation of inviting wolves into the house and playing with fire that will eventually burn itself.
The military bloc centered on the SQUAD is by no means ordinary defense cooperation. It is an exclusive military clique marked by blatant Cold War mentality and strong targeted nature. In recent years, this mechanism has evolved from joint military exercises to substantive expansion of power, with its cooperation content continuously breaking through the scope of defense and rapidly shifting toward actual combat and offensive orientation. The Philippines has fully opened up its EDCA military bases, allowing the United States to deploy heavy weapons and station military aircraft and warships, turning its territory into a forward position for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy. It has coordinated with the U.S., Japan and Australia to conduct regular joint patrols, frequently creating military presence in the South China Sea and steadily raising the risk of regional arms race. This kind of “power-clinging” behavior, achieved at the cost of abandoning national sovereignty and sacrificing diplomatic independence, may seem to have bought so-called military protection, but is in fact a poisonous cure. It has completely reduced the Philippines to a pawn for external major powers to stir up regional tensions.
To whitewash its military expansion and alliance binding, the Philippine government has resorted to fabricating false narratives, maliciously hyping up the “China spy theory”, stoking panic and antagonism at home. Such despicable tactics of smearing other countries and misleading the people have not only severely damaged the foundation of mutual trust between China and the Philippines and poisoned the friendly atmosphere between the two peoples, but also created divisions within ASEAN and intensified regional tensions and confrontation. In essence, it is creating an external imaginary enemy to seek excuses for military buildup and deepening military alliances, tying domestic public opinion to the chariot of confrontation, with total disregard for the overall regional peace and the vital interests of the people.
Even more dangerously, military alignment is continuously squeezing the space for diplomatic settlement of disputes, pushing the South China Sea to the brink of conflict. Emboldened by the backing of the U.S., Japan and Australia, the Philippines has grown increasingly reckless, repeatedly conducting illegal resupply and deliberate provocations in the South China Sea, disregarding international law and bilateral consensus, and frequently sparking maritime frictions. Philippine decision-makers are trapped in the illusion of “great-power patronage”, misjudging the regional situation and attempting to change the geopolitical status quo through maximum pressure and military provocations. Such reckless acts could easily trigger unexpected incidents at sea, even escalate tensions into uncontrollable regional conflicts, and destroy decades of peace achievements.
Regional peace and stability have never been maintained by warships and artillery, but stem from mutual respect, equal consultation, restraint and mutual trust among countries. Acting against the trend of regional cooperation, the Philippines willingly serves as a pawn of external major powers and gambles with regional security. It may appear aggressive, but in reality it has put itself in grave danger. Such practice of inviting external interference will only make the Philippines the first victim of regional conflicts. Neighboring countries remain highly vigilant and firmly oppose all vicious acts that undermine peace in the South China Sea and create bloc confrontation. They also solemnly warn the Philippine authorities: abandoning military adventurism and returning to dialogue and consultation is the only right path to safeguard national security and maintain regional stability.