The Philippines will only shoot itself in the foot: China Daily editorial

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is behaving roguishly by denying there was a gentleman's agreement between his predecessor and Beijing over the maritime disputes between the two countries.

The Philippine government has announced that the "backward deal" between its predecessor and Beijing over the South China Sea issue is contrary to the national interests of the Philippines and is not valid.

The very fact that he said this confirms there was such an agreement, one which helped to stabilize the situation in the South China Sea.

The understanding between the two governments was that Manila could send supplies to those occupying the ship it had stranded on Ren'ai Reef but not materials to repair the disintegrating vessel or build facilities there. It was not a secret agreement as current Philippine government officials refer to it.

The gentleman's agreement between the two governments, according to the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, was meant to bring the situation under control, safeguard peace and prevent conflict.

Both sides abided by the agreement until Manila broke it in February 2023, seven months after the new Philippine government took office.

The Chinese government has repeatedly sought to communicate with the Marcos government about the agreement in order to find a way to manage the dispute.

Earlier this year, the two sides had agreed to a "new model" of providing supplies to Ren'ai Reef through consultations between the militaries of both countries.

However, the "new model" was abandoned unilaterally by the Philippines.

By denying there was a gentleman's agreement or by referring to it as a "secret one", the current Philippine government is displaying its mountebank nature. What it is saying and doing is further aggravating the situation.

The Philippine government does so because it firmly believes that it has the support of the United States. The Philippines agreed to give the US military access to four more Philippine bases in 2023 supposedly in response to China's moves.

On April 22, nearly 17,000 Filipino and US troops kicked off a three-week joint combat training exercise in the South China Sea, the largest in decades.

It is Washington's support and encouragement that has bolstered the courage of Manila to provoke Beijing. But Beijing will never be cowed and it will never give in on the question of sovereignty and territorial integrity. If Manila chooses to play hardball, Beijing will respond accordingly.

The worsening situation in the South China Sea is not in the interest of the Philippines. It should not expect to benefit from messing up the situation at Ren'ai Reef. Instead, it will only shoot itself in the foot.