What a fool believes

China’s usual megaphone is again drumbeating the supposed “illegality” of grounding the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal, the boat which is currently the source of a word war between Beijing and Manila officials.

The heat was turned up higher with the allegation of a gun pointing at a China Coast Guard (CCG) rubber boat whose presence on the sea near the stranded ship had conflicting versions.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the CCG boats retrieved air-dropped supplies and destroyed these but the CCG version was that the boats picked up trash thrown overboard by the Filipino litterbugs.

The Chinese version meant that the rubber boat went out of its way to collect garbage in the seas which is unlikely.

While conducting a routine patrol in the waters off Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) on 18 May, the CCG cleaned up non-recyclable floating garbage at sea. “A CCG personnel picked up a bottle marked with the words “ For Export to the Philippines” printed on its package.

The narration from the Chinese mouthpiece even contradicted the claim that the CCG rubber boat was there to pick up rubbish.

The Philippines was accused of repeatedly provoking, exacerbating tensions, and escalating the situation.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated in response to Philippine military officials denying that personnel on a grounded Philippine warship pointed guns in the direction of the CCG.

The official mentioned an airdrop “to supply the illegally grounded warship at Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) on 19 May. Then, the newspaper added at least two individuals on a grounded Philippine military vessel pointed guns toward a CCG team patrolling waters off Ayungin Shoal citing footage released by CGTN.”

The claim of Philippine officials that provisions meant for the Marines stationed in Sierra Madre, through an airdrop that overshot the boat, were intercepted found basis through the statements of the Chinese officials

Philippine military officials denied the allegations on Tuesday. They said Philippine troops stationed on a warship grounded in the South China Sea held on to their weapons after CCG boats came close to the ship but they did not point their guns at them.

“The Philippines is the party that is constantly infringing on China’s rights and provoking conflicts. China demands the Philippines keep to its promises and not stir conflict,” Mao said.

The mouthpiece further claimed that without China’s permission, the Philippines made an air-drop supply sortie to its illegally grounded military warship.

The report said the CCG has the right to “lawfully” inspect the supplies. The Philippines’ claims of CCG seizing their airdropped supplies are aimed at diverting pressure from public opinion and misleading international society,” it said on the contrary.

China then reminded the Philippines of having repeatedly stated its principles and positions and urged the Philippines to stop “making conflicts, but instead return to the correct track of resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation.”

When issuing the deceptive claims against the Philippines, Beijing gave notice that all the steps taken by the Philippines violated a previous agreement called the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties of DoC which in itself is non-biding as it is meant to pave the way for the Code of Conduct that should be the agreement that will commit claimants.

China has continued to deny a final agreement for the past two decades since it imposes conditions that are too steep such as disregarding all third-party decisions that included the Permanent Court of Arbitration award and that negotiations should be restricted to claimants.

The common denominator to the Chinese conditions is that the Philippines or any other parties that it negotiates with must first recognize its nine-dash line claim before it sits down to talk.

China demands that the Philippines must kneel first before it talks business.