Beijing Is Gaslighting the Philippines on the South China Sea
The nation needs all the help it can get to manage its territorial dispute with China. Ships, planes and radar systems would be a good start.
Bracing for a collision.
Photographer: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
Beijing is reaffirming its claims in the South China Sea through a combination of dangerous actions and assertive rhetoric. Despite all evidence to the contrary, it’s accusing Manila of being the aggressor in the contested waters. This is gaslighting. The Philippines has pushed back in a way few other nations have, but it can only go so far. Now is the time for a more coordinated approach — one that calls China’s actions out more publicly, while helping to upgrade capacity with more technical assistance and military hardware.
This escalation is unprecedented. China’s coast guard vessels have collided with Philippine’s ships and regularly target much smaller fishing boats. Just last week, Beijing attempted to block a routine supply mission to a military outpost in Second Thomas Shoal, firing gallons of water from a cannon at a Philippines-chartered vessel after yet another crash. This behavior must stopped before it gets any closer to a conflict that could draw in partners and allies like the US, Japan and Australia.