Hu Liren: The Philippines Confronts the CCP at Scarborough Shoal
In the standoff between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the sovereignty issue of Scarborough Shoal has become increasingly prominent. This area has long been a fishing ground for the Philippines, but the CCP is attempting to expand its control. The video analyzes the impact of international law on Scarborough Shoal, as well as the support of the United States and Japan for the Philippines. With the tough stance of the Philippine Defense Minister and the support of international law, the CCP's threat in the South China Sea is intensifying. The video also discusses the complex diplomatic relations between the CCP and its neighboring countries, especially its interactions with Mongolia, Russia, and North Korea.
Video link:
Full text: Hello everyone, today we are going to talk about a topic. The good news is that the Philippine Coast Guard, which is the Philippine military, has begun to go head-to-head with the CCP at Scarborough Shoal. I have talked about the situation of Scarborough Shoal before. Scarborough Shoal is very close to the Philippines, just a few hundred kilometers away—specifically around two hundred plus kilometers—while it is more than a thousand kilometers away from China's coastline. This distance is about four to five times different. This place has long been a fishing ground for the Philippines, yet the CCP is trying to reach its hands there.
The CCP thinks this island belongs to them, and that the entire South China Sea belongs to the CCP. They are snatching other people's territory and grabbing the entire public maritime area. If Scarborough Shoal belongs to the Philippines, then the relationship between the Philippines and the CCP will become complicated. According to international law, this place is a public maritime area where everyone can navigate freely, but now it is controlled by the CCP and cannot be navigated freely.
This is just like how the CCP previously robbed the properties of landlords and capitalists. I have always believed that the CCP is like a robber. The Scarborough Shoal incident is related to Obama's policy. At that time, U.S. President Obama had a very good relationship with the CCP, which forced the Philippines to back down, resulting in the CCP controlling this territory. Obama gave a large amount of funds to the CCP back then; this is the so-called act of treason, selling out resources, selling out the resources of the whole world.
Therefore, it makes sense that Trump is now supporting the Philippines. This maritime area itself is an international public maritime area and has nothing to do with China. Currently, the Philippines possesses the legitimacy of international waters because this place is very close to the Philippines and has traditionally been a Philippine fishing ground.
Scarborough Shoal is shaped like a triangle and is a relatively small area. Not many buildings can be built on it, but its strategic position is very important. Recently, the CCP has deployed fixed buoys, antennas, and other equipment there, while the Philippine government is working hard to dismantle this equipment and has already started taking action. The Philippine Defense Minister has taken a very tough stance on this and firmly refuses to compromise.
An incident recently occurred: the CCP imposed sanctions on the Philippine Foreign Minister, or rather Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro. Everyone remembers that Marco Rubio was once sanctioned by the CCP, but this kind of sanction is a joke internationally and is not feared by anyone at all. The CCP's current sanctions against the Philippine Defense Minister similarly appear powerless, as he has no intention of going to places controlled by the Communist Party.
The situation in the Philippines now is that, first, international maritime law supports them; second, U.S. President Trump publicly supports the Philippines, especially regarding the Scarborough Shoal incident; and third, Japan has also begun to support the Philippines by sending warships to it, with delivery starting next April.
Due to the Philippines' limited construction capabilities, they can only rely on purchasing or receiving military equipment donated by other countries, and Japan is willing to donate warships. At the same time, Japan has expressed its willingness to deploy missile bases in the Philippines. The reason Japan is so active is that once missiles are deployed in that region, it will pose a threat to the CCP's maritime routes.
Indonesia and Malaysia, these two countries, are also beginning to gradually raise their heads, and their cooperative relationship with Japan is strengthening. If these countries unite, the entire East Asia region will form an alliance against the CCP. Recently, the CCP has been eager to establish relations with Mongolia, and Wang Yi is about to go to Mongolia. In fact, the diplomatic efforts made by the CCP have not yielded the returns they deserve.
Russia's relationship with the CCP is delicate, and Russia's demand for the CCP's resources and the CCP's desire for its land have formed a tense situation. Throughout this process, Mongolia has always been within Russia's sphere of influence. If the CCP's relationship with Mongolia becomes too close, it may provoke Russia's dissatisfaction. The CCP's relationship with North Korea is also changing subtly, and Kim Jong Un exhibits a complex relationship regarding Xi Jinping's attitude and actions.
As the Philippines becomes increasingly tough on the Scarborough Shoal issue, the CCP's threat in the South China Sea is becoming apparent. The military alliance between the Philippines and the United States is solid, and any war will cause U.S. intervention. Xi Jinping still harbors fear about this. Facing the Philippines' tough attitude and U.S. support, the CCP's position in the South China Sea will face major challenges.
Overall, the CCP must deal with the escalating tension near Scarborough Shoal, which could become the first shot fired at the CCP. That's all for today's topic. Thank you for watching, and see you in the next program.