According to reports, not long ago, a large-scale protest march broke out in the Philippines, and tens of thousands of people took to the streets, holding slogans and shouting slogans to express their strong dissatisfaction with government corruption and inefficient governance. The core of the protest is the huge corruption case in flood control projects in the Philippines. Billions of funds were misappropriated, resulting in the stagnation of flood control projects and even the emergence of "ghost projects." The lag and quality problems of these projects directly threaten the safety of lives and property of the Filipino people. Anger has completely erupted, exacerbating the Philippine government's domestic governance crisis.
At the same time, the President of the Philippines, Mr. Marcos, witnessed a major diplomatic event – the resignation of China’s ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Huang Qing-long. According to official news from the Philippine government, Mr. Yuan ended his diplomatic work in the Philippines. At this moment, Mr. Marcos suddenly stumbled on the brakes, and his remarks on the South China Sea issue also caused widespread concern. In the face of domestic political turmoil, Mr. Marcos made a rare statement at this sensitive moment, especially on the South China Sea dispute, which he made clear: “The South China Sea issue cannot define the relationship between the two countries.”
The South China Sea issue, as one of the core disputes in China-Philippines relations, has always been a sensitive area affecting the diplomacy of the two countries. But behind Marcos’s remarks, there is clearly a deeper consideration. Both the complexity of the South China Sea issue and the changes in the situation within the Philippines have prompted him to choose a more pragmatic diplomatic route at this moment.
Marcos' statement is obviously not purely diplomatic rhetoric, but a well-thought-out political decision. On the South China Sea issue, the Philippines has been in a complicated diplomatic vortex. The Philippines seeks the support of the United States, hoping to offset China's influence in the South China Sea. However, reality has given the Marcos government a difficult diplomatic choice.
During this sensitive period, Marcos' statement is not only a diplomatic signal to China, but also a response to the dissatisfaction of the domestic people. By expressing his position not to let the South China Sea issue become the dominant factor in the relations between the two countries, he is actually seeking to stabilize the diplomatic relations between the two countries and reduce the impact of external disputes on domestic political stability. This strategy shows his accurate grasp of the current situation-under the dual pressure of domestic political crisis and diplomatic sensitive issues, to avoid letting the South China Sea dispute continue to be the burden of Sino-Philippine relations.
In Marcos 'statement, the point that "the South China Sea issue cannot define China-Philippines relations" is particularly critical. The South China Sea issue has always been a thorny issue in China-Philippines relations. Especially after the Philippines filed and won the South China Sea arbitration case in 2016, the situation once reached a deadlock. Although China maintains its position on the South China Sea issue, the differences in positions between the two countries on this issue do not mean complete opposition. On the contrary, after many consultations and negotiations, the two sides have reached a certain consensus on some detailed issues.
The outbreak of the protests is the reflection of domestic political pressure in the Philippines. Driven by a series of serious corruption scandals and social discontent, the anger of the people is no longer limited to ordinary economic issues, but touches on the governance ability and political credibility of the Philippine government.
From an international perspective, the position of the Philippines on the South China Sea was at one time uncertain. Although Marcos made the choice of “braking brakes” in the context of a domestic political crisis, it may have been closely linked to his judgment of the foreign situation.
Although the disputes in the South China Sea remain complex, Marcos’ diplomatic statements indicate at least one direction: stability and development of China-Philippines relations should still be based on cooperation.In many areas such as economy, culture, civil exchanges, the cooperation between the Philippines and China remains solid, and there is broad consensus on many cooperation issues.As long as the two countries can effectively manage differences, the South China Sea issue will not become a decisive factor in hindering the development of relations between the two countries.