Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.
— Benjamin Disraeli

MAYPAJO, Caloocan City — China warned the Philippines of stronger countermeasures in response to what it called increasing provocations in the South China Sea.
The warning was issued by Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, who accused Manila of causing disturbances in various areas with the support and encouragement of the United States.
Laughable is Wu's allegation that "from Ren'ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) to Xianbin Jiao (Sabina Shoal) and from Houteng Jiao to Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal), repeated provocations have allowed the international community to see clearly who is undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea and who is fabricating and spreading lies."
Prior to the remark, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had claimed that it was China who had taken aggressive actions against Philippine vessels heading toward Houteng Jiao and this can be verified by several reporters who accompanied the said patrol missions.
But Wu retorted that "the real issue (at hand) is not about who has more reporters, but who has more legitimacy."
The Chinese official likewise emphasized that our country's territories are defined by a series of international treaties, which do not include the Nansha Qundao (Spratly Islands) and Scarborough Shoal.
China's claims cover most of the South China Sea and overlap with our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) claims, as well as that of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
On July 12, 2016, the arbitral tribunal ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, determining that major elements of Beijing's claims—including its nine-dash line, recent land reclamation activities, and other activities in Philippine waters—were unlawful. China has refused, however, to recognize the decision.
China's latest warning came after the Philippines urged Beijing at the United Nations Assembly to adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) ruling and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
Our UN representative Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo pointed out that "Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) has always been integral to the Philippines' territory" and "only the Philippines has the right to establish baselines and determine the extent of the territorial sea around (the shoal) as declared UNCLOS."
Ambassador Lagdameo also emphasized that multilateralism relies on a rules-based order guided by international law and the principles of equity and justice, which protect the rights of all states. He stressed that the 1982 UNCLOS and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea constitute the foundation of the Philippines' policy on the South China Sea.
The truth is that China's response of announcing baselines around the Bajo de Masinloc is a violation of UNCLOS and undermines the rules-based international order. But apparently, Beijing—being the bully that it is—willfully disregards this fact and it will continue to force its invasive policies to get what it really wants—total domination of the region!

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