Xinhua Commentary: Manila's distortion campaign changes nothing on South China Sea

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- In a repeat of its brazen tactics, the latest maritime confrontation near China's Ren'ai Jiao once again exposed Manila's notorious pattern in the South China Sea: it deliberately provokes an incident, then distorts the facts and plays the victim.

On Monday, personnel from the illegally grounded Philippine vessel BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) at China's Ren'ai Jiao aggressively approached and rammed a China Coast Guard patrol boat while violently attacking Chinese law enforcement officers. After the incident, Manila chose to turn facts on their head, accusing China of misconduct while covering up its own provocative actions.

This was not an isolated episode. Rather, it fits a pattern that has become increasingly evident in recent years. Time and again, the Philippines has deliberately created tensions at sea, selectively presented events to the world, and sought to cast itself as a victim confronting a larger neighbor.

Manila's narrative twists the truth to hide the problem's source.

At the heart of the matter lies the illegally grounded Philippine military vessel itself. The tank landing ship "was deliberately grounded" at China's Ren'ai Jiao in 1999, the Philippines' then Defense Chief Orlando Mercado told a media forum held in Manila in February 2024. "It's all about being there ... We have to have a presence," he said then.

Manila subsequently pledged to tow it away, yet more than two decades later it remains there. Instead of honoring its commitment, the Philippines has repeatedly attempted to reinforce the vessel and consolidate its illegal occupation under various pretexts. It is these actions, rather than China's lawful rights protection and law enforcement activities, that have continuously fueled tensions around Ren'ai Jiao.

Every new provocation by Manila serves the same purpose: to maintain an unlawful presence there while obscuring who triggered the dispute in the first place. That also explains why every maritime incident is quickly followed by a misinformation campaign.

Earlier this month, the Philippines joined hands with some external countries in a statement to revive the so-called "South China Sea arbitration award" a decade after its release, despite its lack of legitimacy and the absence of any regional consensus surrounding it.

By doing so, the Philippines aims to magnify a dispute of its own making into a geopolitical flashpoint.

However, no publicity stunt can distort the truth forever. No meticulously edited videos can erase the history of the Philippine vessel's illegal grounding, nor can incessant accusations undermine China's sovereignty or its legitimate rights in the South China Sea.

Fabricating incidents, peddling lies, and seeking external support may garner short-lived media attention, yet they will neither bolster the Philippines' legal standing nor foster peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The only feasible path remains the one consistently advocated by China and the vast majority of ASEAN countries: resolving differences through dialogue and honoring commitments. That is how the South China Sea can be turned into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. ■