Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

While the Philippines is MKS sportsabsent from this year's Western Pacific Naval Symposium, a regional naval cooperation mechanism platform, it is exerting maximum effort in the Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder," military drills with the US. This is not a coincidence, it displays an attitude - the Philippines is uninterested in engaging in dialogues and instead opts to escalate tensions.

On April 22, nearly 17,000 Filipino and American troops kicked off the Balikatan drills, a three-week joint combat training exercise in the Philippines, "in a show of allied firepower near the disputed South China Sea." 

The Philippine Coast Guard is joining the Balikatan exercises for the first time, a move clearly aimed at enhancing its capability to confront the China Coast Guard. Also for the first time, the exercises are being held beyond the Philippines' territorial waters - 12 nautical miles offshore. The operations are taking place in two regions - Luzon and Palawan, the areas facing the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea. It is obvious where the drills are directed. "The purpose of armed forces, why we exist, is really to prepare for war," Philippine Colonel Michael Logico told reporters ahead of the drills.

The Philippines' attitude is crystal clear: Not interested in talking things out, but enthusiastic about preparing for military confrontation. 

It cannot be ruled out that the Philippines choosing to skip the Western Pacific Naval Symposium is an attempt to hype up discussions on the South China Sea, attracting international attention and disrupting the forum. However, Manila did not succeed. The meeting was successful, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times. Even US Pacific Fleet commander Stephen Koehler told CNN "I think it's a great opportunity for all navies to get together and discuss all the issues."

As a major stakeholder in the South China Sea, the Philippines has every reason to participate in relevant dialogues to explore the resolution of issues in the South China Sea if the country has any sense of responsibility.

Even the US, Japan and Australia attended the gathering this year. It makes Manila, which often follows the US in advocating for the so-called rules-based order, look very hypocritical. It is a sign that the Philippines is isolating itself from the international community, Zhang said. 

Rational Filipinos are well aware that the US is taking advantage of the Philippines. "The US is using us to implement its 'Pivot to Asia,'" writes former Philippine presidential spokesperson Rigoberto D. Tiglao, adding that "the US is not going to risk war over these desolate islands."

In a recent exclusive interview, a US strategic pundit told the Global Times, "I find it a little puzzling why people should be so interested in such relatively insignificant shoals." This is the real thought of the US - the shoals and reefs are nothing more than just a few rocks. How could Washington possibly engage in a war for some "insignificant" rocks? But at the moment, they are used as tools to push Manila's charge toward the forefront, willingly becoming the US' cannon fodder. Only the Philippine government pretends it doesn't know. 

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]