Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Recently,MKsports the Philippines has continued to stir up troubles over China's Xianbin Jiao in the South China Sea, taking provocative actions and hyping up the conflicts at sea. Out of the need to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and the validity of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), China has continued to take restrictive measures against Philippine vessels, making the Philippines fail to send supplies in three separate attempts on August 19, 25 and 26 to its Coast Guard ship MRRV-9701, which has been illegally anchored in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao since April. 

Nonetheless, the Philippines, along with the incitement of the US, keeps uttering provocative statements. The Philippines' Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Monday accused China's actions in the South China Sea as "patently illegal." Head of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, claimed on Tuesday that the US military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the South China Sea.

It needs to be pointed out that Xianbin Jiao is not within the territory or the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. The outer territorial limits of the Philippines are determined by three international treaties. China's Nanhai Zhudao, including Xianbin Jiao, are located outside of the boundaries of the Philippine territory. 

The Philippines believes that the South China Sea Arbitration Award provides a so-called international legal basis for its claim. However, the arbitral tribunal, established at the unilateral request of the Philippines, violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires, and rendered an award disregarding international law. China doesn't accept or recognize the ruling of the arbitration and will not accept any claim or action based on it. Under no circumstances shall China's territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea be affected by the ruling. 

The Philippines seems to be a country accustomed to illegally grounding its ships on Chinese territory, and doesn't adhere to the rule of law. 

On May 9, 1999, a Philippine Navy's tank landing ship sailed toward Ren'ai Jiao. Claiming that there were water leaks from the bottom of the ship, the Philippine government declared it had to run aground on the northwest side of the reef. On November 3, 1999, the Philippines sent another aging warship to ground near the southeastern entrance to the lagoon of Huangyan Dao, claiming that the ship was broken down and unable to leave. It was only after several rounds of diplomatic maneuvers by China that the Philippines withdrew its ship from Huangyan Dao. Currently, the MRRV-9701 of the Philippine Coast Guard has been in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao for more than four months. Instead of removing it, the Philippines has repeatedly sent supplies to the functioning vessel.

In recent weeks, the Philippines has frequently dispatched vessels to intrude into the waters near Xianbin Jiao, attempting to establish a long-term existence. Given the Philippines' history of sending supplies to its old warship illegally grounded at China's Ren'ai Jiao, it's possible that the Philippines may deliver supplies to Coast Guard Ship MRRV-9701 at Xianbin Jiao via airdrop. These actions not only violate China's sovereignty, but also undermine the full and effective implementation of the DOC. 

The Philippines' provocative activities at Xianbin Jiao are supported by the US. Washington has invested a great deal of resources in strengthening the US-Philippines alliance and building a small multilateral security mechanism against China. Whenever incidents occur between China and the Philippines, the US tends to step in and support the Philippines, citing the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, and making explicit military threats to China. 

Manila should not make the mistake of thinking that it can blatantly challenge and test China with the support of Washington. To safeguard its territorial sovereignty and the effectiveness of the DOC, China has sufficient means and capabilities, including but not limited to preventing Philippine vessels from entering the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao and taking other powerful enforcement measures.

The author is deputy director of the Research Center for Ocean Law and Policy at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. [email protected]