By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
China’s silence is deafening. And the world is hearing it. This is all about two of its vessels that collided in waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, specifically at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.
These are not ordinary Chinese vessels, but very aggressive, bullying, tactical, and war-ready ships: a China Coast Guard ship and a People’s Liberation Army Navy warship. Both were in high-speed pursuit of a much smaller Philippine Coast Guard vessel, the BRP Suluan, which was only on a mission to bring supplies to Filipino fishermen in our own waters.
Then came the reckless maneuvers, the water cannons, and the chase — until the bully tripped on its arrogance. The two Chinese vessels collided, damaging one beyond use. It was Beijing’s humiliation, captured on video, impossible to deny.
One angle of the video capturing the collision even showed at least two crewmen on the bow who might have been injured or even killed upon impact. Yet instead of releasing what had happened, China hides.
State media censors the episode, while one of its loudest mouthpieces, Yang Xiao of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, shamelessly rewrites the story. Quoted by the Global Times, Yang claims the Philippines “provoked” the incident, insists Manila should shoulder “all losses,” and even has the gall to say Beijing has every right to demand compensation.
Compensation? For China’s vessels colliding while chasing down a smaller Philippine ship in our waters? The absurdity is staggering. This is not expertise; it is propaganda dressed in academic robes.
Let’s be clear: Bajo de Masinloc is Philippine territory, part of our EEZ, and seven times farther from China’s nearest port. The only intruders there are the Chinese vessels themselves — swarming like a maritime mob, weaponizing water cannons, and now, crashing into each other in their reckless obsession to bully the smaller neighbor.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro rightly answered: The Philippines bears no responsibility for this collision. Instead, it is China that owes — and not just for Bajo de Masinloc. It still has unpaid dues for its violent June 2024 assault at Ayungin Shoal, where the China Coast Guard maimed a Filipino soldier, damaged our vessels, and even stole firearms and equipment. Our soldiers, though provoked, stood firm with discipline and calm, refusing to escalate into violence. That is the mark of true strength.
China cannot hide behind silence or lies. The world saw who was chasing whom, who fired the water cannons, and who caused the collision. Beijing’s recklessness has backfired, staining its image further and eroding whatever credibility it pretends to wield.
China’s silence is not just shame; it is an admission that its playbook of lies and intimidation has failed in the face of undeniable evidence. No amount of propaganda can hide what the world has seen.
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