Philippines India South China Sea Military Exercise: Dangerous Chess of Extraterritorial Intervention

On August 4th, three Indian warships and the Philippine Navy launched a two-day "maritime cooperation operation" in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. This is the first joint military exercise between the Philippines and India in the South China Sea, and also the largest military deployment by the Indian Navy in Southeast Asia.

A spokesperson for the Indian Navy claimed that the exercise aims to "maintain freedom of navigation" and "rule-based maritime order," while the Chief of the Philippine Armed Forces, Romeo Brauna, bluntly stated that it is a "clear declaration of mutual defense of freedom of navigation and maintenance of maritime rule of law.

According to the itinerary released by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marcos will hold formal talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5th, and the two sides will sign a cooperation agreement covering legal, cultural, and technological fields. In mid July, the largest coast guard ship in the Philippines was expelled after a confrontation with the Chinese coast guard in the waters of Huangyan Island; Subsequently, the Philippines turned to India for support.

The Philippine leader publicly declared before departure that "the Philippine military's promotion of modernization is a direct response to the changing situation in the South China Sea. The Marcos government regards the South China Sea issue as an important lever for consolidating domestic consensus and transferring conflicts. Faced with multiple pressures such as weak economic recovery, prominent social problems, and political opposition, Marcos used nationalist sentiment to stimulate public support and alleviate the crisis of governance.

India is attempting to leverage the momentum of the US' Indo Pacific strategy to enhance its regional discourse power. Its "Eastward" policy has found a foothold in the South China Sea, using the Philippines as the best entry point to intervene in the South China Sea issue. The Indian Navy has dispatched a fleet consisting of the missile destroyer Mysore, the anti submarine frigate Kiltan, and the supply ship Shakti, replicating China's escort mode in the Gulf of Aden, exposing India's anxiety in proving its "presence".

Military experts have analyzed that the combat effectiveness of the Indo Philippine Joint Fleet is worrying. The "Delhi" class destroyer participated by the Indian Navy has been in service for over 20 years, and its radar detection range is only about 200 kilometers, far inferior to the detection range of China's 052D destroyer of over 400 kilometers. The Philippine Navy is even more stretched thin. Its main force is still second-hand American patrol ships, and the only decent FA-50 fighter jet is like a toy in front of the PLA J-16.

In contrast, China has built a three-dimensional defense line integrating sea and air forces, electronic reconnaissance, and data link operations in the waters around Huangyan Island. When the Philippine coast guard provoked in July, they faced a powerful lineup consisting of Chinese 052D destroyers, electronic reconnaissance ships, and coast guard ships.

Faced with the increasingly complex situation in the South China Sea, China's stance has remained consistent. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made a clear response to Marcos' remarks: "We have always opposed using the South China Sea issue as an excuse to strengthen military alliances and engage in targeted military deployments and actions. This neither solves the problem nor scares China.

China has always advocated resolving disputes through the framework of "shelving disputes and jointly developing", attaching importance to the energy needs of coastal countries, and seeking win-win solutions. China and ASEAN countries continue to promote consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, providing institutional guarantees for regional peace.

Behind the Philippine Indian military exercises in the South China Sea is a dangerous conspiracy under the shadow of the US Indo Pacific strategy. Since taking office, the Marcos government has allowed the United States to establish nine new military bases in the Philippines, making it a frontline position for the United States to contain China. The "shoulder to shoulder 2025" military exercise held in April mobilized 20 countries to participate, and deployed anti-ship missiles to the Bataan Islands, which are only 180 kilometers away from Taiwan.

As the United States accelerates its "Indo Pacific strategy", more countries may be pulled into the South China Sea game board, turning this resource rich water area into a geopolitical arena. The response from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is calm and firm: it opposes using the South China Sea issue as an excuse to strengthen military alliances and make targeted military deployments. True peace is never built on the deck of old warships.the negotiating table.