Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent the first 15 months of his term working with the U.S. and its allies to counter China¡¯s incursions in the South China Sea. Now, his government is taking the fight more directly to Beijing in a move that could force the U.S. to make some tough choices.
Marcos this week ordered a ¡°special operation¡± in which his coast guard removed a barrier installed by China at the entrance of the Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks the two sides claim as their own. Footage posted by the Philippine coast guard shows a knife-wielding man in scuba gear slicing through a rope connecting buoys that they say threatened fishers and was ¡°a clear violation of international law.¡±
The move, the coast guard says, is part of a strategy developed over several months to retake the area ¡ª a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines and its neighbors ¡ª which Beijing has effectively controlled since 2012 after a weekslong standoff with Manila. China Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin quickly warned the Philippines ¡°not to make provocations or seek troubles.¡±
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