China Coast Guard vessel Chigua patrols in the South China Sea, on Aug 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
When a Chinese naval vessel rescued 174 Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea recently, this act of humanitarian assistance should have been taken as maritime goodwill. Instead, it was seen as a thorn by anti-China forces in the Philippines. Under persistent instigation by individuals such as Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard on the "West Philippine Sea", officials from both countries were drawn into a month-long war of words.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that anti-China politicians in the Philippines have undermined China-Philippines relations under the guise of "protecting national interests" and "upholding democracy and freedom of speech". Behind each such anti-China political farce lies a simple question: who truly benefits, and who ultimately pays the price?
Coast Guard officials who make inflammatory statements often attract disproportionate attention. Despite China's ironclad evidence, Tarriela has only further cemented his identity as a spreader of disinformation and a pawn for anti-China forces.
Continue Reading on China Daily
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.