"Kill the chicken to scare the monkey" is among China's cornerstone strategies to fulfill its hegemonic ambitions in the Indo Pacific. It is derived from a Chinese proverb that refers to taking aggressive actions to subdue a weaker opponent to intimidate a larger, more powerful adversary. In this case, the weaker opponent is the Philippines, and the larger adversary is the United States.
Thousands of US and Filipino marines began 10 days of joint exercises in the northern and western Philippines on Tuesday, just a day after China conducted extensive drills around Taiwan.[1] (Source: Channelnewsasia.com)
China has three objectives in employing this strategy.
The first is to send a signal to the other claimants of the South China Sea that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is willing to resort to aggressive actions to assert its claims.
The second is to pander to the Chinese population. There exists a sort of social contract between the CCP and the Chinese people. In exchange for surrendering their rights and freedoms, the CCP guarantees to Chinese households increasing personal wealth. Yet, with the Chinese economy now in shambles and personal wealth diminishing, the CCP has to show that it is doing something substantive for its people. Thus, reclaiming "historical territories" has become the national consolation prize.
The third, and most significantly one, is to send a signal to the U.S. that the CCP will not relent in its campaign for territorial expansion.
In pursuit of its strategy, China has waged increasingly aggressive attacks on Philippine vessels in both the Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoals. A total of ten attacks have been recorded since August 2023, each with increasing intensity.
The worst attack happened in June 2024 when a Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed a Philippine re-supply ship in the Second Thomas Shoal to block it from fulfilling its mission. Chinese coast guard personnel boarded the Philippine ship armed with axes and machetes, trashed Philippine equipment and seized weapons and communication gadgets. One Filipino lost his thumb in the confrontation.[2]
The situation was so intense that both parties agreed to de-escalate through diplomatic dialogue. The very next day after the diplomatic agreement was reached, the CCP deployed its largest coast guard vessel to the shoal to intimidate Philippine forces.[3] China's actions cemented what everybody knows – that the CCP cannot be trusted to honor diplomatic agreements, pacts, or treaties.
Throughout these aggressive actions, the Philippines has never relented and the BRP Sierra Madre remains in the Second Thomas Shoal as a military outpost and symbol of Philippine sovereignty over the territory.
BRP Sierra Madre serves as the country's outpost in Ayungin Shoal or the Second Thomas Shoal.[4]
On June 17, 2024, Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo lost a thumb in a confrontation with the China Coast Guard (CCG). (Source: X)
Chinese Desperation And Its Failure Of Strategy
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte shivered in fear at the very shadow of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his officials. Consequently, Mr. Duterte succumbed to Chinese demands. His cowardice and treachery are now well exposed, and the Philippines has turned a new page.[5]
Under the leadership of President Bongbong Marcos, the Philippines has shown formidable resistance and remarkable bravery in the wake of intense bullying. It is a classic "David and Goliath" story in which China finds itself rattled by Philippine resistance. No other country has faced China this way. The fact that the Philippines is holding its ground and refuses to be subdued shows that China's strategy is failing. Its increasing aggression is akin to lashing out in desperation. China has failed to assert its dominance.
In fact, the Chinese strategy has backfired. Rather than subduing the Philippines and intimidating the U.S., it has drawn both nations together in a tighter relationship that traverses military, economic, and diplomatic cooperation. Exacerbating matters for China is that the Philippines has expanded its axis of cooperation with Japan and Australia.[6]
Philippine Bravery
During the ASEAN Summit in September 2023, Philippine President Marcos spoke directly to China and made his position clear.[7]
He stated that the Philippines condemns the illegal grab and militarization of the South China Sea, adding that the use of coast guards and maritime militia vessels for coercive activities is a cause for global concern. President Marcos also stressed that peace and stability in the maritime domain can only flourish in a regime anchored on the rule of law, and, above all, that the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas is the primary framework within which activities in the maritime domain is to be conducted. In the State of the Nation Address of 2024, President Marcos said: "The Philippines will never yield an inch of our territory."[8]
The Philippines has since supported its words with actions. It has committed to a military buildup. President Marcos increased military spending by 40 percent on top of a $35 billion package for new weaponry. Furthermore, the Philippines expanded the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the U.S., which grants the United States access to nine military bases.[9] This is on top of the ratification of Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan, and soon similar agreements may be made with France, Canada and New Zealand.[10]
The Philippines is the only country in the region that openly and continuously confronts China's territorial claims and militarization of the disputed waters. It has filed over 150 diplomatic protests against Beijing since President Marcos took office, all of which eroded confidence in China's leadership. Further, the Philippines is the only country that names and shames China for its bad behavior. Live footages of China's aggressive actions on international media caused numerous countries to condemn the communist nation.
The world has a stake in maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. It works to every nation's collective interest not to have a single nation gain unilateral dominion over the waters through militarization.
The Philippines is bravely battling the regionally bully on behalf of all nations that have a stake. It may not have the military might yet, but it is not lacking in will, resolve and bravery.
*Andrew J. Masigan is the MEMRI China Media Studies Project Special Advisor. He is a Manila-based economist, businessman, and political columnist for The Philippine Star. Masigan's articles in MEMRI are also published in The Philippine Star.
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11615, China's Military Drills Around Taiwan – Taiwan's MOFA Calls On Nations Around The World To Recognize 'China's Authoritarian And Expansionist Nature', October 14, 2024.
[2] Philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/23/2364980/filipino-sailors-thumb-loss-accident-boat-collision-pcg, June 23, 2024.
[3] Apnews.com/article/philippines-china-shoal-agreement-3450e06b61bbe6ef9cd5dd9e211f6f79, July 22, 2024.
[4] Rappler.com/philippines/video-how-brp-sierrra-madre-ended-up-ayungin-shoal/, November 1, 2023.
[5] See MEMRI TV clip No. 11041, Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte: America Is Pushing Us To Find A Quarrel With China, Start A War; It Should Remove Its Bases From Our Islands, April 16, 2024.
[6] Mofa.go.jp/s_sa/sea2/ph/pageite_000001_00432.html, July 8, 2024;
[7] Rappler.com/philippines/summary-marcos-jr-interventions-asean-summit-2023-indonesia, September 6, 2023.
[8] Youtube.com/watch?v=VNa-_Xwaviw, July 24, 2024.
[9] Ph.usembassy.gov/enhanced-defense-cooperation-agreement-edca-fact-sheet
[10] Thediplomat.com/2024/04/france-philippines-to-begin-negotiating-reciprocal-access-agreement, April 26, 2024; News.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/22/-like-raa-philippines
-eyes-defense-pacts-with-canada-france-new-zealand-teodoro-939, July 22, 2024.