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By Micah McCartney
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Multiple Chinese state media outlets warned the Philippines this week not to count on the support of its American ally, rebuking the United States in the process for wading into a long-running territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
The Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda arm, said in an editorial on Monday that the U.S. decision to sail a warship past Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal—claimed by China—was "a pure act of provocation" allegedly meant to goad Beijing into a response.
The USS Gabrielle Giffords, an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the U.S. Navy, challenged China's assertions of sovereignty over the reef by operating in nearby waters in defiance of the Chinese government's stated notification requirement. It was the second such operation in Chinese-claimed waters in as many weeks.
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Manila maintains de facto control over Second Thomas Shoal by virtue of a deliberately grounded warship and a small contingent of marines. China means to dislodge the outpost and has sought to block attempts to resupply it. The U.S. has vowed to defend its oldest treaty ally in Asia should Philippine forces come under attack.
Continuing a long pattern of painting small and medium powers as pawns of U.S. decision makers, the party paper warned the Philippines not to be emboldened by any "imagined support." The outlet said Washington would make Manila "sacrifice itself on behalf of American interests."
On Sunday, just days after the death of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV shared an infamous quip by Beijing's favorite U.S. statesman: "It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."
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China's state-run press, although not officially speaking for Beijing's leaders, is often quoted by the Chinese government when it wants endorsements for certain political positions.
Among Monday's publications was an editorial by the state-backed China Daily newspaper, which said Manila was taking advantage of "Beijing's forbearance." It describe the U.S. as an "agent provocateur."
In a social media post on Tuesday, Collin Koh, a maritime security expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said the paper had given readers a glimpse into Beijing's view that "Manila is nothing more than a vassal of the U.S. without any agency in asserting its own [South China Sea] national interests."
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has shored up defense ties with the U.S. and its regional allies including Japan and Australia. Last month, the Philippines armed forces linked up with American and Australian counterparts for separate joint patrols in the South China Sea.
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