英语新闻丨菲律宾企图破坏我国南海地区和平与稳定

Tensions in the South China Sea have flared up in the past few days, mainly due to the Philippines' provocative activities that infringe on China's sovereignty in waters around Xianbin Reef.

过去几天，南海紧张局势加剧，主要是由于菲律宾在执意侵闯中国南沙群岛仙宾礁附近海域，侵犯了中国的领土主权。

Despite China's firm opposition and repeated warnings, the Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Philippine Coast Guard sent ships to intrude into the waters around Xianbin Reef on Sunday and Monday, prompting the China Coast Guard to carry out appropriate "control measures" in accordance with domestic and international law.

尽管中方坚决反对并一再警告，菲律宾渔业和水产资源局和菲律宾海岸警卫队仍于8月25至26日派船前往我国仙宾礁附近海域，中国海警依法实施必要管控。

Though dubbed as humanitarian missions, the real purpose of Manila's reckless decision to send supplies to one of its coast guard vessels, which has been anchored in the lagoon of Xianbin Reef since April, is to cement the vessel's long-term presence there.

中方出于人道主义考虑，对菲方向“坐滩”军舰运送必要生活物资的船只多次作出临时特殊安排。但菲方却一再出尔反尔，企图运送用于大规模维修加固军舰的建筑物资，以期实现对仁爱礁的永久侵占。

That inevitably has triggered countermeasures from China, as the Philippines' activities infringe on China's sovereignty. They also violate the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which specifies that all parties should refrain from inhabiting previously uninhabited islands or reefs. This cannot but raise the vigilance of China over whatever step Manila is going to take next.

菲律宾违背了中国和东盟国家共同签署的《南海各方行为宣言》。仁爱礁是无人岛礁，各方应维持仁爱礁无人无设施的状态。但前不久，菲律宾军方发言人公然声称要在仁爱礁上建造永久建筑。菲律宾还频繁派员登临铁线礁等中国南海无人岛礁，严重违反宣言精神。

History urges caution given that the Philippines grounded an old naval vessel on China's Ren'ai Reef in 1999 to reinforce its illegal territorial claim there. It has since refused to move the vessel despite China's repeated calls for its removal from the Chinese waters.

1999年，菲律宾的坦克登陆舰“马德雷山”号冲上仁爱礁，并以“搁浅”“船身损坏需要修理”为名，开始长达25年的“坐滩”。此后，尽管中国一再呼吁将这艘船从中国海域驱逐出去，但菲方一直拒绝移动军舰。

Now Manila is employing the same model of encroachment at Xianbin Reef.

现在，菲律宾正试图采用同样的模式侵占仙宾礁。

Speaking at a military forum in Manila on Tuesday, attended by military officials and senior diplomats from the United States and allied countries, the Philippine defense chief laid bare the pot-valiant stimulant that has brewed Manila's pugnacious claim-jumping. Alleging that China is the "biggest disruptor of peace" in the region, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr called for the Philippines' mutual defense treaty with the US "to be interpreted dynamically" and for "stronger collective multilateral action against China".

8月27日，菲律宾国防部长吉尔伯特·特奥多罗在美国印太司令部年度军事会议上妄称，中国是东南亚地区“国际和平的最大破坏者”。他怂恿国际社会干预中国在南海地区维护自身领土主权和海洋权益的行动，并喊话东盟采取更多行动。

The head of the US "Indo-Pacific" Command later expounded on this by saying that discussions were underway and US escorts for Philippine vessels on resupply missions in the South China Sea were "an entirely reasonable option".

美国印度洋－太平洋司令部（以下简称“印太”司令部）27日宣称，美国护送菲律宾船只向在中国领海滞留的菲船只实施补给是“完全合理的选项”，但美国印太司令部司令塞缪尔·帕帕罗（Samuel Paparo）表示，是否这么做还需美菲进行磋商。

That the forum was organized by the US "Indo-Pacific" Command only serves to show who is pulling Manila's strings.

该军事会议由美国印太司令部组织，由此可见美方在背后帮助菲方。

But whatever tricks and coercion the Philippines and the US resort to, any attempts to challenge China's sovereignty in the South China Sea are doomed to failure.

无论菲方和美方采取何种伎俩和胁迫，任何挑战中国在南海主权的企图都注定要失败。

The latest incidents and Manila's staging of the farce of "a thief crying 'stop thief'" happened after China and the Philippines agreed to "restore trust" and "rebuild confidence" at a high-level meeting last month. The announcement that the two sides had reached an agreement on the need to manage their maritime disputes seemed to be backed up by a provisional arrangement on Manila's resupply missions to the grounded naval ship at Ren'ai Reef.

近日菲律宾上演的“贼喊捉贼”的闹剧发生在中国和菲律宾在上个月的一次高级别会议上同意“恢复信任”和“重建信心”之后，双方就南海问题达成协议，菲方就运补人道主义生活物资达成临时性安排。

That China's response to the Philippines' reneging on that agreement has so far been extremely restrained indicates it treasures its traditional friendship with the Philippines, and is doing everything possible to prevent peace and stability in the South China Sea being jeopardized.

迄今为止，中方对菲方违背该协议的反应极其克制，这是出于我国珍视与菲律宾的传统友谊，并尽可能防止南海的和平与稳定受到威胁。

Yet it seems that some in the Philippines, encouraged by the US, have taken China's show of goodwill as a sign of weakness, and are intent on trying to test the firmness of its bottom line on sovereignty. That the Philippines took the representatives of several media outlets on board its coast guard vessels for Monday's provocative intrusion into Chinese waters reflects its intent to turn up the heat in the South China Sea at the instigation of Washington.

然而，在美国的鼓励下，菲方似乎将中国的善意表现视为软弱的表现，并试图触碰我国主权底线。8月26日，菲方挑衅性地入侵中国海域，将多家媒体的代表带上其海岸警卫队船只，菲方试图在美方的支持下加剧南海紧张局势。

The two unruly allies that are the true disruptors of peace and stability in the South China Sea should bear in mind that China has both sufficient means and resolve to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Manila should reconsider the wisdom of putting its trust in Washington lest it is emboldened to go too far on a dangerous path.

菲美勾结在南海挑衅危害南海地区的和平和稳定，中方有足够的手段和决心来维护国家的主权和领土完整。菲方应重新考虑信任美方是否明智，其大胆行为或将适得其反。

US "Indo-Pacific" Command

n.美国印度洋－太平洋司令部