What goodwill? We own the shoal

China’s propaganda mill is now targeting the Armed Forces of the Philippines, saying it is recruiting fishermen as militias to monitor the activities of Chinese government vessels in the areas of dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

The fantastic narrative alleges that “since 2023, the Philippines has been dispatching batches of government vessels and fishing ships to intrude on and provoke disputes in the South China Sea, especially near Scarborough Shoal, on the pretext of ‘ensuring the security of Filipino fishermen.’”

It continues that China has allowed the fishermen to tend to their livelihood out of “goodwill” in the area it claims as its territory based on the long debunked nine-dash line.

In a 2016 ruling, the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China’s historic claim to the water expanse between the neighbors was without basis and ran contrary to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China has insisted on its rogue position which most nations oppose. The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, France, Germany and New Zealand have taken strong positions in support of the Philippines in the maritime conflict.

Chinese officials blame the AFP for a campaign “to defame China’s professional and restrained action in the South China Sea,” referring to the measured transparency campaign to expose the harassment of Filipino vessels.

Beijing is now trying to turn the tables on the Philippines apparently to justify its increasingly aggressive actions in the WPS.

China claims the fishermen are actually “hired guns, trained and controlled by the Philippine government through military conscription and government subsidies.”

Referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s strong statement about not giving up an inch of territory, China said the ultimate goal of the Philippines is to control Scarborough Shoal.

“If the Philippines truly cares about the fishing rights and interests of its fishermen, it would stop its abuses that unilaterally sabotage the foundation of Beijing’s goodwill to Manila that temporarily allows Philippine fishermen to operate near Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal), rather than aggravating the situation by sacrificing the livelihoods of fishermen to satisfy the ambitions of some politicians,” the usual mouthpiece of the Chinese government said.

The basis for the “conspiracy in the seas” that Beijing is conjuring up was apparently the statement of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner about turning the fishermen into reservists.

“We want our fisherfolk to become reservists and we’ll teach them how to help defend the country,” Brawner was quoted as saying.

“It’s already being implemented. We have established reserve units, but we are going to wait for the platforms or the vessels that would actually be used,” he said, emphasizing that the way forward “depends on the funds.”

China said it had evidence the government was inciting “fisherfolk to carry out a long-term occupation and provocations in the South China Sea.”

The myth, however, lacked context since Brawner’s statement was made following the appearance of People’s Liberation Army Navy ships near the shoal.

The situation has changed, Mr. Marcos had said, referring to the presence of the gray ships.

“We just defend our maritime territory. We continue to support all our fishermen, fisherfolk who make their living from these fishing grounds,” he stressed.

The Philippine Coast Guard said it monitored PLA Navy warships some 20 nautical miles from the shoal.

China has taken offense over some fishermen being equipped with recording devices such as mobile phones since it said that they should only be fishing and not filming.

They’re not in China, however, and they are free to do whatever is proper in a free country.

“China said it had evidence the government was inciting ‘fisherfolk to carry out a long-term occupation and provocations in the South China Sea.’

“In a 2016 ruling, the United Nationsbacked Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China’s historic claim to the water expanse between the neighbors was without basis.