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Bully vs sovereignty: how Manila and Beijing are sharpening their South China Sea messaging
Analysts say the Philippines’ approach of ‘assertive transparency’ may be wearing thin at home and in the region
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Why you can trust SCMP
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The South China Sea continues to act as a lightning rod for competing claims among regional powers. In the final of a three-part series, Fan Chen investigates how Beijing is responding to the wake-up call on what is needed to win the narrative battle. For previous articles, click here and here.
A video shared by the Philippine coastguard gained wide attention in December. It showed a ship from its Chinese counterpart deploying water cannon towards a smaller vessel, but the footage was used to tell two starkly different stories.
According to Manila, the Chinese vessel was harassing and jeopardising the lives of “innocent fishermen”, with three of them reportedly sustaining bruises, cuts and other injuries in the confrontation near Sabina Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.
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Meanwhile, Beijing contended that the targeted vessels “under the guise of fishing” were there “in an organised and premeditated manner to provoke trouble”. The foreign ministry said China’s coastguards were threatened with knives and noted that they acted with “restraint” during the encounter.
The clash was the latest in a series of incidents that reflect a broader, years-long tug of war between Beijing and Manila as both seek to control the narrative in the South China Sea.
But while Beijing seeks to shape the talking points around the infringement of its sovereignty and regional peaceful cooperation, Manila is employing a publicity strategy that frames China as a coercive aggressor.
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