On 14 September, the Philippine Coast Guard(PCG) vessel 9701, which had illegally intruded and anchored at Xianbin Jiao for nearly five months, withdrew from Xianbin Jiao.

Since 17 April this year, the Philippines staged a drama series in Xianbin Jiao including the delivery of supplies and ramming Chinese ships. The withdrawal marks the temporary conclusion of the tensions lasting several months in Xianbin Jiao. However, based on the statement issued by the Philippine National Maritime Commission (NMC) after the vessel’s return and other situations, it is unlikely that this would put its provocations in the South China Sea to an end. China’s determination and self-restraint in responding to the provocations have prevented the Philippines from achieving any expected outcome, and it has had to return with empty hands.

The Philippines’ provocations were evident from the outset in this incident. This dispute was driven by the Philippines’ attempt to stir up troubles in Xianbin Jiao through radical actions, aiming to fabricate a negative image of China to gain attention and support from external powers. The Philippines also sought to escalate tensions and conflicts to draw external powers further into the South China Sea dispute. In addition, in the Philippines’ view, the best scenario may be that China is forced to acquiesce to the Philippine vessel 9701 “beached” at Xianbin Jiao, resulting in a consistent confrontation between the two sides.

Nevertheless, facing the illegal actions of the Philippine vessel 9701, China’s successful handling of the situation left the Philippines no choice but to withdraw. China took firm control measures and expressed a determined diplomatic stance, defending its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Xianbin Jiao and its adjacent waters. That made it impossible for the Philippine ship 9701 to quasi-ground for long, and shattered Manila’s illusion of forcing China to abandon its bottom line.

Meanwhile, China acted calmly and professionally to handle the Philippines’ illegal activities, which thwarted their attempts to stir up international public opinion. China also actively engaged in communication with the Philippines, showing goodwill while maintaining its bottom line, and urged the Philippines to withdraw its vessel and personnel voluntarily to prevent further escalation.

Regardless of the Philippine side’s true intentions behind withdrawing its ship and personnel from Xianbin Jiao, China’s determination to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights will not waver, and its commitment to resolving South China Sea disputes peacefully under international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea remains unchanged. China will never allow a repeat of the situation at Ren’ai Jiao to occur at Xianbin Jiao and has the capability to ensure this will not happen in the future.

The Philippines should not harbor any illusions, nor is there any need to return or test China’s red line by other means. The withdrawal of the 9701 and its personnel from Xianbin Jiao should mark the beginning of the Philippines returning to the right track on the South China Sea dispute, rather than a mere “interlude”. This is not only the shared vision of China and other countries that genuinely wish to build the South China Sea into a region of peace and cooperation, but also in the best interest of the Philippines.

(Author: Chen Xidi, China Institute for Marine Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources)