The Philippines Announces Plans to Counter Chinese Coast Guard Attacks

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at rising tensions in the South China Sea , Colombia expelling Argentine diplomats, and Russia ’s stance on NATO ’s involvement in the Ukraine war.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at rising tensions in the South China Sea, Colombia expelling Argentine diplomats, and Russia’s stance on NATO’s involvement in the Ukraine war.

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‘We Will Not Be Cowed Into Silence’

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced plans on Thursday to implement new countermeasures against what he called “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks” by China’s coast guard in the South China Sea. “We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends,” Marcos wrote on Facebook, “but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience.”

Marcos did not specify what the countermeasures would entail, only that they would be “proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable” to Beijing’s attacks. However, two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press that advisors recommended Manila use faster military vessels instead of chartered civilian ships when delivering personnel and supplies to naval forces stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal.

The shoal is a submerged reef in the South China Sea that is hotly contested by both China and the Philippines, among other countries. Since the late 1990s, the Philippines has stationed a small contingent of naval forces on a ship that it intentionally marooned on the shoal to serve as a territorial outpost. In 2016, The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in a case filed by Manila that China’s historic claim to the area has no legal basis. Beijing, however, continues to reject the tribunal’s ruling. China has previously sent coast guard and maritime militia ships to surround the shoal to prevent Philippine resupply boats from reaching the marooned vessel, which remains an actively commissioned Philippine naval ship.

This has led to repeated hostilities between Chinese and Philippine vessels, including last Saturday, when China’s coast guard fired water cannons on a Philippine resupply ship, injuring three crew members. Beijing called the operation a “lawful regulation, interception, and expulsion” of a foreign vessel that “tried to forcefully intrude” into Chinese waters. On Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian blamed Manila for the two countries’ breakdown in ties and accused the Philippines of spreading “misinformation to mislead the international community.”

Foreign governments have condemned China’s recent actions. On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Beijing’s operation “dangerous” and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which says the United States and the Philippines will defend each other if one comes under attack, including in the South China Sea.

Unlike Marcos’s predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who prioritized economic cooperation with Beijing, Marcos has pursued a harsher China policy and pivoted closer to the United States. Last year, Marcos granted Washington greater access to Philippine military bases and expanded joint exercises over the South China Sea. Regional experts have linked the Philippines’ deteriorating relations with Beijing to its deepening ties with Washington.

Colombia-Argentina spat. Bogotá ordered the expulsion of several Argentine diplomats on Wednesday after Argentine President Javier Milei called his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, a “murdering terrorist” during a CNN interview, appearing to reference Petro’s time as a member of the long-disbanded M-19 guerrilla group. Milei’s comments “have deteriorated the trust of our nation, in addition to offending the dignity of President Petro, who was democratically elected,” the Colombian Foreign Ministry said. It did not specify how many diplomats Bogotá would remove.

Milei is known for publicly criticizing world leaders. During the same interview, he called Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador “ignorant,” and last year, Milei described Pope Francis as an “imbecile who defends social justice.” In January, Colombia recalled its ambassador to Argentina after Milei referred to Petro as a “murderous communist who is sinking Colombia.”

“Legitimate targets.” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow has no plans to attack any NATO country, including Poland, the Baltic states, or the Czech Republic. However, he added that Russian forces will shoot down any F-16 fighters that the West sends to Ukraine. “Of course, if they will be used from airfields in third countries, they become for us legitimate targets, wherever they might be located,” Putin said.

NATO countries have previously suggested various levels of direct engagement with Russia in its war against Ukraine. Last August, the Netherlands and Denmark announced plans to deliver 42 F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, and this February, French President Emmanuel Macron said alliance members should not rule out deploying Western troops to Kyiv.

Togo’s parliamentary future. Opposition and clergy leaders in Togo called for mass protests on Wednesday to urge President Faure Gnassingbé not to approve a new constitution. The text, passed by lawmakers on Monday, would give parliament the power to select the president, scrapping direct elections. Under the new constitution, Togo’s president would only serve one six-year term, and a new position similar to a prime minister (known as the president of the council of ministers) would serve for six years with no term limits.

Some critics fear that removing direct elections could result in Gnassingbé being reelected after his mandate expires in 2025, thereby allowing him to extend his rule; he has already served almost 20 years as Togo’s president. Opponents believe Gnassingbé may also cement his hold on power if he seeks the role of president of the council of ministers.

Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are setting the gold standard for friendship goals. During a three-day diplomatic meeting in Brazil this week, the world leaders took time to stage a heartwarming photoshoot, including shots of them traipsing through the rainforest and holding hands on a boat. The pictures went viral on social media after some users wrote that the elated duo looked like they were on a “whirlwind honeymoon” or enjoying a “pre-wedding shoot.”