Putting a Stop to Manila's Provocations in the South China Sea

"There are two main options for dealing with grounded ships: towing them away with tugboats or cutting them up on-site." – Wu Shicun

Until recently, Chinese scholars would emphasise the importance of maintaining stability and preventing escalating tensions in and around the contested territories of the South China Sea. Controversial voices, such as Zhao Hongwei’s (赵宏伟), calling on Beijing to put an immediate end to the Philippines’ “provocations” through more radical means were the exception.

The following commentary by one of China’s most authoritative voices on South China Sea issues, Wu Shicun (吴士存), challenges this consensus. His policy recommendations are troubling and come in the wake of recent talks aimed at defusing last month’s escalation of hostilities around the Second Thomas Shoal.

Wu urges his government to present Manila with an ultimatum, demanding the withdrawal of its marines from the reef within a specific timeframe. If it does not comply, the area should be blockaded until the marines surrender. Following this, the decaying Sierra Madre should be dismantled and removed from the site.

Wu worries th…