Part 7/13:
Michael Schubridge comments that such incidents point to a significant lack of control within China's Coast Guard and Navy. He notes that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has directed maritime forces to adopt a more aggressive stance when encountering foreign vessels, a policy that can lead to unpredictable and dangerous confrontations.
Schubridge describes the incident as a "massive own goal" for China, diminishing their military and diplomatic prestige on the global stage. The clever maneuvers by the Philippine captain involved demonstrated high-caliber vessel handling and strategic thinking, winning praise as a sign of the Philippines' maritime resilience in the face of China's attempts to assert dominance.