A protest in Manila last June after a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine fishing boat, resulting in the latter’s sinking. A similar incident involving a Vietnamese fishing boat last month also sparked concern from Manila. Photo: AFP A protest in Manila last June after a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine fishing boat, resulting in the latter’s sinking. A similar incident involving a Vietnamese fishing boat last month also sparked concern from Manila. Photo: AFP
A protest in Manila last June after a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine fishing boat, resulting in the latter’s sinking. A similar incident involving a Vietnamese fishing boat last month also sparked concern from Manila. Photo: AFP
Lucio Blanco Pitlo III
Opinion

Opinion

Lucio Blanco Pitlo III

Are Beijing’s bold moves in the South China Sea mere opportunism amid Covid-19 or the new normal?

  • China’s renewed assertiveness may be driven by both domestic and external factors as Beijing seeks to bolster support at home for its tough security stance, while showing rival claimants and the US that maritime and sovereignty issues will not be sidelined amid the pandemic

Lucio Blanco Pitlo III
Lucio Blanco Pitlo III

Updated: 9:38am, 7 May, 2020

Why you can trust SCMP
A protest in Manila last June after a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine fishing boat, resulting in the latter’s sinking. A similar incident involving a Vietnamese fishing boat last month also sparked concern from Manila. Photo: AFP A protest in Manila last June after a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine fishing boat, resulting in the latter’s sinking. A similar incident involving a Vietnamese fishing boat last month also sparked concern from Manila. Photo: AFP
A protest in Manila last June after a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine fishing boat, resulting in the latter’s sinking. A similar incident involving a Vietnamese fishing boat last month also sparked concern from Manila. Photo: AFP
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