Philippines-China Renew Dispute: Philippines Releases Comic Book to Counter China

The escalating conflict between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea, also known as the West Philippine Sea, has been gaining increasing attention. On Friday, the Philippines launched a comic book exposing China’s aggression in the South China Sea and countering China’s distorted narratives regarding maritime rights in the region, a move that has sparked strong discontent from China.

The comic book, consisting of 40 pages and titled “The Stories of Teacher Jun,” aims to educate students about the maritime areas of the South China Sea, international law, and the importance of safeguarding the Philippines’ marine resources.

Eduardo Ano, the National Security Adviser of the Philippines, stated that the comic book is intended to combat China’s misinformation and to better inform the Filipino people about their sovereign rights. This comic book is part of the Philippine government’s efforts to expose China’s “aggressive acts” in the South China Sea. It serves as a tool to help Filipinos understand the complex maritime issues and the sovereign rights that the Philippines enjoys under international law.

Ano emphasized, “Chinese officials and state-supported media continue to spread distorted facts, disparaging our efforts, and defending their unilateral sovereignty claims.”

Ronnie Gavan, head of the Philippine Coast Guard, expressed hope that this book would inspire the younger generation of Filipinos to “protect our rights.”

The Chinese Embassy in Manila criticized this initiative as “political manipulation.”

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea based on the “nine-dash line,” which overlaps with exclusive economic zones of countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, leading to disputes. On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s “nine-dash line” sovereignty claim had no legal basis in international law. However, China rejected this ruling and increased its deployment of maritime militia and coast guard vessels in the South China Sea.

The new comic book released by the Philippines consists of six chapters, one of which highlights the landmark ruling of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration case.

In recent years, conflicts between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have become more frequent, leading to increasingly tense relations between the two countries. Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, mentioned that the Philippines aims to distribute this comic book nationwide, which is available in English and Filipino versions, to “strengthen the awakening of patriotism among Filipinos, especially as we resist Chinese aggression.”

Tarriela added that the book tells the story of a student’s fisherman father who faces difficulties in going out to sea due to obstruction by Chinese maritime patrol vessels. The publication is funded by private donors.

(This article combines reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse)