Philippines' hype in Tiexian Reef is to shift focus from domestic issues

"The hype that the Philippines has recently caused related to the Tiexian Reef and Huangyan Island appears largely driven by its domestic midterm elections," said Wu Shicun, chairman of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, during the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum. He also stated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is losing his earlier momentum, needing to misrepresent the South China Sea issue in order to preserve his strongman image.