Second Thomas Shoal Misinformation: Unveiling Chinese Propaganda

13 August 2024: Goldstein Propaganda 

I’ve been mulling this over since it was first posted by Asiatimes.com (owned by the Alibaba Group, a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate in 2017, with a questionable pro CCP editorial policy) since it was posted on 13 August 2024. The article Second Thomas Shoal isn’t worth war with China: US needs to keep a cool head and rule out war with China over Philippine-claimed shoals in the South China Sea is an OP-ED piece by Lyle Goldstein (the director of Asia engagement at Defense Priorities and a visiting professor at the Watson Institute of Brown University. Follow him on Twitter @lylegoldstein). 

The article is Chinese Communist Propaganda. You do not have to read further than the subtitle to see the begining of the misinformation. The Second Thomas Shoal is not a “Philippine-claimed shoal.” It is adjudicated as being part of the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone as of 2016. The only nation who does not recognise it as such is China. Once it is understood that the article begins with such misinformation, it is sufficient to understand that it is a propaganda piece. 

According to Bongbong Marcos, the current president of the Philippines, he has no intention of starting an aggressive conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea unless a citizen of the Philippines is killed. He told the world this on 23 June 2024. 

It is not a matter of the US keeping a “cool head” to prevent a war against China, it is China’s who must behave civilly in Filipino waters to prevent war. 

It would be far better that China stay out of the Philippines’ EEZ and Territorial waters, but that is a point China wants the world to ignore. And that is the reason for Dr.Goldstein article. It is meant to muddy the waters for Chinese news consumption.