Following Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration that he will deploy warships to the South China Sea to “assert sovereignty,” Philippine Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Cirilito Sobejana said on 22 February that the Philippine military is considering building facilities on islands in the West Philippine Sea in a bid to assert sovereignty, following Beijing’s approach.
The recent build-up of Chinese vessels in the disputed waters has sparked strong protests from the Philippines. (Photo credit: AP)
According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Sobehana said at an online press conference held by the Philippine military yesterday that the military has sent the proposal to the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), which is directly under the presidential administration, for consideration.
Sobeijana added, “We are already thinking about how to strengthen our position in that area (West Philippine Sea). We are thinking of building facilities in those areas, just like what China (Communist Party of China) is doing.”
He also stressed that the reason Manila authorities have not built facilities in the West Philippine Sea islands is because of agreements among countries not to build on features in the South China Sea, but “China (CCP) has violated (the agreement), so we will now start building.” But whether construction begins will depend on the West Philippine Sea Countries Working Group.
The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, signed in November 2002 by the Chinese Communist Party and 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), states that “the parties undertake to exercise self-control and refrain from actions that complicate or expand the dispute and affect peace and stability, including refraining from building on uninhabited islands, reefs, beaches, sands or other natural structures. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea stipulates that “the parties undertake to exercise self-control, refrain from actions that complicate, expand and affect peace and stability, including refraining from taking settlement actions on uninhabited islands, reefs, beaches, sands or other natural formations, and deal with differences in a constructive manner.
But in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has been expanding its military presence in the South China Sea and has claimed sovereignty within the “nine-dash line.” The International Court of Justice ruled in the South China Sea Arbitration case on July 12, 2016, that the “nine-dashed line” drawn by the Chinese Communist Party had no legal basis and violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. But Beijing does not recognize the arbitration, and in recent years has continued to build artificial islands and set up missile and warplane runways, causing concern among countries.
On Jan. 22 this year, the Chinese Communist Party passed the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Maritime Police, which authorizes them to fire on foreign vessels in so-called “jurisdictional waters,” prompting protests from Japan and the Philippines, calling the law a “threat of war.
In March, the dispute between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea heated up again. The Philippine government alleged that Chinese maritime militia gathered at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands on March 7 in 220 vessels, and Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called on Chinese Communist authorities to recall the 220 or so Chinese militia boats found in the disputed South China Sea. He stressed that the presence of these militia boats “is clearly a provocative move to militarize the area.”
While only nine Chinese vessels remained in the area as of April 11, at least 240 Chinese maritime police and militia boats remain in the exclusive economic waters of the Philippines, and the Philippine Foreign Ministry has repeatedly lodged diplomatic protests with Beijing in response.
Delfin Lorenzana also criticized the Chinese Communist Party for trying to occupy more islands and reefs in the South China Sea; its previous occupation of Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef, over which the Philippines claims sovereignty, is a precedent for violating the country’s sovereignty.
The Chinese side, however, said that Chinese fishing boats were only “sheltering” there and that there were no so-called “maritime militia boats”.
In response, AFP Commander-in-Chief Sobehana said they will continue to seek all means to peacefully defend Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. But as a last resort, the Philippine military will also choose to go to war in the West Philippine Sea.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted in solidarity with the Philippines on March 29, saying the U.S. will always support allies and a rules-based international order.
U.S. State Department spokesman Price also said at a regular press conference on April 7, “We reaffirm our strong support for the Philippines and call on China to comply with the final and legally binding award of the 2016 international arbitration under the maritime convention for all parties.”
Former U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien also said during his visit to the Philippines on Nov. 23, 2020, that the United States supports the Philippines’ efforts to protect its sovereignty in the South China Sea. He also noted that a return to the imperial era of “might makes right” is not good for the region, which is why the U.S. insists on confronting the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party in the South China Sea and Mekong region.
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