Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal adviser on Monday (April 5) condemned the incursion of hundreds of Chinese vessels into Philippine waters, warning that the incident could harm relations between the two countries and lead to “unnecessary animosity.
It was the most harshly worded criticism the Duterte administration has issued to Beijing over the South China Sea. Duterte’s legal adviser Salvador Panelo also called the continued presence of Chinese vessels in Philippine waters an “unwelcome stain” on relations between the two countries.
On March 7, the Philippines discovered more than two hundred Chinese vessels near Whitsun Reef, about 320 kilometers west of Palawan Island in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Chinese ships have been there for several weeks. The Philippines calls the reef Julian Felipe Reef. The reef is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The boats are believed to have armed Chinese militiamen on board, not ordinary “fishing boats” as the Chinese say.
In a statement, Panero said, “We can negotiate on issues of mutual concern and mutual benefit, but it goes without saying that our sovereignty is not negotiable.”
Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque made similar comments, according to Reuters. “We will not give up an inch of our land, or our exclusive economic zone,” he said at a news conference.
No response from the Chinese embassy in Manila has been seen yet.
While Philippine diplomats and senior generals have recently publicly expressed their displeasure with China’s actions, it is rare for the Philippine presidency to issue such a strong stance. Duterte has been friendly to China and has long been hesitant to confront Beijing on the issue.
In 2016, after the Hague Arbitral Tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in a lawsuit submitted by the Philippines over its sovereign exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, Duterte’s refusal to demand that Beijing respect the ruling and fulfill its obligations in accordance with it disappointed many in the Philippines. They criticized Duterte’s practice of exchanging national land for Chinese investment.
Duterte had said that challenging China made no sense and would cause the risk of war.
The Philippine side sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese side on the matter. The United States supports the Philippines’ position on the issue.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday rejected the Chinese side’s claim that Niu Yoke Reef traditionally belongs to Chinese waters and said the Philippine side will continue to send diplomatic notes to the Chinese side as long as Chinese vessels do not leave there.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stressed that the vessels, which are controlled by Chinese militias, “are a blatant violation of Philippine jurisdiction.”
The sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea involves Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. Panero also noted that the Philippines will not be swayed by China’s humane gesture on the sovereignty issue. By humanitarian gesture, he refers to the millions of doses of the new coronavirus vaccine that China has donated to the Philippines.
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest sea lanes, through which most of the world’s shipping passes. It is also rich in marine resources.
Recent Comments