the Philippines' president will visit China amid disputed claims over Spratly Islands

The Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III plans to visit China in coming weeks but the friendly gesture doesn’t mean the Philippines is backing down from its assertions Chinese forces intruded in its waters, an official said.

The Philippines alleges Chinese forces intruded at least nine times into Manila-claimed areas in the Spratly Islands since February, allegations that sparked an exchange of diplomatic protests and verbal jabs. Aquino has strongly criticized China, saying two weeks ago that his country would not be bullied by China in the disputed region.

The presidential trip will likely take place in late August or early September, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Thursday.

The Spratlys, a chain of barren, largely uninhabited islands, reefs and banks in the South China Sea are claimed wholly by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and partly by the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. The islands are believed to be atop vast oil and gas deposits.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao has denied his government committed any intrusion but acknowledged that Chinese vessels were exercising Beijing’s sovereign rights in one incident at the Reed Bank near the Spratlys. Philippine officials complained the Chinese vessels harrassed a Philippine oil exploration ship into leaving the Reed Bank in March.

Just before he traveled last week to Washington, del Rosario said he was told that the Philippine military was verifying another foreign intrusion into a Manila-claimed Spratlys area.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave strong assurances that the U.S. is committed to the defense of the Philippines and would provide affordable weaponry amid mounting tensions in the Spratlys, del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said he separately gave U.S. defense officials a list of equipment the Philippines needs to improve its capability to monitor foreign intrusions in its territorial waters near the Spratlys.

Clinton assured del Rosario that the U.S. would honor its 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines that calls on each country to help defend the other against an external attack by an aggressor in their territories or in the Pacific region, he said.

Del Rosario said he told U.S. officials that if the Philippines receives defense equipment, “we become a stronger ally for you.”

China says it has sovereign rights over the South China Sea. It has also criticized the U.S. for its involvement, saying disputes over sea claims should be handled by the parties directly involved.

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USA & the Philippines will push for Spratlys issue in ASEAN forum agenda

The United States and the Philippines have urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) to tackle current tensions over the disputed Spratly islands when it meets later this month in Bali, Indonesia.

“As a significant security forum, the issue of South China Sea disputes will possibly be a primary topic in the ASEAN Regional Forum," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said.

American Ambassador Harry Thomas concurred that the ARF “is an excellent opportunity to tackle the conflict in the South China Sea / West Philippines Sea."

The ARF will convene in Bali from July 16 - 31 and bring together international security experts from ASEAN's 10 member-countries and the association’s dialogue partners. ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Among the dialogue partners are the USA, European Union, Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Russia.

Six countries have territorial claims on the South China Sea. They are the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Approaches, solutions

Del Rosario said the issue can be approached from a maritime security perspective while Thomas urged the application of diplomatic solutions. “We don’t want to demonize China, we should not demonize China," Thomas said.

The Philippines sent to the Chinese embassy in Manila a diplomatic protest on recent incursions into the West Philippine Sea.

Del Rosario was in Washington D.C. last week, where he met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last June 23.

"As I have said many times before, the United States has a national interest in freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and unimpeded, lawful commerce in the South China Sea. We share these interests not only with ASEAN members but with other maritime nations in the broader international community," Clinton said in her joint press conference with Del Rosario.

"The United States does not take sides on territorial disputes over land features in the South China Sea, but we oppose the use of force or the threat of force to advance the claims of any party," Clinton added.

Del Rosario responded by reaffirm the Philippines position on maintaining peace and enabling economic development of the contested waters and islands. " There is need to segregate the non-disputed areas from the disputed areas. What is ours is ours, and what is disputed can be shared," Del Rosario pointed out.

The Philippines and the US this year are marking the 60th anniversary of their Mutual Defense Treaty.

Clinton said the US in engaged in "discussions with the Government of the Philippines about what their needs are because it is up to them to decide how to deploy forces and what their highest priorities are... we certainly wish to do what we can to support the Philippines in their desires for external support for maritime defense."

Del Rosario stressed that the Philippines has committed resources "to protect our national borders and ensure freedom of navigation and the unimpeded flow of commerce. We thus welcome the assurance from Secretary Clinton of the US commitment to honor their treaty obligations."

 

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