Aside from its show of force in our maritime waters through its hundreds of vessels manned by China Coast Guard and militia (those trained by the Chinese Communist Party), Beijing has been conducting political warfare by coopting officers in the Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines and in government, to support its illegal claim in the West Philippine Sea.
Beijing has been coopting key officials of the Department of National Defense to gain a foothold in the country illegal claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Calling this China’s political warfare (more like gambit), retired Navy Rear Admiral Jude Ong told a closed-door forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute last Tuesday that so far Beijing has been “coopting” key officials of DND, senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other government officials.
“Former President Duterte’s pivot to China did not gain traction because of the pushback from the DND and the Navy. Beijing realized this, which explains why the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is pushing President Marcos Jr. to set up talks with the AFP and to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries,” Ong said, reported Business Mirror.
“The Chinese embassy fired the operating salvo by hosting an alumni event for AFP officers trained in China. Referencing the Chinese playbook on influence operations, in their mind, the only way they can establish a secure foothold in the country is by coopting key officials of the DND and senior officers in the AFP,” he added.
Ong’s warning came just after a Chinese Coast Guard vessel drove away a Filipino fishing boat in Ayungin Shoal on January 9, 2022, just several days after President Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China.
Ong pointed out that a successful cooptation of political elites through influence operations seriously impacts the country’s maritime interests.
“At the national level, Beijing can insinuate itself in decision-making and disrupt the country’s security posture in the WPS,” the former Navy official said.
“Case in point: to ‘prevent a war with China, Duterte did not allow the Navy to conduct patrols in the EEZ, secure vessels surveying the service contract areas off Palawan and participate in bilateral patrols in the WPS with the US Navy,” he added.
During his talk, Ong said the United States or Australia should be
“encouraged to take a lead role in discussing the ways to mitigate foreign interference to take a lead role in discussing the ways to mitigate foreign interference in the guise of cooptation of political, business, and military elites, strategic corruption, disinformation, and cyberwarfare, among others.”
Ong called on the government to deploy ships in the WPS that can conduct patrols unilaterally or in tandem with the US or other partner-navies.
“The Navy does not possess the numbers or the available mix of capabilities to symmetrically control China’s surface fleet at sea. The most viable solution is to deploy surface task groups made up of the frigates, amphibious, and patrol vessels in its current inventory to contest the Chinese presence in the EEZ. Such a group could conduct patrols unilaterally or in tandem with the US or other partner-navies.
This conveys a message of solidarity among like-minded countries with a stake in a peaceful SCS and contests the legality of China’s excessive territorial claims,” Ong said.
In a related development, the DND and US National Defense recently identified five new sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement namely Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, which is closest to the Kalayaan Group of Islands; Basa Air Base in Pampanga, the home of the Philippine Air Force’s fighter planes; and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, the country’s largest military camp and a frequent location of Philippine-US military exercises.
The other two areas are Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.
The DND said the US has allocated over $82 million for infrastructure investments at the existing five sites under the EDCA,