The Chinese Coast Guard once again showed its aggression by blocking and water cannoning on Wednesday two supply vessels of the Philippine military in Ayungin Shoal sparking a new round of condemnations from Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin.
DESPITE China’s repeated assertions that it remains as friend and that it intends to form a strong and mutual bond with the Philippines, its actions on the ground, however, are proving otherwise.
This, after two Philippine supply ships were reportedly blocked and water cannoned by Chinese in Ayungin Shoal although the vessels were well within the country’s exclusive economic zones.
Illegal acts
The provocations prompted Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to protest and call the attention of his counterpart, Ambassador Huang Xilian saying “the acts of Chinese Coast Guard vessels are illegal.
“China has no law enforcement right in and around these areas (Ayungin Shoal). They must take heed and back off,” he said.
Cannoned
Citing reports from the military’s Western Command, Locsin said the Philippine supply boats were on a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal but were blocked and water cannoned by CCG vessels on Tuesday.
Locsin said the Philippine boats were on their way to transport food supplies to Filipino soldiers in Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal.
Filipino troops are stationed in BRP Sierra Madre, a transport ship internationally grounded in 1999, to serve as the Philippine Navy’s outpost.
Sovereignty
“Ayungin Shoal is part of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), which is an integral part of the Philippines, as well as the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf,” he said.
“And over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” Locsin noted, adding that the Chinese Coast Guard vessels’ acts are illegal.
No one was hurt in the incident, but the boats had to abort their resupply mission, Locsin said.
Outrage
Due to the incident, Locsin said he has conveyed "in the strongest terms" to Ambassador Xilianof the Philippines’"outrage, condemnation and protest of the incident."
"I reminded China that a public vessel is covered by the Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty," he added.
"The Philippines will continue to provide supplies to our troops in Ayungin Shoal," Locsin added. "We do not ask permission to do what we need to do in our territory."
US support
The incident reportedly prompted the US to reiterate its vow that it will support the Philippines in case of an outright confrontations with China.
On Wednesday, Reuters carried a story that said the United States would support the Philippines’ 2016 arbitral win in a sea dispute with China.
“You have our word and our commitment,” US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink said during a bilateral strategic dialogue with Philippine officials in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 17, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Joint statement
The dialogue was the culmination of recent high-level exchange of visits, including that of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the Philippines in July.
Kritenbrink affirmed the United Nations-backed arbitral award that invalidated China’s claim to more than 80 percent of the waterway, and the application of the Mutual Defense Treaty in case of an armed attack on Philippine Armed Forces, public vessels or aircraft in the waterway.
Under the treaty, both sides must help each other in case of any external aggression.
Representatives from both countries signed a “joint vision” statement that sets out areas of cooperation that will further strengthen their relations, DFA said.
Sovereign equals
“The United States and the Philippines reaffirm our commitment to a partnership of sovereign equals,” according to the statement posted on the websites of the Philippine Embassy and US Department of State.
“We resolve to uphold and reinforce our special relationship by holding steadfast to our shared democratic values, enhancing our mutual security and defense capabilities,” it added.
Both governments said they seek to coordinate diplomatic efforts in building an international coalition that supports the international law-based maritime order.
Inconsistent
“We share the view that the People’s Republic of China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with the international law of the sea as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” they added.
The two-day dialogue focused not only on defense and maritime issues but also on counter- terrorism, human rights, post-pandemic recovery, climate change and clean energy.
The US and the Philippines will enhance cooperation in the face of new threats to both countries’ common welfare, including diseases, cyber-threats and transnational criminal and terrorist networks, according to the joint statement.
“In this regard, we plan to hold regular, candid dialogue and to explore and develop new areas of cooperation to strengthen the protection of human rights and revitalize democracy at home and abroad,” they added.
MDT’s relevance
“We intend to ensure the Mutual Defense Treaty’s continued relevance to addressing current and emerging threats,” the two nations said in their joint statement.
“We intend to continue to implement infrastructure projects at current Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement locations and explore additional sites for further development.”
Palace’s stand
Newly-installed Palace spokesman Karlo Nograles said the Philippines will continue to insist on its “sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over our territory”.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has acted swiftly and has condemned the incident involving the Chinese Coast Guard,” acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a statement on Thursday.
“As we have in the past, we will continue to assert our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over our territory,” he added.
Tags: #Phl.protestaggression, #ChinaCoastGuard, #AyunginShoal, #DoF, #sovereignty