'Arming Chinese fishermen will only heighten tension'

Manila, Philippines -  Arming Chinese fishermen venturing into contested areas in the West Philippine Sea as proposed by an official in Beijing will only heighten the tension in the region, the Palawan-based Western Command said yesterday.

“If Chinese fishermen will be armed, it will only promote a hostile environment,” Wescom said through spokesman Lt. Col. Niel Estrella.

Estrella was reacting to suggestions made by Je Jianbin, a leading Chinese fishery official that Beijing provide arms and military training to more than 100,00 fishermen based in Hainan and let them roam the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.

Je, chief of the state-run Baosha Fishing Corp., said arming the fishermen and giving them military training would help China strengthen its presence in contested territories without having to deploy its naval vessels. He also said forces of other countries with claims in the region especially the Philippines and Vietnam will hesitate to confront armed fishermen from China.

“This is a clear manifestation of Bejing’s arrogance and bullying,” Estrella said, referring to the Chinese official’s proposal. “Filipinos, while peace-loving people, are born warriors and have already fought and won all major battles,” he said.

Wescom commander Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, whose military unit has operational jurisdiction over the contested Kalayaan Island, said that despite his unit’s meager military resources, they will defend Kalayaan.

“Kalayaan is ours. We will defend it at all cost,” Sabban earlier said.