MANILA, Philippines - Despite China’s recent pronouncement of its being “prepared for war,” the Philippines remains focused on promoting peace and stability in the region while standing up to Beijing’s provocations in the West Philippine Sea, Malacañang said yesterday.
A recruitment video released by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy said the Asian giant is “prepared for war” and “will not yield an inch of territory to foreigners.”
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in an interview over dzRB, dismissed China’s latest bellicose statement.
“Obviously it’s intended to entice their people to join their organizations. But as far as we’re concerned, really, for us we concentrate on the tracks that we have taken and we concentrate on our initiatives,” Valte said.
“As you can see, we prepared really well for the first round of argumentation before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in the Netherlands, and we would rather continue to prepare for eventualities
on our initiatives,” she said referring to the case filed by Manila seeking a reaffirmation of the Philippines’ entitlements in the West Philippine Sea and contesting China’s expansive claim.
“It would not be healthy for us to speculate the implication of a recruitment video on past initiatives that have been launched by China,” she said.
As this developed, China is also trying to drum up support for its supposed new maritime Silk Road, with Chinese officials making it clear that the Philippines is very much part of the new Chinese initiative aimed at boosting trade, economic and cultural ties between the two countries, strained badly by the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute.
The recruitment video the Chinese military released last week shows all the islands being claimed and reclaimed by Beijing plus a show of its firepower during war games in disputed seas, according to an article on The National Interest magazine’s website. The original article came out on the Lowry Interpreter website.
Valte reiterated the country’s relationship with China has always been multifaceted and of varying levels or degrees.
“And just because we have an issue with them in terms of the maritime dispute does not mean that we will not work with them on other levels,” she said.
“For example, on trade, people-to-people exchanges and our other diplomatic initiatives. So we do not let that go because we have a dispute, but rather we continue to work on these initiatives with them,” Valte said.
The Philippines has been pursuing a three-track approach to solve the dispute – diplomatic, political and legal, including arbitration.
It has also been calling on China to stop reclamation, construction and other activities that can heighten tension in the West Philippine Sea.
China said it had completed its land reclamation in disputed seas and would start constructing facilities supposedly for search and rescue and navigation.
Just a bluff
For former congressman and national security adviser Roilo Golez, China was bluffing in declaring that it was “prepared for war.”
He also said China’s showing its military might was meant to project that it was capable of challenging the United States Navy or any other forces in the region.
Golez, who was also a naval officer, expressed belief China still lacks the capability to fight one or two US Navy Carrier Battle Group in hotly-disputed Spratlys archipelago, a chain of islets, reefs, atolls, shoals and sandbars in the West Philippine Sea and in the South China Sea.
However, Golez said that once China has fully militarized its man-made islands on the Fierry Cross Reef and Subi Reef, the situation would be entirely different, as these potential bases would already have the logistics to support Beijing’s warships and multi-role fighters.
“It’s just a bluff. The vicinity of the reclaimed areas in the Spratlys are too far for a sustained but limited air and sea battle,” Golez said. China’s nearest province in the Philippines is Hainan province which, according to Beijing, has jurisdisction over Sansha City in Woody Islands in the Paracels.
China intends to build 3,000-meter runways on Fiery Cross and Subi Reefs.
There are concerns that Beijing is also planning to station on its man-made islets its DF-21D carrier killer hypersonic missiles.
The PLAN recruitment video shows China’s array of warships and fighter jets, in an apparent bid to intimidate other claimant countries in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
Inviting US presence
Ironically, Chinese’ military buildup would only spawn greater US presence in the region, as well as create new alliances.
“I expect two more LCS (Littoral Combat Ships), Virginia class attack submarines and the deployment of Zumwalt, the new super stealth destroyer of the USN that will be operational next year in the region,” Golez said.
Golez said his group MARCHA (Movement and Alliance to Resist China’s Aggression) is slated to hold another protest and prayer rally outside the Chinese embassy in Makati on Aug. 31.
Several religious groups and foreign organizations have already expressed their intention to join the anti-China prayer rally in Makati City, he said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in reaction to PLAN recruitment video, said that while it is fully aware of its constitutional mandate as protector of the people, it will continue to support the government’s rules-based and diplomatic tack in resolving the West Philippine Sea issue.
“Your AFP is well aware of its mandate as stated our constitution. All peaceful efforts to resolve this have our full support and government policies pertaining to the West Philippine Sea will be vigorously implemented,” AFP Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief Col. Noel Detoyato, said.
The PLAN’s recruitment video also drew outrage among Filipinos who see it as another form of bullying by China.
Observers said China has to resort to such propaganda to deceive its own people and convince them to support the state’s militaristic moves.
One security observer who declined to be identified said that Beijing is engaged in massive propaganda as it tries to recover eroding public support for central leadership.
“There is growing discord among peace loving, business-oriented Chinese people. They are no longer supporting their government that’s why the (Beijing Central leadership) have to resort to propaganda,” he said.
What Beijing is doing, he said, is also hurting China-based multinational businesses as these enterprises deal not only with companies in the region but also with those in other continents.
“Bullying your customers is bad for the business. What is even worse is if multinational corporations in China will relocate to its neighbors. The ‘claim’ issue might just be a social anesthesia to cover up for the rapidly declining Chinese economy,” another observer said.
Not an option
Sen. Francis Escudero said that in the face of China’s latest saber rattling, war is still not an option to resolve territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.
Escudero made the appeal on Friday in a press conference in Quezon province shortly before attending a teachers convention at the Quezon Convention Center.
What the Philippines needs to do, aside from pursuing its case in The Hague, is to strengthen the coast guard to protect fishermen and the environment.
“What our country is doing is multilateral, regional and legal approach. What should not be dropped from the list of options are bilateral and back-channeling talks,” Escudero pointed out.
He said Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio briefed senators on developments in the West Philippine Sea issue last Aug.12.
He said the Philippines should remain firm in defending its position on the West Philippine Sea dispute even if the issue drags on.
Escudero also said that while there is nothing wrong with hoping for the best scenario, the people should not cling to hope that the matter would be resolved under the current administration. – With Jaime Laude, Michelle Zoleta