Diplomatic protests against China sea aggression to continue – Carlos

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration will continue to file diplomatic protests against China’s aggressive acts in Philippine waters, incoming national security adviser Clarita Carlos said yesterday.

“We will continue to file diplomatic protests. Never mind that we are filing 10,000 of them because if you don’t, that means we acquiesce to the situation on the ground,” Carlos said in a televised public briefing.

Carlos, however, said the country should also continue bilateral and multilateral talks with China and other claimant-countries in the South and East China Sea.

“Because it’s not only China who is laying claims to the contested South and East China Sea,” she said. “Let’s just continue to talk because the alternative is something unacceptable to all of us.”

Apart from China and the Philippines, the other South China Sea claimants are Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Philippines has filed another diplomatic protest against China over the return of its vessels in the waters in and around Julian Felipe Reef last April 4.

Julian Felipe Reef is a low-tide elevation within the territorial sea of relevant high-tide features in the Kalayaan Island Group, including Chigua Reef, over which the Philippines has sovereignty.

“The lingering unauthorized presence of Chinese fishing and maritime vessels is not only illegal, but also a source of instability in the region,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement on Thursday.

The DFA said the Philippines “regrets” Beijing’s violation of international law days before the successful telesummit between President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 8, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to solve issues of mutual concern through peaceful dialogue and exercise restraint in any and all endeavors relating to the South China Sea.

It said the persistent swarming of Chinese vessels is contrary to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award.

It is also a violation of China’s commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The July 12, 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague affirmed the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea and nullified China’s claims over almost the entire South China Sea.

Beijing continues to ignore the arbitral award.

The DFA has filed several diplomatic protests against China over its vessels’ illegal presence in the West Philippine Sea.

Relationship ‘developing’

President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he sees the country’s relationship with China further developing under his administration, though he vowed to continue President Duterte’s “independent foreign policy.”

Speaking at the event in Manila yesterday for the celebration of the 47th anniversary of Philippine-China relations, Marcos said that aside from pursuing government-to-government and public-private partnerships, he intends to pursue a “people-to-people” approach to further deepen the relationships of the two countries and to iron out any difficulties and differences.

“I see the future of China and the Philippines developing in many ways that maybe we do not see now. I will encourage our relationship to not only be in the very strict and formal senses of business,” Marcos said, describing China as “our strongest partner.”

“But I’ve learned a term in one of the conferences I was invited to in China, and it is a good term because it presents for us another opportunity to grow closer. And that term that I learned from the Chinese is people-to-people,” he said. “And I think that is another place, another area, another direction that we can explore to strengthen the foundations of our partnership and friendship so that we move forward together into the future.

“The difficulties and the differences we may have will be helped in every way as long as we continue trying, we continue to communicate and continue to be forthright in the interests of each of our countries,” Marcos added.

Marcos was a keynote speaker during the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU) ceremony organized by the Association for Philippines-China Understanding.

The APCU inducted Marcos’ mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, in its hall of fame “for remarkable contributions in promoting friendship between China and the Philippines.” – Elizabeth Marcelo