UK minister condemns China’s actions in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — United Kingdom Minister for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan yesterday condemned the behavior and aggressive actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG), which vessels continue to loiter in the West Philippine Sea. 

“Those sorts of behavior are unacceptable … we condemn that sort of behavior from absolutely anyone so it’s very disappointing to hear that Chinese Coast Guard are behaving in that way,” Trevelyan said in an interview with CNN Philippines. 

She also underscored the importance of following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea “both in terms of freedom of navigation and respecting all other vessels on the sea.” 

Trevelyan, who paid a courtesy visit at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday, told reporters that she is visiting the agency to discuss and strengthen UK-Philippines cooperation on maritime security and to hear about the “amazing work” of the coast guard in enforcing maritime law and protecting the marine environment. 

“We spoke about the necessity of upholding international maritime law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS. As fellow maritime nations, the UK and the Philippines understand that this is essential not only to our common security, but also to our continued growth and prosperity,” Trevelyan said. 

She said the UK government is increasing its maritime engagement not only in the Philippines, but also in the wider region as she emphasized that they have now intensified their naval presence, “joining exercises in the Philippines last year and further visits planned this year.” 

“Beyond this, we are working to strengthen regional expertise in maritime law and security, sharing legal and technical knowledge and ensuring that partners in the Philippines have access to world class training, including at the UK’s Britannia Royal Naval College,” she said. 

“And we will be expanding our work to protect the marine environment, including tackling illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and plastic pollution. I look forward to deepening our relationship in an area which is at the heart of our nation’s identities,” she added. 

PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said they showcased to Trevelyan their capability and the need for them to further develop their skills and their competency. 

Abu said that Trevelyan’s visit only strengthened the UK government’s assistance for the Philippine government and the Filipino people as he vowed that the coast guard will continue doing service “to the country and humanity.” 

Asked if they talked about the country’s concerns in the West Philippine Sea, Abu replied in the affirmative as he emphasized that they have particularly discussed the need to uphold the rule of law and the provisions of the UNCLOS, which is continuously being ignored by China. 

“We have the same advocacy and that is to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” Abu said. 

The CCG is maintaining its presence in the West Philippine Sea despite diplomatic protests and radio challenges filed by the Philippine government against them. 

Before this, the PCG said that at least 20 CCG vessels and People’s Liberation Army-Navy were spotted during its six-day maritime patrol mission over the Kalayaan group of islands from March 16 to 21.