Australia with the Philippines on SCS, says envoy

MANILA, Philippines — Australia has been a steadfast supporter of the 2016 Arbitral Award and believes all claimants should adhere to the ruling as “final and binding” with the need for all to adhere to international law, Australia’s top diplomat in the country said.

In an interview on Cignal TV / One News’ “The Chiefs” on Wednesday, Ambassador HK Yu underscored the importance of the South China Sea not just for the claimants but for the international community.

“So we have been working closely with the Philippines to ensure that our combined effort can to some extent contribute to regional security, peace and prosperity. That’s the Australian government stand on this very important issue,” she stressed.

The South China Sea conflict involves the upholding of a rules-based international order, she added.

“We never actually looked at this as a simple Philippines versus China issue. This is actually an issue of rules-based order and this is one where Australia has always been a big supporter of doing everything in accordance with UNCLOS, that’s UN Convention

on Law of the Sea and as a result we are with the Philippines when it comes to what’s happening in the South China Sea,” Yu said.

In a landmark ruling on July 12, 2016, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) found no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to a nine-dash line in the South China Sea and Beijing had breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines.

On the 7th anniversary of the ruling, Australia reaffirmed its support for the decision, which is final and binding on both China and the Philippines. “We continue to call for respect for international law, particularly the UNCLOS, for an open, stable and prosperous region,” she said.

Italy supports Philippines 

Italy has joined other foreign nations in reaffirming its support for the Philippines and its 2016 PCA victory against China’s vast maritime claims in the South China Sea (SCS).

Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente and visiting Deputy Minister of Defense Matteo Perego di Cremnago met with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday as officials of both nations took note of the 7th anniversary of the SCS Arbitration Award.

DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said Italy, among other states, has expressed firm support for the PCA decision. He added that the Italian deputy defense minister’s brief visit to Manila came alongside the four-day goodwill visit by the ITS Francesco Morosini, one of the Italian Navy’s most advanced multipurpose offshore patrol vessels.

Andolong said the Philippines and Italy looked forward to enhancing the defense partnership between the two countries that share interest in global peace and the freedoms guaranteed by the UNCLOS.

Teodoro stressed the significance of broad international recognition of and support for the Award, which benefits all countries as he emphasized the importance of laying down a framework for defense cooperation.

Defense investments

Top officials of the country’s security sector are now exploring the possibility of getting new security and defense investments from the United States to further boost the country’s military and security capabilities.

Teodoro and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año met a delegation from the US Business Executives for National Security led by its president and CEO retired Gen. Joseph Votel on July 11 to discuss the matter.

The American officials were accompanied by US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson, who joined discussions to explore investment opportunities in support of common national security objectives.

During the meeting, Andolong said Teodoro and Año welcomed US investments that align with the Philippines’ national security priorities and seek to foster an environment conducive to mutually beneficial collaborations.

Teodoro underscored three priority areas for the defense sector: implementation of the Philippines’ Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program; reorganization of the defense department, and creation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Retirement Trust Fund.

The DND chief also emphasized the importance of partnerships with US investors to strengthen defense industries and develop advanced technologies.

Andolong said the engagement between the Philippine security officials and BENS underscored the commitment to building strong partnerships and leveraging private-sector expertise to bolster the defense sector. — Michael Punongbayan