Philippines seeking Czech support to modernize Armed Forces

PRAGUE – The Philippines is seeking the Czech Republic’s support for the modernization of its armed forces, President Marcos said on Thursday as he asserted the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea in the global trade.

At a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel following their meeting here, Marcos said the Philippines’ ongoing defense cooperation with like-minded nations was not meant to “win any war” but “maintain peace” in the region.

“It is really an ongoing process – all of these are really just as far as the Philippines is concerned with the maintenance of peace in the South China Sea,” the President said, referring to the Philippines’ ongoing defense cooperation with the US and Japan.

“It is an issue that is not only important for those around the Asia-Pacific region… but because the safe navigation and passage is important to international trade,” he said, noting that 60 percent of global trade passes through the waterway.

Marcos said the country is in talks with the Czech Republic related to the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces.

“We have based our discussions to the fact that the Czech Republic and the Philippines share the same values when it comes to the adherence to international law, that is something that, again, we find as a commonality between our two countries,” he said.

“As we pointed out and continue to discuss... the Armed Forces of the Philippines is undergoing modernization program and under that program, there will be a great deal of procurement that needs to be done to modernize our forces and our capabilities and the Czech Republic has always been an important part of that development, of that evolution,” Marcos said.

“And we are hoping that that would continue, not only at the present level but at the higher level,” Marcos said.

For his part, Pavel said the Czech Republic has that long standing tradition when it comes to defense industry.

Defense cooperation will be the topic of future discussions between the two governments, according to Pavel, specifically in cybersecurity and the use and development of high-tech or modern technologies.

“I believe both countries have a lot to offer and there is a lot of space or room for cooperation as to the South China Sea,” he said.

“We fully support the Philippines when it comes to their entitlement to free movement of goods,” he said.

“To us, South China Sea may seem to be far, far away but if you take into account the percentage or share of world or global trade that passes through this area, any disruption on these routes would have an adverse impact on Europe, not only in the form of shortage of goods but also soaring prices, which is why we have to pay attention to this topic,” Pavel said.

Unfazed by Xi warning

Earlier in Berlin, President Marcos said he was unfazed by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call for China’s military to prepare for armed confrontations at sea amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea.

“Well frankly, I don’t think there’s anything new there,” Marcos told Filipino reporters covering his working visit here on Thursday. “So, I’m not surprised.” Marcos has since left for Prague in the Czech Republic for a three-day state visit.

On Thursday, Xi directed his country’s armed forces to coordinate preparations for military conflicts at sea, protect the country’s maritime rights and interests and the development of maritime economy.

“That’s what they’ve been doing already. They have defined the 10-dash line and for our part continue to defend what we – and the international community have recognized as our maritime territory,” Marcos said.

“So, although he did not – President Xi Jinping did not state that outright until now, that really has been the policy since I think years already, for the last two, three years,” Marcos said.

He said the Philippines would not be deterred and would “continue to do what we can to defend our maritime territory in the face of perhaps  a more active attempt by the Chinese to annex some of our territory.”

Meanwhile, Marcos is looking forward to formalizing energized defense ties with the US and Japan during his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Manila next week.

According to media reports, Blinken is expected to hold bilateral talks with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and other senior Philippine officials before their March 20 trilateral ministerial meeting with Kamikawa.

“The first item I will be seeing, meeting with Secretary Antony Blinken on Tuesday. But I don’t know what are the schedules,” the President said.

Manalo, who joined the press conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, said Blinken is expected to arrive in the country on March 18 and pay a courtesy call on Marcos on March 19.

“As for Japan, they haven’t confirmed if they will be coming or not, but at the stage we haven’t received any confirmation,” Manalo said.

Asked what he expects during their meeting, Marcos said, “Well of course we hope the intention is to continue to plan, to strengthen the cooperation between the three countries, the United States, Japan and the Philippines.”

“So, it is probably just formalizing what we are already doing which will put a bit more structure to what we will do as to scheduling and operability, joint cruises that we are having. So that is still in flux, so that’s, we have to talk about it some more and let’s wait for the developments that will come from DC, from Tokyo and here in Manila,” he said.

PCG donation

The German government recently donated operational equipment to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

In a statement, the PCG said that last March 7 they re- ceived several units of printer, camera, underwater camera, projector, smart TV, desktop computer and microphone from the German government.

The turnover of donation was led by German Ambas- sador Andreas Michael Pfaf- fernoschke,; Vice Admiral Allan Victor dela Vega, PCG deputy commandant for ad- ministration, and Rear Admi- ral Hostillo Arturo Cornelio, chief of Coast Guard Staff.

Ambassador Pfaffernoschke gave assurance that they would continue to support the PCG and its efforts to uphold in- ternational rule-based order, global peace and security. –  Evelyn Macairan