China pressuring Philippines to give up sovereign rights, says Teodoro

MANILA, Philippines — Beijing is pressuring Manila to give up its sovereign rights to explore and develop resources in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines' defense chief said on Tuesday, November 12.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro delivered these remarks amid growing tensions between Manila and Beijing this week over two maritime laws that assert the Philippines' sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

"What we see is an increasing demand by Beijing for us to concede our sovereign rights in the area because of our need to explore and exploit the resources in these areas for the benefit of our own people," Teodoro said in a press conference after his meeting with his Australian counterpart for defense talks.

Teodoro's blunt assessment comes as China intensifies its pushback against the Philippines for defining its maritime boundaries in the South China Sea via new laws passed last week.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act last week. The first law defines the exact meters and bounds of the country's waters, while the second defines which sea lanes and air routes can be taken by foreign vessels.

China immediately protested these two laws. It has since published baselines claiming Scarborough Shoal as its territory. The feature sits within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone but is under Beijing's control. 

Teodoro said the Philippines is a "direct victim of Chinese aggression" in the West Philippine Sea.

"We don't need to enter into a geopolitical nexus for determining the root cause of the problem," Teodoro said, adding: "Because we are direct victims of Chinese aggression in this and in a concentrated area so far, thus far, in the West Philippine Sea."

He said both the Philippines and Australia must build "principled cooperation" based on shared regional interests. "Given the fact that we live in the same part of the world, we have an interest in ensuring peace and stability here," Teodoro said. 

Both countries agreed to enhance intelligence sharing on counterterrorism and security threats. Teodoro stressed that such cooperation must be grounded in the United Nations Charter and international law while resisting "any unilateral attempts of redefining it to the selfish interests of any one state." — Cristina Chi