Show of force

The naval maneuver of the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen as it conducted a sail-by around the disputed waters near the Spratlys has finally made the Chinese receive a dose of their own medicine, complaining that the “provocative” actions of the United States has threatened the sovereignty and security of China. China has been claiming most of the disputed territories in the South China Sea, conducting massive reclamation activities, and accelerating the construction of buildings, ports and airstrips big enough to accommodate fighter jets and bombers.

In the three-hour maneuver, the USS Lassen went close to within Subi and Mischief Reefs – also referred to by the Philippines as Zamora and Panganiban Reefs – that lie within the 200 nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines but which China also claims to be within its 12-nautical mile territorial limit around Subi. A US intelligence official informed us more patrols will be conducted “on a regular basis” and that Tuesday’s sail-by is not just a one-time operation as the US Navy intends to conduct more freedom-of-navigation exercises “sooner than soon.”

US State Department spokesperson John Kirby noted that the US did not see any need to inform the Chinese about the intended maneuver because they were simply exercising the right of freedom of navigation in international waters. It can be recalled that US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had said earlier that the United States “will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as we do around the world, and the South China Sea is not and will not be an exception.”

Finally, the US has fully realized the implication of China’s aggression – that the issue is not merely a matter of conflicting territorial claims between two nations but one that threatens the balance of power and the free flow of commerce in the region. The fact that the US sent a destroyer and deliberately chose a route in an area claimed by China as its territory (although the claim is questionable, analysts pointed out) also underscores the message that the US will not tolerate Chinese aggression, and is prepared to go the whole nine yards if necessary. The action should also assure the allies of the US who had expressed concern – disappointment actually – about the perceived lukewarm commitment of the US with regard to its pivot to Asia policy.

Without question, I fully credit our Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario for warning early on that China really had no intention to engage in diplomatic talks (earlier attempts at a dialogue would always begin with China saying “this is ours”), and that its behavior should not just be a concern of the Philippines but even other nations in the region and perhaps the whole world, as China’s assertions of sovereignty and its declaration of ownership over virtually the whole South China Sea threatens the conduct of maritime trade estimated at $5 trillion a year. 

For a while, Secretary Del Rosario was the lonely voice whose uncomfortable message was something that other nations were not prepared to hear. Attempts to table the territorial dispute were deftly sidetracked during previous ASEAN meetings but undaunted, Albert filed a complaint before a UN international arbitration court, and also tirelessly helped business groups arrange representations to elevate their concerns before the US government. Last year and in May of this year, our group flew to Washington DC and met with key officials from the US State Department and the Commerce Department as well as the Pentagon and the National Security Council to express our growing concern over China’s unconscionable behavior in the disputed territories, and how this could negatively impact maritime trade.

Despite the brickbats and the setbacks, the firm stance Secretary del Rosario unequivocally showed in the last two years is paying off – because the UN court has ruled in favor of the Philippines. In a nine-page statement, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague stated that it has jurisdiction and authority to decide whether China is violating international law or not. China had refused to participate in the proceedings, but the court said China’s refusal does not deprive the tribunal of jurisdiction and authority to hear seven of the Philippines’ submissions under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.

US Senator John McCain expressed everybody’s sentiments when he said that the ruling is “an important step forward in upholding international law against China’s attempts to assert vast and questionable claims in the South China Sea.” McCain added that the US should continue to support allies and partners in the wake of China’s assertiveness through such actions as regular freedom-of-navigation patrols like the one conducted by USS Lassen.

Albert has never wavered on the issue of sovereignty and territorial disputes with China, saying that “notwithstanding our limitations, the Philippines is taking the strongest position that ‘right is might.’” Obviously, things are taking on an interesting turn as we now see “right and might” coming together to balance the equation and hopefully, prevent one nation from threatening the security not only of nations in the Asia Pacific region but the whole world.

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This practice of unscrupulous security personnel at the NAIA to plant bullets and drugs in the bags of OFWs and tourists is an unforgivable crime of the highest order. These criminals should be hanged by their toes for using their authority to profit from innocent victims – and destroying our efforts to attract tourists. Instead of the Filipino folk song “planting rice is never fun,” these criminals have just changed the lyrics to “planting drugs and bullets is more fun in the Philippines.”

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