The gravest, most imminent danger to PH: China

The greatest and perhaps the most imminent danger to our country's national security is not a supertyphoon, nor another pandemic, not even terrorism or internal subversion. It is China's continuing acts of geopolitical bullying and high-handed intrusions into our maritime territories and exclusive maritime zones.

In gross violation of international law and most blatant transgression of Philippine territorial sovereignty, China continues to totally disregard the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, or UNCLOS. Beijing-sanctioned reclamation activities inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zones, its mindless destruction of our maritime ecosystems, and its constant manifestation of disrespect to the rights of our fishermen and insults to our Navy and Coast Guard personnel: all these are palpable evidence of China's total lack of respect for international law.

China, under the dictates of Xi Jinping, absolutely disregards the 2016 permanent arbitration ruling, which reflected the world's community of nation's collective opinion against Beijing. That ruling condemned the illegal reclamation by China of 3,200 acres or 1,295 hectares of land in the Mischief Reef, the Fiery Cross Reef and other maritime territories inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zones. China neither respects the fundamental rights of a sovereign nation nor gives the most basic regard to international law.

These illegal constructions, which were done by China in direct defiance of international law and in gross disrespect of the Philippines which maintains diplomatic relations with Beijing, are strong evidence of what kind of nation Xi is leading and what kind of leader he is. China is illegally using its construction as military facilities, sites of radar systems, airstrips, missile platforms and palpably launching pads for espionage and planned invasion.

China's fleet of illegal fishing vessels, disguised as maritime militia of the People's Liberation Army, have been reported to have been conducting highly-illegal and immoral fishing activities inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zones. These vessels destroyed our highly-prized ecosystems and corals and other resources belonging to the Republic of the Philippines.

The US Coast Guard estimated not less than 17,000 Chinese vessels are illegally robbing our country of highly-valued resources. Also, the UP's Marine Science Institute reported that 16,000 hectares of our coral reefs have been devastated by Chinese predators costing no less than ?100 billion worth of damage and losses to our country.

By unlawfully militarizing the West Philippine Sea, China is not only in continuing unabashed and blatant trampling of our rights to the resources inside our country's exclusive economic zones. Beijing is willfully and intentionally violating the UNCLOS and all the fundamental principles of peace, amity, and mutual respect among sovereign states.