While Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie was making a “goodwill visit” in Manila less than two weeks ago, his people were attempting to set up structures in an island, 126 nautical miles away from Palawan.
The Philippines has protested the constructions which is a clear violation of the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea that no new structures should be built in disputed areas in the South China Sea.
Photo from Philippine Star
By Victor Reyes
Malaya
The military has monitored new intrusions by China at a Philippine-claimed island in the disputed Spratlys group of islands, where the Chinese put up buoys and posts that were subsequently dismantled by Filipino fishermen.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin he would bring up the matter before the 2011 Asian Security Forum or the Shangri-la Dialogue to be held in Singapore this weekend, which will be attended by defense chiefs in Asian region.
Gazmin said the first intrusion occurred on May 21 when Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and his party arrived Manila for a goodwill visit.
The second intrusion occurred on May 24 or a day after Gazmin and Liang met in Camp Aguinaldo where the two defense chiefs vowed not to take steps to affect stability in Spratlys, also known as the Kalayaan Island Group.
Last March, Chinese vessels reportedly harassed an oil exploration ship of Department of Energy at Reed Bank.
Gazmin said six incidents of intrusions by China have been recorded this year.
And all the Philippines could do at the moment is file diplomatic protests.
Asked what happens if the intrusions continue, Gazmin said, “We will continue to file our diplomatic protest.”
“The most we can do is file diplomatic protest, that is the most civilized thing to do at the moment,” said Gazmin.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it has asked the Chinese Embassy to explain the latest intrusions.
Gazmin said in the two latest incidents, a Chinese transport ship and two missile boats put up buoys and posts at the Amy Douglas Bank which is near the Philippine-occupied Likas and Patag islands. The bank is about 100 miles off Palawan.
He said the Chinese put up the buoys and the posts as part of their strategy to claim the island. “This means that they are putting up (structures) in our areas where we have no guards. In other words, they want to hoist their flag so that they can say the area is theirs,” he said.
Gazmin said President Aquino has been already informed of the intrusions.
“The option open to us is first, the diplomatic protest. We are in no position to confront the forces that are intruding into our territory simply because we do not have the capability,” said Gazmin.
He said he was somehow “affected” by the latest Chinese intrusion, noting these occurred during Liang’s visit.
“We showed them our hospitality. We talked to them properly and our agenda is that all problems can be resolved through dialogue. But while we were doing these (talks), something is happening in our area,” he said.
AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban said his instruction to the AFP Western Command is to step up patrols in the area. Nevertheless, he said there is no need to pour additional assets into the area.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it conveyed to the Chinese Embassy’s chargé d’affaires its “serious concerns” over the recent intrusions.
It said it requested clarification on the recent sightings of a “China marine surveillance vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy” ships at the Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Amy Douglas Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.” – With Antonio delos Reyes
Statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs On Developments in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea)
Wednesday, 01 June 2011
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) conveyed to the Chinese Embassy’s Charge d’affaires its serious concerns over recent actions of the People’s Republic of China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on May 31.
Citing reports from the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the DFA requested clarification from the Chinese Embassy on the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance (CMS) vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships at the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea. These ships reportedly unloaded building materials, erected an undetermined number of posts, and placed a buoy near the breaker of the Amy Douglas Bank.
The Amy Douglas Bank is located southwest of Recto (Reed) Bank and east of Patag (Flat) Island and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). There are currently no structures on the said bank and the latter is unoccupied.
The posts and buoy placed by the Chinese at the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank are about 26 nautical mile east of Patag Island and 125 nautical mile from mainland Palawan.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Amy Douglas Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”
The May 31 summons followed a meeting held last May 27, where the DFA also conveyed its concern to the Chinese Embassy over reports in Chinese state media about China’s planned installation of its most advanced oil rig in the South China Sea this coming July. During this meeting, the DFA asked the Chinese Embassy for the exact planned location of the mega oil rig and pointed that it should not be placed in Philippine territory or its waters.
In both meetings, the Philippines and China reiterated their respective commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in the area, and to work together to maintain good bilateral relations.
The Philippines recognizes that critical to the peace and stability of the West Philippine Sea is the full and faithful implementation of the ASEAN-China DOC on the South China Sea. The Philippines also believes that it is in the best interest of all claimant countries and the region to transform the area into a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation (ZOPFF/C) through sustained consultations and dialogue.
ZOPFF/C provides a framework for segregating the disputed territorial features which may be considered for collaborative activities from the non-disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Philippines is also committed to cooperating closely and actively with ASEAN and China in finding peaceful solutions to attain this goal.
