Chinese media urged to exercise restraint on commentaries

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday called on the Chinese media to exercise restraint in issuing commentaries on the territorial row between the Philippines and China to avoid stirring up unwanted tensions.

In an interview with state-run radio station dzRB, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that Philippine officials have been prudent in issuing statements about the issue.

“From the President, to the SFA (Secretary of Foreign Affairs), to the various spokespersons, we have exercised restraint and prudence in our statements,” Lacierda said.

“I suppose it would be good if our Chinese counterparts would also assist… Chinese media would also exercise restraint in their interest of resolving tensions and in the interest of not sowing unwanted or unneeded tensions between two countries especially among the people,” he added.

Lacierda noted that the government has been emphasizing its intention to de-escalate tensions over the disputed areas.

“There is no benefit for us to be recalcitrant in our statements,” he said.

Lacierda was asked to react to the criticisms made by a Chinese newspaper against the Philippines, which were published after both countries had agreed to exercise restraint in addressing the standoff in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

In its opinion page, China Daily, the mouthpiece of the People’s Liberation Army, scored the Philippines for its supposed illegal occupation of eight islands and islets belonging to China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“The Philippines has not only illegally occupied eight islands and isles belonging to China, it has also posed a further challenge by encouraging its fishermen to fish in the waters around Huangyan Island,” the commentary read, referring to the Panatag Shoal.

“It (Philippines) has initiated the dispute with China in an attempt to trick China into recognizing its occupation of the islands. Such efforts, of course, have failed,” it added.

“The Philippines has tried to win the sympathy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by proclaiming China a threat, but ASEAN members have seen for themselves how much restraint China has shown during the standoff and how it has continually held out an olive branch to the Philippines,” the paper also said.

A day before the commentary was published, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie agreed to exercise restraint in issuing damaging statements and conducting provocative actions that could complicate the standoff.

The meeting between Gazmin and Liang was held at the sidelines of the 6th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in Cambodia.

They also agreed to avoid overstatements and misinterpretations and to keep their lines of communication open.

Panatag Shoal is located 124 nautical miles from the nearest base point in Zambales. It is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which China is a signatory.

The Panatag Shoal standoff started on April 10 when Chinese surveillance ships prevented the Philippine Navy from arresting Chinese fishermen who had poached endangered marine species from the area.

The Philippines protested the Chinese fishermen’s action but China insisted that it has sovereignty over the area. The standoff is now nearing its second month.

Aside from Panatag Shoal, the Philippines is also claiming several islets, shoals, reefs and sandbars in the Spratlys group of islands, which is being claimed by China.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have territorial claims in the area.