Philippines defends US, Australia's remarks vs China

MANILA, Philippines — A Malacañang official said on Tuesday that the United States and Australia were not trying to shame China when officials from the two nations recently spoke against the Asian giant's perceived aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Speaking to state-run dzRB radio on Tuesday, Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the US and Australia were only asserting that stability should be ensured in the region amid the increasing tensions in the disputed waters.

"Sinasabi lamang nila, hindi dapat magkaroon ng mga kaganapan na bumabasag sa katahimikan at kaayusan o sa istabilidad ng South China Sea dahil sa kahalagahan nito sa lahat ng mga bansa, hindi lamang sa rehiyon, kung hindi sa buong pandaigdigang ekonomiya," Coloma said.

"Hindi naman gustong pahiyain o pulaan ang anumang bansa; hindi naman nilalait ang kahit anong bansa diyan," the Palace official added.

During the Asian Security Forum held in Singapore over the weekend, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said China's territorial claims in the Asia-Pacific are destabilizing the region, adding that the failure to resolve the disputes threatens East Asia's long-term progress.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Monday that Australian Defense Minister David Johnston backed up Hagel, saying "the US, Australia and Japan are very concerned that unilateral action is destabilizing the region of the South China Sea particularly, and East China Sea."

China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations have overlapping claims in the potentially oil and resource-rich South China Sea.

Beijing is pressing its sovereignty over virtually the entire contested waters through its "nine-dash" line claim, while the Philippines has filed an arbitration case before a United Nations tribunal.

Tensions increased recently after China deployed an oil rig off the coast of Vietnam. The Philippines also protested China's reclamation efforts in the Mabini Reef.

Coloma said peace and security in the South China Sea is not only important to the Philippines and other claimants.

"Kaya para maging maunlad ang mga ekonomiya ng mga bansa sa rehiyon natin at sa buong mundo rin, kinakailangan iyong katiyakan na magkaroon ng freedom of navigation na patuloy iyong katiyakan ng katahimikan sa buong karagatan.

He said the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea states that claimants of the contested waters should peacefull resolve their territorial disputes. - Louis Bacani