MANILA, Philippines — As China continues to challenge the United States for dominance in the region, the Philippines would be caught in between the two major powers, a maritime expert said.
The Philippine government had once mentioned that the South China Sea dispute is an issue between China and the US.
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Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime and Law of the Sea, warned that the Philippines would become collateral damage as China seeks maritime dominance in the region.
"When it comes to the US-China competition, the Philippines is also becoming a collateral damage because once that competition intensifies, the Philippines is right in the middle," Batongbacal said in a roundtable discussion in Pasig City on Monday.
Amid being in the way of Washington and Beijing, Manila should instead focus on non-traditional security threats, the maritime law expert said.
"We need to carefully look at developments such as what's happening in the South China Sea in what I've mentioned as the joint development or exclusive club," Batongbacal said.
He warned, however, that joint development between the Philippines and China would lead to regional exclusivity leaning towards Beijing.
He noted that China is already the leading trading partner of most countries in the region.
"China's expansion in search for maritime dominance in the region is also manifesting to break through the so-called first island chain and it's becoming quite successful at it," Batongbacal said.
Coordinated policies
Batongbacal suggested that the Philippines and China continue discussions on how to coordinate policies that would assure equal access to development and business opportunities in the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea.
He warned that the Philippine economy is in danger of being dominated by China, which is emerging as the biggest economic power in the region.
"The potential area for cooperation would be in the maritime industries, the Philippines as an archipelagic country we always need to develop its maritime industries and Australia have some pontentials in this regard," he said.
Australia, a US ally, is among the countries that have been challenging China's dominance in the South China Sea.
A few months ago, the Chinese Navy and the Royal Australian Navy had a confrontation in the disputed waterway. China's navy reportedly challenged Australian warships passing through the South China Sea.
An Australian Defense official said that the exchanges between the Australian warships and the Chinese navy were polite but "robust."
In the recently concluded Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, Australian Minister of Defense Marise Payne called on all countries to clarify and resolve their territorial claims in the contested waters.
"Changes to the rules-based order must evolve through open discussion and be agreed as broadly as possible, if those changes are to support the continuation of development and growth. Adopting a 'might-is-right' approach is contrary to the interests of all nations," Payne said in a speech in the regional security and defense forum.
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