DFA summons China diplomat

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has summoned Beijing’s charge d’affaires in Manila to protest the Chinese coast guard’s “aggressive actions” over the weekend around Ayungin Shoal, which left four Filipino soldiers injured and a supply vessel severely damaged.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Raphael Hermoso yesterday summoned Charge d’Affaires Zhou Zhiyong “to convey the Philippines’ strong protest against the aggressive actions undertaken by the China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia against the rotation and resupply mission undertaken by the Philippines in Ayungin Shoal on 23 March 2024.”

Last Saturday’s incident was the second time this month that the Chinese coast guard attempted to stop Filipino vessels from delivering supplies and provisions to troops on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, using water cannons and conducting dangerous maneuvers.

The Philippine embassy in Beijing, meanwhile, was instructed to lodge the same demarche or political action with the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs.

“In these demarches, the Philippines stressed, among others, that China has no right to be in Ayungin Shoal, a low-tide elevation that lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS and as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a statement, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“China’s continued interference with the Philippines’ routine and lawful activities in its own exclusive economic zone is unacceptable. It infringes upon the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction,” she said.

At Malacañang, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin presided over a national security meeting on the issue, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said without elaborating.

China’s foreign ministry yesterday defended its coast guard’s action, saying the Philippines reneged on a promise to tow away the Sierra Madre, “violating the commitments it has made to the Chinese side on many occasions.”

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro talked with Chinese vice foreign minister Chen Xiaodong yesterday morning over the phone to express the Philippines’ “strongest protest” against the aggressive actions of the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia.

A total of 147 diplomatic protests have been filed against China over its aggressive actions at sea under the administration of President Marcos.

Daza said the DFA is grateful to the international community for its “expressions of support to the Philippines and the defense of the international order based on international law.”

International support

Twenty-one countries and groups have issued statements expressing support for the Philippines against Chinese provocations in the West Philippine Sea. They include Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, European Union, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.

While the Philippines has made sincere efforts to implement the instruction of President Marcos and President Xi to lower tensions, “China’s aggressive actions call into question its sincerity in lowering the tensions and promoting peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Daza said.

She maintained that China’s aggressive actions contradict and put to waste ASEAN-China efforts to promote practical activities to foster peace and cooperation in the region.

“The Philippines urges China to take the correct track of abiding by international law and respecting the legitimate rights of other states like the Philippines, and to cease and desist from its continued violation of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” she said.

The Chinese embassy, for its part, said it has lodged representations with the DFA over the March 23 “illegal trespassing” by Philippine resupply vessels.

“In the representations, the embassy pointed out that the Philippines, in violation of its own words and in disregard of China’s strong opposition communicated clearly to the Philippine side until the eleventh hour, sent two Philippines Coast Guard vessels and one resupply vessel to intrude into the adjacent waters,” the embassy said in a statement.

The embassy said China coast guard’s actions were “lawful” and carried out in “reasonable and professional” manner.

Since taking office in 2022, Marcos has taken a tough line against what he sees as Chinese hostility and has refused to cave in to Beijing’s pressure to steer clear of features it claims.

The tensions come at a time when Marcos is seeking to deepen engagement with US, including increasing base access for US troops and expanding military exercises to include joint air and sea patrols, developments China has viewed with suspicion.

Washington has said it stands with the Philippines as it condemned the “dangerous actions” of China.

Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and Australia have also issued statements of support for the Philippines.

“The US is not a party to the South China Sea issue but repeatedly intervened, provoke the maritime issues between China and the Philippines,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference yesterday.

Citing a statement from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, Daza said the Philippines “will not be deterred by threats or hostility from exercising its legal rights over its maritime zones, including Ayungin Shoal, which forms part of the Philippine EEZ and continental shelf.”

Arbitration challenge

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., for his part, challenged China to bring its sovereignty claim to arbitration.

“If the Chinese are really not afraid to let the world know about their claim, they should subject it to arbitration under international law,” he said.

He also called on Filipinos not to believe China narratives and propaganda.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said China is “humiliating itself” by overreacting to an ordinary resupply mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“This is just an ordinary rotation and resupply or provision operation but look at how the Chinese are reacting. It is as if it’s already the end of the world, so they’re really humiliating themselves in front of the world,” Año said.

“We will continue to do this. We will not be deterred. We will not be intimidated because it is our right and we have to protect our soldiers, our sailors there at BRP Sierra Madre,” he added.

He also stressed that the Philippines had never entered into any arrangement with China on removing Sierra Madre from the shoal.

Sen. Grace Poe lambasted China for its “uncivilized action” and called for accountability for those responsible.

“We deplore the latest water cannon attack by China on a Philippine supply vessel that injured our three Navy personnel,” Poe said. “We must hold the Chinese vessel responsible for the injury inflicted on our troops.

“From shadowing our vessels to collisions and water cannon assaults, incidents in the West Philippine Sea have been escalating,” Poe added. “While the Philippines continues to deal with the attacks in a legal, legitimate and calm manner, we must also seek accountability.”

Downgrade ties with China — Carlos

Former presidential security adviser Clarita Carlos said she had recommended to President Marcos the downgrading of the country’s diplomatic relationship with China.

“Of course I was just an adviser and it is up to the President if he would accept my proposal. I told him that if we could really no longer take China’s escalating aggressive actions, we should lower our diplomatic relationship with them,” she said over dzBB.

“Their embassy here will be non-functioning. We will also close our embassy in Beijing if we really want things to happen,” Carlos, now the chief security adviser of Speaker Martin Romualdez, said.

Carlos clarified she understands why the President had not acted on her proposals.

“He is (faced) by so many domestic and external forces. He does not want us to be caught in the middle of the fight between China and United States,” she said.

Carlos maintained that the Philippines should not depend on other countries, including the US, for its security.

“Don’t lean on any walls. Know our strong and weak areas, and let us continue to talk with China even if we lower our diplomatic relationship. We are going to talk with them because there are many channels of functional cooperation,” she added. — Alexis Romero, Artemio Dumlao, Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe