‘Many nations’ ask US Coast Guard for help

MANILA, Philippines — Several countries have been reaching out to the United States Coast Guard for support, including training, as China pursues its sweeping South China Sea claims more aggressively, a USCG official said.

USCG Pacific Area deputy commander Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto said the USCG is deploying an Indo-Pacific support cutter, which is going around Pacific island nations providing training and assistance.

“There have been many nations that have reached out to the United States Coast Guard, and we look forward to working with each and every one of them. We have shifted some resources to the Pacific, specifically to be able to meet those commitments,” Sugimoto said at a virtual press briefing last Tuesday.

US ships have been conducting exercises with the Philippines, Japan and South Korea.

The USCG Cutter Waesche recently returned from patrol in the Western Pacific. It recently hosted observers from the Coast Guards of the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam for 13 days on board, according to Sugimoto.

“We were able to highlight how we do operations, show how we want to reinforce rules-based order out there, safely conduct certain operations, help and show them what and how we do maintenance on our ships, which is always very important, right?” he said.

“It was very nice having them on board to be able to show and do that,” he added.

Sugimoto said the USCG looks forward to doing future shiprider events or having observers on board in future deployments.

“And we very much look forward to working with Japan, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and others that ask to do so,” he added.

China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels rammed and fired water cannons at a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Sunday afternoon.

Sugimoto emphasized that the deliberate ramming of and firing of water cannons at Philippine vessels by China ships are a “clear act of bullying by one individual that wants to exert its influences over another nation with complete disregard for the rules and the international law that exists.”

He noted that interoperability and the ability to have effective communications to have effective maritime domain awareness could be as effective as possible and continue to push back against nations that want to exert their influences solely for their purposes at the expense of other law-abiding nations.

Philippines seeks more international support

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. is asking the international community for more support as the Philippines continues to promote a rules-based international order in the West Philippine Sea.

Speaking before representatives of 29 nations at the ongoing 35th Military Law Operations (MILOPS) annual conference hosted by the United States Indo-Pacific Command in Manila, Teodoro asserted that the country needs the backing to stop China’s acts of violating and ignoring international law.

“Please help the Philippines be, as (US) Ambassador (MaryKay) Carlson said, ‘a global leader in enforcing and upholding rules-based international order, norms of international law’ and do not let the Philippines be a victim for standing up to international law,” he said.

He emphasized that the Philippines is not merely upholding its own sovereignty and sovereign rights, but is a test case for the agreed-upon interpretations of the civilized world of what international law is, particularly the law of the sea.

“I’d like to carry on from the statement of Ambassador Carlson, that the venue of this conference was both deliberate and significant. Indeed, the Philippines is at the forefront of upholding international law in this side of the world,” the defense chief added, reiterating the US envoy’s statement that the Philippines plays a central role in the Indo-Pacific region.

Teodoro noted that nations should adhere to the tenets of international law, especially the United Nations Charter, amid regional security challenges.

“Let’s go back to the foundation that is Article 4 of the UN Charter, which does not allow any state to use force or threaten, even the word ‘threaten to use force,’ in asserting its territorial claims. That is foundational in a charter which was made post World War II,” he stressed.

“The repeated transgressions – and I’m not afraid to name them – by China to test how a body of law freely agreed upon, signed by even them, can be shaped or remolded into what they think is their version of international law. And surely, the nexus is shaping a version for their own insular interests, which means it’s a zero-sum game. Their game, the world’s loss,” he added.

Attended by representatives from about 29 countries, the 35th MILOPS is a four-day conference which provides an opportunity for participants to discuss the important aspects of international law, military cooperation and the importance of the rules-based international order to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the event, held at the Rigodon Hall of the Manila Hotel, brings together senior military leaders, government officials, legal advisors and leading academics from various nations across the Indo-Pacific region.

The conference serves as a vital platform for discussing key aspects of international law, military cooperation and the significance of a rules-based international order.

The AFP said the conference is part of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board meeting activities, underscoring the ongoing commitment of the Philippines and the US to strengthen defense ties and uphold the principles of international law in the Indo-Pacific region.

“It is important to highlight the significance of our mutual engagements in regional and multilateral fora, which amplify the voices of both large and small nations alike. By uniting and working together under the common principles of equity, justice and the rule of law, we can ensure peace and prosperity for future generations,” AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.

Brawner also underscored the importance of building awareness, harnessing support and reinforcing the commitment of Filipinos on matters of Philippine territory, sovereignty and sovereign rights.

Japan cites Philippines compliance

Meanwhile, Japan highlighted the Philippines for consistent compliance with the Arbitral Tribunal’s award as to the South China Sea dispute with China and the commitment shown for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

In a statement, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the arbitral award is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and Japan strongly hopes that the parties’ compliance with the award will lead to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea.

The ministry called for de-escalation in tensions amid China’s increasingly aggressive attacks on Philippine vessels.

Although the CCG was not named, the ministry said Japan “steadfastly opposes” the dangerous and coercive use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels as well as aircraft.

“Japan expresses serious concern over repeated actions in recent days that increase regional tensions in the South China Sea and urges de-escalation of the tensions,” the Japanese foreign ministry said.

China warns US

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi yesterday warned visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan over supporting the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported.

“The United States must not use bilateral treaties as an excuse to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor should it support or condone the Philippines’ actions of infringement,” Wang told Sullivan, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Sullivan landed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday for a three-day trip, saying on arrival that he looked forward to “a very productive round of conversations” with Wang.

Washington’s allies Japan and the Philippines have blamed China in the past week for raising regional tensions, with Tokyo accusing Beijing of violating its airspace and Manila calling it the “biggest disrupter” of peace in Southeast Asia.

Wang emphasized to Sullivan that “China is firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights over the South China Sea islands,” according to CCTV.

In another development, the PCG has confirmed that a swarm of 40 ships from Chinese forces blocked the resupply mission for BRP Teresa Magbanua.

The PCG’s two 44-meter patrol vessels BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engaño were supposed to “deliver vital food and supplies” to personnel onboard their 97-meter counterpart Teresa Magbanua, which has been “on extended patrol” in Escoda Shoal since April, according to a post by PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela on X last Monday. – Michael Punongbayan, AFP, Ghio Ong, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Alexis Romero