But didn’t interfere in exercises, says AFP

TWO Chinese warships tailed ships from the Philippines, United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand involved in last Saturday’s maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea but did not interfere, the military said yesterday.

It was the first time New Zealand joined the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA). It deployed its auxiliary ship HMNZS Aotearoa for the exercise.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said the Chinese ships were monitored at the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal where the one-day MMCA started.

The Armed Forces said five other ships took part in the MMCA, two of them from the Philippine Navy, namely the guided missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna and patrol vessel BRP Emilio Jacinto.

The US, Japan and Australia sent their destroyers for the exercise — USS Howard, JS Sazaname and HMAS Sydney, respectively.

The military said an anti-submarine helicopter AW109 and search and rescue assets from the Philippines also took part in the MMCA, along with two helicopters from the US, and a P-8 Poseidon aircraft and a helicopter from Australia.

“There was no aggressive maneuver,” said Trinidad of the Chinese warships that were seen to have monitored the MMCA, adding that the Chinese are usually well-behaved during the conduct of such activity.

“They (Chinese) monitored it visually and through other means and they acted in a professional manner,” added Trinidad.

Trinidad said the distances of the Chinese vessels from the ships that took part in the MMCA “varied from eight to 14 nautical miles.”

“One of them went as close as 1,000 yards but later went farther. It’s not threatening. It’s normal (Chinese monitoring),” he said.

Trinidad said the MMCA started some 40 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, and sailed southward during the exercises.

China took control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff between Chinese and Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipinos from fishing inside the shoal’s lagoon.

Trinidad said the MMCA was “highly successful, very successful.”

On Saturday, China announced it also held its own naval and air exercise on the same day near Scarborough Shoal, about 124 nautical miles from Zambales.

“The troops did not observe any (Chinese) exercise. We have to understand that sometimes China does this (announcements) for their internal audience, so they won’t be embarrassed, to project they are not weak,” said Trinidad.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military “closely monitored” the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels that tailed the activity.

“However, the MMCA proceeded as planned without any interference, and the safety of participating countries’ vessels was ensured by the protocols in place,” she also said.

“While there were observations of PLAN vessels tailing during the MMCA, no reports were received regarding the conduct of the alleged Chinese military exercise,” she added.

The MMCA included pre-sail briefings, communication exercises, cross-deck exercises, division tactics/officer of the watch drills, photographic exercises, replenishment at sea approaches, maritime domain awareness exercises, and contact reporting which the military said are designed to “refine operational readiness and collaborative capabilities.”

Emphasizing the importance of the MMCA, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said, “This underscores our shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

‘ENHANCED EXERCISES’

AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said they introduced “enhanced exercises” during the MMCA “to improve interoperability among the participating forces.”

“Notably, New Zealand joined the activity for the first time, adding a new dimension to the collaborative efforts,” he said.

Colonel Trinidad said the conduct of the MMCA “manifests the AFP’s dedication to strengthening partnerships and enhancing collective capabilities with like-minded nations to address emerging maritime security challenges.”

Last Saturday’s activity was the fourth MMCA conducted in the West Philippine Sea this year.

The first was held in April and participated in the Philippines, the US, Japan and Australia. The second was in June, with the Philippines, the US, Japan and Canada while the third was in August, held by the Philippines, the US, Australia and Canada.)

Padilla said, “The fourth MMCA was completed successfully, with all planned activities and scenarios executed without any incidents. Participating countries enhanced their cooperation and interoperability in a manner consistent with international law.”

She also He said the military views the latest MMCA as a “pivotal demonstration of international cooperation, strengthening partnerships and enhancing the capabilities of allied nations.”

“This collaborative approach is essential in maintaining a safe and secure maritime environment in the region,” said Padilla.

She said the MMCAs with allied countries are “integral to our Maritime Security Operations, aimed at strengthening our effective presence in the West Philippine Sea.”

“We will continue to actively engage with regional and international partners, fostering alliances through joint exercises, information sharing, and capacity-building initiatives,” added Padilla.

‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ ACTIONS

Foreign Affairs chief Enrique Manalo yesterday reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to diplomacy in resolving disputes despite threats to its waters due to aggressive actions by China.

Manalo, during the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, also raised what he described as “irresponsible and dangerous” actions against the Philippines inside its own 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“The Philippines abides by the UN Charter and the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Resolution of Disputes in asserting its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the South China Sea,” Manalo said in his speech before the world gathering.

“We do not accept narratives depicting the South China Sea as a theater of major power rivalry because they all ignore what is an essential truth: All states in this region have a right to determine their own destiny and secure their own future,” he added.

Manalo said the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the binding 2016 arbitral award on the South China Sea “constitute the foundation” of the Philippines on the South China Sea as he stressed that force and the threat of force in resolving disputes “has no place in our world.”

MULTILATERAL SOLUTIONS

To recall, Manila won its arbitral case against Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, with the tribunal ruling that China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, has no legal or historical basis.

China, however, refused to abide by the tribunal’s ruling and is aggressively enforcing its claim by sending coast guard and maritime militia vessels to the disputed area.

Manalo urged UN member-states to abide by the rule of law for multilateralism to thrive and to address international crises and meet global development goals.

“The rule of law must prevail for multilateralism to flourish amidst current global challenges,” Manalo said as he also pointed out that adherence to the rule of law is key to keeping the Asia Pacific peaceful, stable, and prosperous.

He said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which the Philippines is one of the founding members, and its centrality in the regional architecture, “exemplifies the agency of states” to bring forward multilateral solutions and shape the future of the region.

Manalo also said the Philippines is actively working with other countries on global solutions on many fronts of multilateralism, as he said the UN remains “the only viable platform for collective action,” 79 years after its establishment.

Lastly, Manalo pledged the Philippines’ “unwavering commitment” to the international rules-based system. – With Ashzel Hachero