THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it has lodged a diplomatic protest with China in response to maneuvers of Chinese vessels that led to collision with Philippine ships on resupply mission to Filipino troops at the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Manila has filed 465 diplomatic protests over China’s aggressive activities and bullying and harassment of Philippines vessels in the West Philippine Sea. Of these, 122 were lodged under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said the department also summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to demand an explanation on the incident.
Huang was out of town and the diplomatic protest was handed yesterday morning instead to the Chinese Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, the No. 2 official in the embassy, by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Aileen Mendiola-Rao.
“We are making full use of the diplomatic processes and are exercising all possible actions available to us, and that includes summoning the Chinese ambassador this morning,” Daza said in a press briefing.
Daza said she did not have details yet on the Chinese response to the diplomatic protest “but it would be safe to assume that they will repeat the narrative in terms of what they have been telling and sharing to the media.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila said its Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong conveyed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to what it said is the “intrusion” of Philippine vessels in its territory.
Zhou stressed that Ren’ai Jiao is part of China’s Nansha Qundao and China’s territory, the embassy said in a statement.
It added that Zhou reiterated Beijing’s position calling on Manila to “take seriously China’s grave concerns, honor its promise, stop making provocations at sea, stop making dangerous moves, stop groundlessly attacking and slandering China, and to tow away the illegally “grounded” warship as soon as possible,” referring to BRP Sierra Madre.
The embassy said a move by Manila on such part will ensure that “peace and stability of the South China Sea will not be jeopardized and the common interests of countries in the region will not be affected.”
In Beijing, China’s foreign ministry urged the Philippines to take China’s concerns seriously, stop dangerous maneuvers, and stop creating more tension in the South China Sea.
China will continue to take necessary measures following domestic and international law and firmly safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
As in previous incidents when Manila complained of harassment, Beijing blamed Philippine ships for the collision, saying they sailed “headlong towards Ren’ai Jiao’s lagoon and bumped dangerously” with Chinese Coast Guard and fishing vessels.
Ren’ai Jiao is China’ name for Ayungin Shoal.
Daza stressed that Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf as provided under a United Nations convention and as such, Manila has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it.
With this, Daza said China has no right to linger in and interfere with Philippine legitimate activities in the area.
“We have every right to carry out legitimate activities in our maritime zones. We do not accept any form of interference,” Daza said.
“China as a major power bears a heavier responsibility in contributing to peace and stability in the region,” she added.
The official also defended the resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre, adding it was a routine and regular activity carried out to reprovision the troops deployed in the grounded Navy landing ship tank.
“It’s rather difficult to imagine how these activities could be deemed as threatening or provocative to China,” Daza further said. — With Reuters
