China hitting PH on multiple fronts, says military

- Advertisement -

THE military yesterday accused China of attacking the Philippines on several fronts, while former US officials and an incumbent senator said China’s aggressive expansionism is causing destabilization of the global order.

“We are being battered across the different instruments of national power — politically, economically, socio-culturally, (and) militarily,” said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s  spokesman for the West Philippine Sea.

In a TV interview, Trinidad said the Chinese are also attacking the Philippines on the law enforcement and environmental side.

- Advertisement -

“There are different efforts to, shall I say, put us on a higher footing to make us more alert… So these are all happening at the same time to keep us busy,” he said.

On the military side, Trinidad noted the arrest of Chinese nationals for unauthorized foreign intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities.

Six of the Chinese suspects were arrested by NBI operatives in Makati City and Palawan last month. Another Chinese was also arrested in May last year in Makati City.

Trinidad also noted the recovery of submersible drones, one recovered by fishermen off Masbate last December 30.

“If you look at the political side, we had a local chief executive last year who was found out to have a dubious background… We look at the political side, we have that mayor, that local chief executive,” said Trinidad, referring to former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.

“We look at the economic side, we have the POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators). Now, we have these alleged Chinese nationals doing illegal ISR in the country. So these are happening at the same time,” he said.

Authorities have established that Guo is a Chinese citizen with name Guo Hua Ping who is accused her of being a Chinese spy. Guo claims to be a Filipino and denied being a Chinese spy.

“On the environmental side, we see black sand mining. On the economic side, we see POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators),” said Trinidad.

“And then now, we see from the socio-cultural side, these are alleged nationals who have been living here with us for the past 10 years. They could be called sleepers who have activated by the Chinese communist party,” he said.

Trinidad said there has been an influx of Chinese tourists in the country. “A lot of them settled in country, retirees. But these are 35-year-olds, retirees,” he said.

Trinidad said the military has enhanced its security measures even before the arrest of the Chinese spies.

“Right now, with the shift that we are doing to external defense, our systems and procedures have also shifted,” said Trinidad.

EXPANSIONISM

Former US Congressman Robert Pittenger, US Sen. Bill Cassidy, and former Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger spoke at the 27th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum (PI-SF) hosted by the Philippine House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City.

With Manila hosting this year’s forum, discussions focused on the Indo-Pacific, a region that includes economic powerhouses such as China, Japan, India and South Korea and one that continues to be a potential flashpoint for conflict because of China’s worsening aggression.

PI-SF, a global platform that brings together legislators to discuss intelligence, security, and economic threats, has played a key role in strengthening multilateral cooperation against emerging global challenges.

The American officials accused the Chinese Communist Party of destabilizing the global order through “economic subversion, political infiltration, and military expansionism.”

“We have many challenges in the world today, spawned in large part by the nemesis in this region — China,” said Pittenger, PI-SF founder, who described China as a key enabler of authoritarian regimes. “For each of those threats and challenges we have, much of their commitment, their support, their investment comes from China. We all understand that.”

- Advertisement -spot_img

Pittenger cited China’s economic and military ties with Iran, North Korea, and Russia, saying its support to such states fuels conflicts and emboldens authoritarian leaders.

The former US lawmaker, who called for stronger intelligence-sharing and economic penalties against Beijing, also cited China’s use of cyber warfare, economic extortion and illicit financial networks to exert political control over vulnerable nations.

Cassidy, who spoke via video message, said: “One of the main reasons we’re at odds with China is because they do not respect international rules, principles, or norms. The values that every freedom-loving people in society accept, they disregard.”

The US senator said the CCP “targets vulnerable nations, offering investments in infrastructure and development projects, only to later weaponize them as leverage for geopolitical control.”

Cassidy cited the case of the Philippines, saying the traditional US ally has been a primary target of China’s expansionist tactics, pointing to Beijing’s illegal incursions in the West Philippine Sea, its militarization of artificial islands and its harassment of Filipino fishermen.

He also denounced China’s widespread use of “debt-trap diplomacy,” which he said has manipulated governments in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia using massive infrastructure loans.

DISINFORMATION

For his part, Pottinger called China’s strategy as a “silent Cold War,” through the use of disinformation, economic dependency and military intimidation to subvert democracies.

“For too long, we have indulged the fantasy that economic engagement would liberalize China. Instead, Beijing has exploited, outmaneuvered, and undermined democracies to serve its authoritarian ambitions,” he said.

Like Pittenger, Pottinger assailed China’s deep ties with authoritarian states, citing Beijing’s “no-limits” pact with Vladimir Putin just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He accused China of fueling Moscow’s military ambitions while also preparing for potential military action against Taiwan.

Pottinger criticized China’s handling of COVID-19, particularly the cover-up of the Wuhan outbreak which he said led to a global catastrophe. He also condemned China’s intellectual property theft, predatory trade policies, and environmental destruction, calling China “the world’s largest polluter.”

Pottinger urged democratic nations to strengthen military deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, restrict China’s access to Western technology and capital, ban CCP-controlled platforms like TikTok and WeChat, and reinforce economic and political alliances to push back against Beijing’s coercion while Cassidy stressed the need for stronger anti-corruption policies, urging democratic leaders to resist China’s economic enticements and expose its influence operations.

“It is not enough to simply denounce corruption. We must take concrete action to punish those who engage in it and ensure that governments and institutions are held to the highest standards of transparency and accountability,” he said.

In December 2024, the Philippines, United States, Japan, and Australia conducted joint naval drills in the South China Sea in a direct response to China’s maritime aggression.

In his keynote address, Speaker Martin Romualdez reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to international law in asserting its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

He cited the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, which rejected expansive maritime claims in the region. He emphasized that upholding the decision is essential for maintaining regional stability.

“For the Philippines, the situation in the West Philippine Sea remains a direct and urgent concern. This is not just a matter of territorial integrity—it is a test of the international community’s commitment to upholding international law and ensuring freedom of navigation,” he said.

The leader of the House warned against “gray-zone tactics, coercive actions, and militarization of artificial islands, which threaten peace and stability.”

He said the Philippine government has taken legislative steps to strengthen its maritime jurisdiction, including the passage of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act.

“The West Philippine Sea issue underscores the importance of preserving a rules-based international order,” he said. “For smaller nations like the Philippines, this order serves as a safeguard against the arbitrary use of power and ensures that disputes are resolved peacefully, through dialogue and diplomacy, rather than coercion or intimidation.”

Romualdez also urged fellow lawmakers to use their legislative influence to reinforce alliances and uphold international agreements that promote stability in the region.

HACKING

The Chinese Embassy in Manila yesterday denied the statement of Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez that he has changed his phone four or five times due to Chinese hacking.

Romualdez made the claim in a forum at the American University last week and in an interview with an online news site, where he said his phone has been tapped a number of times. He also said he mentioned the incident to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian and the latter just laughed off.

But the embassy denied such a meeting took place, and said in a statement that Huang “was surprised by such a story since he hasn’t met Ambassador Romualdez for a long time.”

“The two ambassadors have never touched upon the so-called Chinese hacking issue and Ambassador Huang doesn’t know where Ambassador Romualdez got this story from,” it added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to comment on the issue. – With Ashzel Hachero

Authors

- Advertisement -

Share post: