MEMBER states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are due to sail in the Indo-Pacific region as part of efforts to uphold international, including showing support to Philippine interest in the West Philippine Sea in the South China, the Philippine Navy said yesterday.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), welcomed the maritime activity called Operation Highmast which he said will involve a British aircraft carrier.
“Operation Highmast is a showcase of the UK’s (United Kingdom) commitment to support the rules-based international order, reaffirm UK’s commitment to peace and security in the Info-Pacific and to display resolve and reassure their allies,” said Trinidad in a message.
The UK is among 32 NATO member countries. The others include the United States, France, Canada, and Germany.
Trinidad said the Philippines welcomes Operation Highmast “as it shows our stand to support international law is also the stand of other countries that use the waters of the Indo-Pacific.”
In an earlier interview with the radio dzRH, Trinidad said the activity involves a NATO task force since NATO member states have contributed naval vessels for the activity.
“This is coming to the Indo-Pacific,” he said of the task force. “It’s no longer just Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that is involved; it’s already the whole world, standing against China, against the Chinese Communist Party, telling them we will support the stand of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea, we will support international law in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
China has become aggressive in its excessive 10-dash-line claim in the West Philippine Sea in the past years, harassing Philippine government vessels and aircraft and even Filipino fishing boats in the area.
“A British task force is coming with an aircraft carrier … This (activity) involves a multinational task force composed of NATO members, including an aircraft carrier from Great Britain,” said Trinidad.
“It’s the first time a multinational task force, centered on aircraft carrier from Europe, is coming to Indo-Pacific. Before, it’s just one country sending (ships) but now, it’s a multinational task force,” he also said.
Trinidad could not immediately say the other countries involved in the activity and when they will reach the Indo-Pacific area.
Asked if the multinational task force will join multilateral maritime cooperative activities (MMCAs) of the Armed Forces with other countries, he said, “Let’s just wait. We do not announce in advance our operations.”
“But the moment it is finalized for execution, we’re going to issue public advisories about it,” he added.
The Armed Forces has conducted several MMCAs with allied countries in the past years in the WPS, the last one was with United States and Australia on April 29.
Trinidad dismissed China’s statement that it has allowed and supervised the military’s rotation and resupply (RORE) mission at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal on May 16.
“It’s a baseless statement,” he said.
Trinidad implied the military does not need China’ permission for resupply missions, noting the Philippine claim in the West Philippine Sea is backed by international law.
Trinidad said the RORE was the eighth consecutive mission since July last year that was not marked by any untoward incident.
In July last year, Filipino and Chinese diplomats convened the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM), during which they reached a “provisional arrangement” on the conduct of RORE missions to de-escalate tension in the area.
Prior to the convening of the 9th BCM, the Chinese have harassed RORE missions at the shoal. The last incident of Chinese harassment was in June last year when a Filipino sailor lost a finger and Philippine Navy equipment were damaged.
In a statement last Friday, the AFP said, “We firmly reject China Coast Guard’s false narrative that our operations require their permission or supervision.”
It said China’s statement was “clearly meant to mislead the international community and project control where they have no basis to do so.”
“We do not, and will never, seek permission from any foreign state to conduct operations that assert and protect our sovereign rights,” the military said.
It said Ayungin Shoal is within the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone and “we have every right to be there and to conduct our routine activities in accordance with international and domestic laws.”
