THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday rejected a statement of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi characterizing developments and incidents in the disputed South China Sea “as mere theater staged under the direction of other countries.”
“China should recognize that the Philippines is an independent and sovereign state whose actions and decisions are driven entirely by national interest and the interests and well-being of the Filipino people,” the DFA said in a statement, reacting to Wang’s statement at a press conference last Friday.
The DFA said the “real issue is China’s refusal to abide by international law,” particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award, and how its “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive behavior at sea” have adversely affected Filipino communities.
Manila and Beijing are signatories to UNCLOS.
Manila won its arbitral case against Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2016, with the tribunal ruling that the latter’s expansive claim in the South China Sea, including the parts claimed by the Philippines as its own, has no legal or historical basis.
China, however, refused to abide by the tribunal’s ruling and insisted on its claim.
It has also been aggressively pushing its claim by sending coast guard and maritime militia vessels.
Wang, in the press conference, also compared Beijing’s ongoing maritime territorial dispute with Manila to a “shadow play” and warned that those “acting as other’s chess pieces are bound to be discarded.”
Without naming names, Wang warned of external forces at play, aided by Western media, with the end results, he added, is to smear China.
China regularly characterizes the United States and its allies such as Japan and Australia as external forces out to malign Beijing in the ongoing maritime territorial dispute.
The DFA asked other nations to be circumspect and to avoid actions and words that only contribute to tension in the region.
Visiting Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon affirmed Ljubljana’s support for Manila.
“I would like to express my solidarity with the Philippines in the face of challenges to security and international law in the South China Sea – or more precisely, in the West Philippine Sea,” Fajon told the Philippine News Agency.
Fajon said countries should respect the 2016 arbitral ruling as it is part of the rules-based international order and is legal and binding.
“This is not just about the South China Sea; it is about the integrity of the international legal order and respect for the rulings of international tribunals in general. Slovenia understands this well from its own experience,” she added.
Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada asked the international community to denounce Wang’s statements which he said “are yet another blatant attempt to undermine our country’s legitimate concerns and distract the public from their persistent illegal incursions and provocations.”
He also asked the international community to support the Philippines in defending regional peace, stability, and the rule of law.
“Our sovereignty is not a performance, and our resolve is not an act,” he said. – With Raymond Africa
