THE Philippines yesterday welcome a statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers calling out China’s continued militarization and coercive activities in the South China Sea as it reiterated its stand that the maritime territorial dispute should be resolved based on the rule of law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
It was Manila’s first reaction on the joint statement issued by the G7 foreign minister on Friday during their annual meeting held in Italy.
The G7 is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies established in 1975 and consists of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
“The Philippines welcomes the G7 Foreign Ministers’ reiteration of their collective commitment to the rule of law and to the rules-based maritime order anchored on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as their commitment to sustainable and inclusive economic development as expressed in their “Statement on Addressing Global Challenges, Fostering Partnership,” the DFA said.
“The Philippines is firmly committed to UNCLOS and the binding Arbitral Award of 2016.
Respect for international law, particularly for the recognized maritime entitlements of coastal states in the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation enjoyed by the international community, is essential to ensuring global prosperity, peace and stability,” it added.
The DFA said these are fundamental values that benefit not only the Indo-Pacific region, but the wider community of nations.
“As such, we appreciate the G7’s support in rejecting China’s baseless and expansive claims, and their call for China to cease its illegal activities, particularly its use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea that engage in dangerous maneuvers and the use of water cannons against Philippine vessels,” the DFA added.
It further welcomed the G7 statement reaffirming that the 2016 arbitral award which junked China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea is a “significant milestone and a useful basis for the peaceful management and resolution of differences at sea.”
China does not recognize the arbitral ruling. In recent months, it has stepped up its harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, including blocking and firing water cannons at ships doing resupply mission to Filipino troops in Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal. Last month, several Filipino sailors were injured in two separate water cannon attacks by Chinese coast guard vessels in the area.
Beijing has also called on Manila to remove the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin, where a small contingent of Filipino troops are stationed.
The DFA said Manila shares the G7 vision of a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region, and stands firm against any action that undermines international security and stability.
“We want to see a South China Sea of peace, stability and prosperity, and the cessation of interference, obstruction and harassment of the Philippines’ legal activities within our recognized maritime entitlements,” it added.
It also said the Philippine government is keen to see an inclusive and economically dynamic Indo-Pacific that benefits the region’s peoples.
“We welcome the G7’s economic initiatives, particularly investments within the framework of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and its recognition of the strategic importance of the Luzon Economic Corridor in driving inclusive and sustainable development,” it said, adding that Manila is ready to cooperate with the G7 in its efforts to support economic growth in the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific.
CULTURAL EXCHANGE
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros asked China to first promote “people-to-people relations” at the West Philippine Sea (WPS) before promoting it by sending students to the country.
Hontiveros made the remark in response to a statement made by the Chinese embassy that “cultural and people-to-people exchanges have always been the most enduring and dynamic component of China-Philippines relations” as evidenced by its educational exchanges in recent years.
“If China is really promoting people-to-people exchanges, isn’t it that China should have done it in the seas, where China continues to bully our fishermen, coast guard, and Philippine Navy,” Hontiveros said in Filipino during an interview with radio dzBB.
She said that promoting people-to-people exchanges by sending students to the Philippines has caught so much attention since most of the students were enrolled in a university located near an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site in Cagayan province.
Hontiveros said the issue on the Chinese students surfaced as other concerns remain unresolved, such as Chinese presence in the country’s electricity grid and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators hub.
“It looks like there are lots of coincidences, for China to say now that this is only part of its people-to-people relations, while its people-to-people relations to us, especially in the seas, is not so friendly,” she added.
Hontiveros has filed a resolution calling for the alleged influx of Chinese students in the country. — With Raymond Africa
