UNITED States Ambassador Mary Kay Carlson yesterday said the relationship between Manila and Washington is not targeted against China or any other country.
Carlson’s remark came amid renewed ties between Manila and Washington amid a thaw during under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte who sought closer ties with Beijing and Moscow.
It also came amid China’s opposition to the US gaining access to more Philippine military facilities under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that Beijing said could involve Manila in a shooting war.
The Philippines and he US also have the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty that binds both countries to come to each other’s aid in case of foreign invasion or aggression.
“The Mutual Defense Treaty dates back to 1951. Our commitment to the Philippines stands on its own. Our relationship stands on its own, it’s not about a third country, it’s not about a single challenge,” Carlson told ABS-CBN News Channel.
“There’s so much that we are working together on. It’s not about China. It certainly is not about China alone, it’s about what we do together. I understand that that argument is out there but that’s not why we’re committed to the Philippines,” she added.
The US envoy also said the ties that bind the two countries do not pertain only to security or military relations but also to economy, trade, efforts to address climate change, environmental and maritime degradation and the problem of cyber security.
EDCA SITES
Carlson also said the EDCA sites are not meant to threaten others, adding that the sites are owned by the Philippines and US troops are there only upon Manila’s invitation.
“These are not our sites. We do not have any rights to these sites. It’s not as if somehow somebody snaps a finger and all of a sudden everything is open to the United States,” Carlson added.
Beijing has strongly opposed Manila’s decision to allow US military forces access to four military sites in the country under EDCA, on top of the five locations agreed upon when the EDCA was signed in 2014.
Three of the four new EDCA sites are located in northern Luzon close to Taiwan, namely Lal-lo airport and Camilo Osias Naval Base in Cagayan province, and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Upi Gamu, Isabela.
The fourth site is in Balabac, Palawan, near the disputed South China Sea where Beijing has constructed military facilities on artificial islands it has built.
Chinese officials said these sites can be used by the US to conduct surveillance on their forces, and to possibly intervene if the tension in the Taiwan Strait worsens.
Beijing objects to any international support to Taiwan, which it considers as a renegade province to be brought back to its fold, including through the use of force.
Taiwan, a democracy of more then 23 million has rejected Beijing’s claim and insisted its readiness to defend its territory.
Carlson acknowledged the critical role the Indo-Pacific region played in the global economy, adding that as much as 90 percent of trade passes though its waterways.
“A large percentage of that passes through the West Philippine Sea, the South China Sea, to these key straits in this region. So economic security is national security. So making sure that we guarantee prosperity that we guarantee prosperity for our people, means we have to have open sea lines of communication,” Carlson said.
He said this is the reason the US endeavors to maintain a rules-based order where freedom of navigation is respected by all countries.
In January, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a state visit to China, during which he urged President Xi Jinping to establish direct communication lines with Manila to avoid mis-communication and miscalculations in the disputed waters.
It did not deter Chinese coast guard and militia ships from continuously harassing Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.
In February this year, a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship pointed a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel doing resupply run to Filipino troops deployed in Ayungin Shoal. Last month, a CCG ship blocked the path of a PCG vessel patrolling Ayungin Shoal.
GLOBAL ORDER
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Tuesday promoted a rules-based global order in a forum in Tokyo, which he said underpinned peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region for the past seven decade.
Manalo made the remarks amid concern not only in Manila but in other capitals in the region on the aggressive Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
In his speech before the Philippines-Japan Strategic Partnership forum organized by Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Manalo said Manila will work closely with bilateral, regional, and multilateral fora with other nations including Tokyo to not only preserve the rules-based order but also to strengthen it amid what he described are “developments challenging” the order.
“Current times present the Indo-Pacific with challenges ranging from the existential threat of climate change and the impact on our societies of disruptive advances in science and technology, to the more persistent social and economic inequalities,” he said.
“Preserving the rules-based order requires concerted efforts on multiple fronts. It means strengthening international institutions to effectively address emerging challenges. It means reforming these institutions to reflect the evolving geopolitical landscape and ensure their continued relevance for global governance,” he added.
Manalo also called for a “more inclusive and representative international order” that he said should promote collaboration and respects the sovereignty of all nations.
“It means harnessing the power of bridge-builders and middle voices in regional and global fora to find common ground, and therefore, build mutual trust and find solutions,” he said.
MARITIME COOPERATION
Manalo said maritime cooperation will always be a key feature in Philippine-Japan ties.
“Being island states binds us in the common objective of keeping the seas of the Indo-Pacific safe, secure and peaceful,” Manalo said, adding that Manila is firmly committed to maintaining peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea and in the entire South China Sea.
“We recognize not only the strategic significance of the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea: the sea is the lifeblood to millions of Filipinos. As a nation situated in the heart of this seascape, the Philippines understands that protecting its rights in its exclusive economic zone or EEZ and ensuring unimpeded access is vital for safeguarding the livelihoods of our fisherfolk and preserving the marine resources for future generations,” he added.
Manalo pointed out that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has unequivocally stated the Philippines’ commitment to upholding sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, adding that Manila will continue to pursue peaceful and legal means in order to assert these rights.
“The 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea and UNCLOS provide a solid foundation for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the establishment of a regime in the South China Sea that promotes cooperation among all parties involved,” he said.
But to achieve a peaceful and UNCLOS-based regime, Manalo said sincere dialogue among all claimants is crucial, both bilaterally and through discussions between ASEAN and China on a Code of Conduct.
Manalo also repeated Chinese infringements on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and territorial waters means that Manila needs to boost its maritime defenses. He said this need is the more exacerbated by the fact that the Philippines has an extensive coastline to patrol and secure.
