China hits back at US, PHL as it asserts claim over disputed sea

CHINA has slammed the United States and the Philippines for condemning its presence in South China Sea areas legally claimed by Manila, reiterating its rejection of the landmark ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims over the disputed waterway.

“China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and the adjacent waters,” Wang Wenbin, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a regular briefing on Wednesday.

He said the joint statement of the US and the Philippines “misrepresents and discredits the legitimate and lawful maritime law enforcement activities of the Chinese side and even makes false accusations against China.”

“We strongly oppose this.”

In a statement following a 2+2 meeting dialogue, the Philippines and the US strongly opposed China’s “unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea.”

They cited alleged recent attempts of China to disrupt the Philippines’ lawful operations at and around the Second Thomas Shoal and the “repeated massing” of Chinese maritime militia vessels at several sites within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, including, but not limited to, maritime areas in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef, Sabina Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal, and Whitsun Reef.

Such activities affect the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk as well as undermine food security in the Philippines, they said.

Manila and Washington also urged China to fully comply with the 2016 United Nations-backed arbitral ruling, which invalidated China’s claims to more than 80% of the South China Sea.

But Mr. Wang of China said “the so-called arbitral award on the South China Sea gravely violates international laws, including UNCLOS.”

“The award is illegal, null and void. China’s position of not accepting or recognizing it is clear and firm,” he said.

‘PROPER MANNER’
“We stand ready to work with relevant countries to handle maritime disputes in a proper manner through negotiation and consultation, while resolutely protecting our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” he added.

In the joint statement, Washington and Manila also reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, saying it is “an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.”

They also stressed the importance of “multilateralism, sustained dialogue and cooperation, and the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law” in maintaining regional stability.

The statement highly critical of China was issued amid the escalating tension between Beijing and Washington, which has vowed to defend Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion.

“I don’t think we should concern ourselves with the China-US conflict, or any conflict between states for that matter,” Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a policy analyst who has been closely observing the Philippines’ engagement with both China and the US, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“We should leave that to international and regional organizations such as the UN and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),” he added. “We can express our intentions through these organizations.”

“Expressing them directly would mean a direct engagement in the conflict and this is not something our Constitution allows.”

Last week, Mr. Marcos said Philippine military bases under Manila’s 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with Washington would not be used for any offensive activities.

The president first announced the EDCA expansion in February, giving the US access to four more military bases on top of five existing sites.

China has criticized the EDCA expansion, accusing Washington of endangering “regional peace and stability.”

“We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that our goal is to strengthen national defense. EDCA and the (annual) Balikatan exercises is just one aspect of this goal,” Mr. Yusingco said.

“The fact that China feels insecure about this shouldn’t really be a concern for us because our focus should always be to strengthen our national defense.”

He said the Philippines has “to do everything” that it can to ensure that it can defend itself against any external threat. “If that means we have to forge alliances with like-minded states, then so be it.”

On Wednesday, military spokesman Medel M. Aguilar said EDCA sites may be used by both countries during “emergency situations” aside from disaster relief.

Hansley A. Juliano, a political economy researcher, said China’s reaction to the increased US-Philippines partnership “seems consistent with its calculation on America.”

“US presence in Asian waters is always seen as a threat to China’s hegemony,” he said via Messenger chat.

The US and the Philippines on Tuesday kicked off their biggest joint military exercises, which are being participated in by 17,600 members of the Philippine and US military.

This year’s activities include live-fire exercises near disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Kwei-Bo Huang, director of Center for Global and Regional Risk Assessment at Taipei-based National ChengChi University, said the ongoing military drills between the Philippines and the US “will not become a big issue for Beijing so long as it is not aimed obviously at the deployment of the People’s Liberation Amy and/or the disputed areas in the South China Sea.”

“The scale of this exercise has been one of the largest in Southeast Asia, but apparently Beijing authorities haven’t yet lodged a formal protest against it,” he added. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza