Wealth-sharing with China eyed
Duterte open to joint exploration of mineral resources in disputed South China Sea
The Philippines is willing to consider a joint mineral exploration with China in the disputed South China Sea despite overlapping claims in the area.
President Duterte had earlier announced he is open to “sharing” resources with China after admitting the country is unable to afford exploring the mineral resources on its own.
“Hindi naman ako madamot. Ang gusto kong kunin ang lahat, wala naman tayong pang-capital. Even in the rigs and everything, we cannot afford it. Baka sharing-sharing na lang [I am not selfish. Even if I wanted to extract everything, we don’t have the capital. Even in the rigs and everything, we cannot afford it. I would consider sharing instead],” Duterte said in a gathering of lawyers in Pasay City Thursday night.
But Duterte made it clear that once China starts extracting minerals in the disputed waters, he intends to raise an arbitration court’s decision upholding the country’s maritime entitlements.
‘I claim it’ “When you start to dig there the minerals, the riches of the bowels of the sea, kasali tayo (we’re part of it),” the President said. “Kasi kalabitin ko na siya. ‘Di ba sinabi ko (I’ll call its attention and say), you claim it, I claim it. So I claim now my ownership, my entitlements then we have to talk,” he added.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague had earlier ruled over disputes in the South China Sea in favor of the Philippines. The arbitration court ruled that China has no historical rights to the resource-rich waters, but Beijing has refused to recognize the decision.
However, the President has opted to put the arbitration case in the backseat focusing instead on enhancing the country’s economic relations with China for now. But he has promised not to surrender any sovereignty to Beijing, saying he would raise the arbitral judgment within his term.
This was Duterte’s message to the leaders of China during his visit to Beijing last year.
“Sabi ko (I said), you know, I come here in peace. I will shake your hand but there is one thing that you must realize at this early before we start talking, and that is during my term, anytime into that span of many years, there will be a time that I will mention to you about the arbitral ruling,” Duterte said.
“We’ll have to talk about it because you claim it to be yours, it is also ours by judgment. I mean, I do not care (about) your history, it is yours. Sabi ko, mag-usap talaga tayo (I said, we really need to talk),” he added.
The President reaffirmed that he would not wage war with China over the territorial conflict since it will lead to a massacre. He conceded the country’s military cannot match China’s might.
“Wala tayong mga cruise missiles, wala tayo ‘non. We are no match and we have to be brutally frank to admit it. Huwag na nating bolahin ang sarili natin,” he said.
Meantime, the President expressed gratitude to China for assuring it would not build structures on Panatag Shoal, located within Philippine territory.
“I was told by the Chinese government that in deference to our friendship… and they want to preserve the relations,” he said. “They are not building anything sa (on) Panatag. O, sabi ko, ‘Thank you,’” he added.
China’s foreign ministry had earlier belied media reports that it would build radar stations on Scarborough Shoal, also known as Panatag Shoal. It said it continues to value relationship with the Philippines.
Facilities on reefs
However, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is in Australia, said China needs military equipment on reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea to defend its trade interests in the region. He, however, denied his nation is militarizing the disputed waters.
“China’s facilities on Chinese islands and reefs are primarily for civilian purposes,” Li said in a news conference on Friday in Canberra with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. “Even if there is a certain amount of defense equipment or facilities, it is for maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight.”
Li’s comments were made during his sole briefing during a five-day visit to Australia. He told lawmakers and business leaders on Thursday that Australia doesn’t need to take sides between China, its largest trading partner, and main strategic ally the US.
While Australia has been careful not to offend China, which took 31 percent of its merchandise exports in the 12 months to July, it’s been uneasy about Beijing’s military build-up in the South China Sea, which contains some of the world’s busiest naval trading routes. Alongside China, nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia claim some of the waters.
About 80 percent of China’s oil imports pass through the South China Sea, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
“It is the responsibility of all countries in this region to work together and to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and uphold freedom of navigation and overflight,” Li said.
Code of Conduct
While disputed remain unsolved, China vowed to strive to complete consultations on a draft Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) framework by mid-2017, together with ASEAN member countries under the condition of no outside disruptions.
The Chinese foreign ministry made this pledge just days before the 20th Joint Working Group Meeting on Implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) is held in Cambodia scheduled from March 29 to 30.
On the basis of fully and effectively implementing the DOC, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China and ASEAN member countries are committed to “strengthening maritime practical cooperation, actively move forward consultations on the COC, and formulate a set of regional rules acceptable to all.”
“With the concerted efforts of China and the ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea is improving toward greater stability,” said Hua in a press briefing held in Beijing a transcript of which was posted in the official website of the Chinese embassy in Manila. “Parties concerned have returned to the right track of resolving disputes through negotiation and consultation. The DOC is being implemented in a comprehensive and effective way. The first draft of the COC has also taken shape. Relations between relevant countries are improving. China feels heartened by all these.
On the passage of Chinese vessels conducting marine scientific research across waters near Benham Rise, a seismically active undersea region and extinct volcanic ridge located in the Philippine Sea approximately 250 kilometers east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson emphasized that “there has never been and will not be any dispute between China and the Philippines over that area.”
While she admitted Chinese vessels did sail across relevant waters to the northeast of Luzon in the vicinity of Benham Rise at the end of last year, Hua stressed that no operations or other activities were conducted during the passage of the ships because China fully respects the Philippines’ rights and interests over the region.
PH rights recognized She said the Chinese government fully recognizes the fact that the Philippines is entitled to carry out exploration and exploitation of natural resources in this region since the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved in 2012 the submission made by the Philippines in 2009 in respect of the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in the Benham Rise region.
However, Hua pointed out that Chinese vessels sailing across relevant waters in Benham Rise is supported by international law.
On the basis of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, she noted that a coastal state’s rights over the continental shelf do not affect the legal status of the superjacent waters and the air space above those waters, nor do they affect foreign ships’ navigation freedom in the coastal state’s EEZ and on the high seas, or their innocent passage through the coastal state’s territorial sea.
“China attaches great importance to the Sino-Philippine relations and cherishes the sound developing momentum of the bilateral relations,” said Hua. “Going forward, China will remain committed to properly addressing relevant maritime issues together with the Philippines and creating favorable atmosphere for the healthy, stable and fast development of the Sino-Philippine relations as well as the progress of mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation in various fields.
Chinese war ship to PH
China is expected to deploy one of its biggest battleships to the Philippines and this early, President Duterte is eager to board the sea vessel during its friendly visit.
The President has allowed China to sail through local waters amid improving relations between the two countries but clarified there is no imminent military alliance with the Asian giant.
“China is sending one of its biggest ships. I told the Ambassador of China that I will board it,” Duterte said during a gathering of lawyers in Pasay City last Thursday night.
The President, however, said he prefers to enhance the country’s trade and economic relations with China instead of forging a military alliance. Besides, the country cannot enter into military alliances with another country due to an existing defense treaty with the United States, according to Duterte. (With reports from Bloomberg and Roy C. Mabasa)