China to US: Help cool down Phl on sea row
The US should help “cool down” the Philippines and realize that its meddling in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute would only stir tensions, a Chinese newspaper reported. In an editorial dated May 28, China
Daily slammed the US for its supposed failure to remain neutral in the territorial row and for not criticizing the Philippines for its “illegal claims and tricks.”
“By throwing its weight behind Manila, the US, in pursuit of its own strategic considerations in the AsiaPacific region, is only encouraging Manila in its mischief- making,” the editorial read.
“Washington should know its meddling in the South China Sea has been destabilizing the region. It should stop stoking regional tensions and help cool down Manila by warning it against military buildup, thus honoring its commitment to peace,” it added.
The US has vowed not to take sides in the territorial dispute, which involves China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
US officials, however, have declared that their commitment to defend the Philippines – its oldest ally in Asia and one of the weakest in the region in terms of military might – is “ironclad.”
Some American officials have also scored China for its expansive territorial claim, which spans almost the entire West Philippine Sea.
China Daily, which claims to be the leading English- language news outlet in China, said the recent statements of US officials have raised questions on Washington’s neutrality.
“Hearing US officials’ recent hardline rhetoric toward China and seeing the US military’s provocative move in the waters last week, people cannot help wondering whether Pentagon is now moving to the forefront in challenging China in the South China Sea,” the paper said.
China Daily, which has a total circulation of 900,000, also accused the Philippines of using China’s island building “as an excuse to fish for illegitimate interests in the troubled waters.”
“By involving countries which have nothing to do with the maritime dispute, Manila is seeking to consolidate its unwarranted claims on China’s territory and cover up its persistent trouble- making,” the editorial read.
China has been conducting construction activities in disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea, raising concerns among members of the interinvolving national community who are wary of their impact on freedom of navigation.
Chinese projects are moving rapidly in Panganiban ( Mischief), Zamora ( Subi), Kagitingan ( Fiery Cross), Kennan ( Chigua), Mabini ( Johnson South), Burgos ( Gaven) and Calderon ( Cuarteron) Reefs, areas that are also being claimed by the Philippines.
The Philippines has protested the construction projects, calling them violations of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, to which China is a signatory.
China Daily, however, justified the much- criticized projects, saying they were meant to “provide better services for vessels in the waters, whether those of China or other countries.”
“Those with an impartial mind will recognize that the construction activities will actually help China shoulder its international responsibilities in the South China Sea, which include search and rescue missions, disaster prevention and mitigation, meteorological observation, ecological conservation, navigation safety and fishery services,” it added.
The Philippines has filed a case against China’s “exaggerated” and “excessive” territorial claim before an international arbitral tribunal but the Chinese government refused to respond to it.