Noy pokes fun at Beijing sea claims, praises Japan

President Aquino joked about Beijing’s disputed maritime territorial claims and praised China’s regional rival Japan for passing new legislation allowing the nation’s troops to fight abroad.

Speaking in an interview with ABS-CBN television on Tuesday, Aquino said that China had proposed the joint development of the South China Sea while at the same time claiming almost all of the strategically sensitive waters.

“The joke then was that China was saying ‘what is ours is ours, what is yours, we share’,” Aquino said.

He also rejected China’s calls for bilateral dialogue, saying that any talks should involve other countries that claim parts of the area such as Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Aquino praised Japan’s passage of controversial legislation that eases restrictions on its military, opening up the possibility that it could fight abroad for the first time since World War II.

He said this would make Japan “a more able partner in various activities like peace-keeping.”

“Should they be accorded lesser rights because at one point of time, they were very aggressive?” he added.

The security bills, which the Japanese parliament passed into law on Saturday, drew condemnation from China, which said they were a threat to regional peace, but the Philippines welcomed the move.

Aquino firmed up the strategic partnership between the two countries when he visited Japan in June and the Philippines hosted two naval exercises in quick succession with Japan earlier this year.

The Philippines has been the most vocal opponent of China’s claims in the South China Sea, criticizing its efforts to turn isolated outcrops in the disputed waters into artificial islands that can host military facilities.

Manila has also filed a case with an international tribunal challenging Beijing’s maritime claims.

PCG to get new ships

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has informed its counterpart in the US of their interest to acquire new and bigger ships to be deployed in the West Philippine Sea.

US Coast Guard (USCG) chief Admiral Paul Zukunft yesterday met with PCG officials led by Admiral Rodolfo Isorena at the PCG headquarters in Manila.

Isorena said they discussed the possible assistance the USCG would extend to the PCG such as training, equipment and procurement of boats.

He said they also discussed the West Philippine Sea issue and the need to beef up PCG’s communication equipment and vessels used to patrol the disputed seas.

William Brownfield, assistant secretary of state for the bureau of international narcotics and law enforcement affairs, accompanied Zukunft, the first USCG commandant to visit the PCG.

“We want to acquire bigger ships that can sustain longer patrol mission in the West Philippine Sea, to be able to stay in the area for a month or two,” Isorena said.

He expressed hope the USCG would assist them, given the situation of the PCG and the West Philippine Sea.

The PCG is expecting the arrival of 10 new 40- foot vessels from Japan by the middle of next year.

It has been invited to join a trilateral meeting of the United States, Australia and Japan. Isorena is hoping these three countries would help the PCG.

In the meeting, the three countries will discuss the specific support each of them can extend to PCG to avoid duplication of assistance.

Isorena said the three countries would be generous, considering “they are our allies.” –