Noy: World is watching China in sea row
President Aquino told an Asia-Pacific summit yesterday that “the world is watching” whether China would behave as a responsible power in the simmering standoff over maritime territory.
Aquino kept up a drumbeat of growing criticism of China’s expansion of tiny atolls into fully fledged islands, as leaders including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met in Malaysia.
The issue has increasingly loomed over the regional diplomatic and security outlook, with China accused of upsetting the status quo by moving to enhance its presence in the South China Sea.
“We are hopeful that China would honor its word and respect the rule of law,” Aquino said, according to a copy of his address to the 18-country East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Aquino’s comment referred specifically to a dispute with China over maritime territory, which the Philippines is bringing before an international court.
“The world is watching and expects no less from a responsible global leader,” Aquino said.
Intrusion affecting Pinoy livelihoods
Aquino accused China before leaders of the East Asia Summit of intruding into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and stopping Filipinos from operating within their own internal waters, a blatant disregard of international laws along with massive land reclamation in the South China Sea.
The summit groups the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its dialogue partners – the US, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Aquino said China’s actions had been affecting businesses and livelihood of the Filipino people aside from their safety and security.
“During my watch, among the first incidents as regards the maritime issue involved a survey ship conducting studies arising from a service contract we awarded,” he said.
“It was forced out of the Reed Bank, in an area 80 miles from the island of Palawan, which is thus clearly within our exclusive economic zone.
“Later, Chinese fishing boats were caught carrying species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, 120 miles from Masinloc, Zambales, again within our exclusive economic zone.”
China had asked not to make these incidents public, and the Philippines had agreed in an effort to deescalate the situation, Aquino said.
“However, the incidents did not cease,” he said.
“More recently, a PLAN frigate with Bow No. 571 allegedly accosted and challenged another survey ship conducting studies on a contract we awarded, about 30 to 40 nautical miles from Palawan.
“I have also had to respond to fishermen in my country, complaining about how they can no longer fish in their traditional waters; they ask for explanations why they can no longer take shelter within Scarborough Shoal during times of inclement whether. It has come to a point wherein we are now no longer allowed to enter areas within our exclusive economic zone.”
The Philippines has resorted to arbitration and continued to push for a binding code of conduct, not out of whim or spite, but because of firm belief that, “the great equalizer is the rule of law,” as one of the Philippine Supreme Court associate justices put it, Aquino said.
“Under the rule of law, right prevails over might,” he said.
China’s expressed adherence to international law in the position paper it submitted to the arbitral tribunal in December 2014, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent statement on the nonmilitarization of the South China Sea were appreciated but these words must be honored, Aquino said.
“As the arbitration process we have entered into continues logical conclusion, we are hopeful that China would honor its word and respect the rule of law,” he said. “The world is watching and expects no less from a responsible global leader.”
He recognizes the value of promoting maritime cooperation as an important area of engagement, and the Philippines supports the Summit statement on Enhancing Regional Maritime Cooperation in the Asia Pacific, Aquino said.
“We are, after all, collective stewards of a vast maritime space straddling significant waterways, all seeking to establish rules-based regimes to govern our understandings and engagements with each other,” he said.
“Acknowledging this has become very significant, especially in light of recent issues that have been a subject of concern, not only to the region, but to the entire international community as well. It is regrettable that China continues to massively reclaim and build structures in the sea known by many names, in total disregard of international law as well as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Many countries have expressed serious concerns that these actions threaten freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in one of the world’s most strategic waterways.”
All governments were set up with the goal of improving the lot of their people and achieving prosperity would need stability as a necessary foundation, Aquino said.
Based on records, Philippine companies invested a total of $2.5 billion in China in 2011 and in return, Chinese companies invested only $600 million in the Philippines, he added.
In 2013, close to a million Filipino tourists visited China, while more than 425,000 Chinese tourists went to the Philippines, Aquino said.
“Such numbers reflect the joint statement that I issued with ( Chinese) President Hu Jintao during my 2011 state visit to China, wherein we agreed ‘ not to let the maritime dispute affect the broader picture of friendship and cooperation between our two countries,’” he said.
The Philippines recognizes the growing support from the international community for a peaceful resolution of disputes in the region, including through arbitration, Aquino said.
“The tribunal’s recent ruling on its jurisdiction over this matter is welcome news, not only for the Philippines, but also for all nations who wish to arrive at a durable resolution concerning maritime disputes,” he said.
“We are determined to see this arbitration case to its final outcome, and hope that its conclusion will contribute to the directions we will take, particularly as regards the full and effective implementation of the DOC and the expeditious conclusion of a code of conduct.”
During the ASEAN-Japan Summit, Aquino expressed the Philippines’ appreciation for Tokyo’s interest and concern as regards recent developments in the South China Sea.
“Japan has taken a strong stand against the use of intimidation, coercion and force, as well as unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo in the disputed areas,” he said.
“Japan has also consistently supported calls for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, and for the full and effective implementation of the ( DOC) in the South China Sea, as well as the expeditious conclusion and establishment of a legally binding code of conduct.”
In the context of the evolving relations in the region, responsible states have also been increasingly called upon to assume more significant roles, Aquino said. –