Move aims to address maritime row concerns
THE Philippines and China agreed to establish a “direct communications line” on concerns related to the South China Sea in the West Philippine Sea to prevent any miscommunication between the two countries.
The agreement, which establishes a communication line between the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office of the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, is among 14 accords signed during the January 3 to 5 state visit of Marcos to China.
The President, in his arrival speech, said he told Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting that those who will be involved in the direct communications mechanism should have direct access to him and Xi.
He said Chinese representatives involved in talks about the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the South China Sea (SCS) will have direct access to Xi while those from the Philippines can directly communicate with him so “nothing will be lost in translation. We will not have a problem on misinformation.”
“To avoid possible misunderstanding and miscalculation, we agreed to establish direct communication lines at various levels up to the highest level. I therefore welcome the signing of an agreement between our foreign ministries in this regard, and directed our agencies to revitalize existing bilateral mechanisms to promote further mutual trust and confidence in each other,” he said.
When asked in a media interview before he left Beijing if the agreement would result in fewer or no incident of harassment of Filipino fishermen in contested areas like Scarborough Shoal, the President said that it is an important aspect of the relationship that China will consider.
He said the foreign affairs secretary and his counterpart in China will finalize the establishment of the communication lines “and the situation with our fishermen will be number one on the agenda.”
He also said he brought the plight of Filipino fishermen in the WPS to the attention of Xi who promised to “find a solution.”
“On the political front, we also discussed what we can do to move forward to avoid any possible mistakes, misunderstandings that could trigger a bigger problem than what we already have. And the President [Xi] promised that we would find a compromise and find a solution that will be beneficial so that our fishermen might be able to fish again in their natural fishing grounds,” Marcos said.
The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said both Marcos and Xi also reaffirmed the importance of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in safeguarding peace and stability in the WPS.
The DOC was signed by China and the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2002. It states that all parties will exercise restraint in conducting activities that may heighten tension in the region, including “refraining from any action of inhabiting he presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features” in the South China Sea.
Marcos said he and Xi also agreed that maritime issues between Manila and Beijing “do not comprise the entirety of our relations, but we acknowledged as well that they remain a significant concern and priority for the Philippines and for the region.
The Philippines previously raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the “swarming” of Beijing’s vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea, an area rich in oil, gas and fishery resources.
Both leaders also reaffirmed that their countries would respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Both sides also agreed to resume talks on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea and discuss cooperation on areas including solar, wind, electric vehicles and nuclear power.
Coast guards from China and the Philippines would also meet “as soon as possible” to discuss “pragmatic cooperation.”
Both countries would consider informing each other when firing rockets and cooperate on the retrieval of rocket debris.
Last November, when debris from a Chinese rocket fell in the South China Sea, a Chinese coast guard ship stopped a Philippine boat from trying to tow it away.
Both countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability as well as freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and will hold an annual dialogue on security.
OPTIMISTIC
The President said he was “very optimistic” about historic meeting with Xi whom he had also invited to visit the Philippines.
Marcos said he and Xi had a lengthy talk and they affirmed commitments to strengthen Manila-Beijing relations and deepen the ties of the two countries.
He said they had a productive and wide-ranging discussion that focused on soft infrastructure, climate change, renewable energy, people-to-people ties and agricultural cooperation that included the so-called “durian protocol.”
“The meeting ran very long, and that’s why I’m actually very optimistic because President Xi seemed to be genuinely interested in all of these issues and finding a way to move forward to again strengthen the relationship between China and the Philippines. I’m quite gratified that we had made a good start,” he said.
The OPS said Xi vowed to continue extending assistance to the Philippines in various areas such as in agriculture, energy and infrastructure even as he called for a “deepen(ing of) cooperation.
Marcos told Xi he hoped that the “after the pandemic becomes more manageable, that we will not only return to the path that we were on before the pandemic but that we even build-up to greater heights… [in] our participation in joint programs and joint ventures together.”
Apart from Xi, the President also met with Chinese Premier Li Kequiang and National Congress of the People’s Republic of China chairman Li Zhanshu on Wednesday and with Chinese business leaders and investors from top corporations on Thursday about renewable energy, agri-business, nickel processing, battery and electric vehicle manufacturing.
He brought home about $22.8 billion worth of investment pledges and trade purchase intentions of close to $ 2.1 billion which “when realized, these investments will support our country’s economic recovery efforts and create more jobs for Filipinos within our country.”
He did not have any meeting with the Filipino community in China due to the COVID-19 situation, but he thanked them for their continued support and trust which he said will continue to inspire and motivate him to do his best as he “steer our country towards an inclusive and sustainable development.”
Marcos is set to leave before the end of the month to attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and again in February for a state visit to Japan.
Marcos’ three day visit to Beijing comes as China re-emerges from a self-imposed border shut-down since the pandemic started in 2020 which has disrupted trade and hurt its economy.
INCURSIONS
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said China has to withdraw all its ships from the West Philippine Sea “to show its good faith in its offer to resolve territorial disputes with the Philippines in the area.”
“President Xi Jinping should recall all those ships, whether military, Coast Guard, militia, or civilian so our Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard can freely conduct patrols and our fisherfolk can do fishing activities without fear of harassment,” he said.
Last month, the Philippine military reported a “swarming” of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
Rodriguez has been a consistent critic of Chinese activities in WPS and Beijing’s refusal to recognize a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal recognizing areas the Philippines claims as part of its territory and invalidating China’s ownership of almost all of the vast South China Sea that includes the WPS.
Rodriguez welcomed President Xi’s statement, saying, “It’s a good starting point for talks.”
Rodriguez also said China should immediately allow Filipino fishermen to fish in Scarborough or Panatag Shoal (locally known as Bajo de Masinloc), which is their traditional fishing ground.
“The Chinese Coast Guard should remove its presence there and should not chase away our countrymen. That area is part of our 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” he said.
Scarborough is about 120 miles off Pangasinan and Zambales.
As for oil and gas exploration, Rodriguez said the government “could immediately allow it in areas near Palawan, like Recto Bank, which is also part of our EEZ, provided that China respects our territorial rights there.”
“We could engage Chinese companies as contractors,” he said.
He said the government has stopped a local company from doing exploration activities in Recto Bank to avoid aggravating its territorial dispute with China.
Before stepping down in June last year, then President Duterte ended talks with Beijing due to what then Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Tocsin Jr. described as unresolved sovereignty and territorial issues.
TRANSPARENCY
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said any joint oil and gas exploration between the Philippines and China should be 100 percent transparent to determine if it is compliant with the the Constitution.
He said “transparency is crucial” for the talks to prosper “most especially when it involves our rights over some parts of the West Philippine Sea.”
“If and when the negotiations push through, we expect and we will demand from both sides to be 100 percent transparent. The purpose of transparency is for us to know if the agreement is compliant with our Constitution,” he added.
Senate president pro tempore Loren Legarda said the planned oil and gas exploration should be “premised on the 2016 Arbitral Award” which validated the country’s maritime rights over the West Philippine Sea.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said the government should be “wary” in closing deals with China.
“They are always saying that we are friends, allies, but on the other hand they keep on encroaching. The areas they have reclaimed are now fully operational as military base. For me, they have to show sincerity first. Personally, I find it hard to trust the Chinese government. I am not angry at the Chinese people, it’s just the government that we can’t trust. It’s like they are not telling the truth),” he said in mixed Filipino and English.
For China to be trusted, he said, it should respect the country’s rights over the West Philippine Sea and the EEZ.
SURVEY
A Pulse Asia survey showed majority of Filipinos want the Marcos administration to work with the United States to boost security cooperation to defend the country’s national interests in the WPS.
The results of the survey, which was conducted from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, 2022 and commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute, was presented by Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes during a security forum on Philippine foreign policy Thursday organized by Stratbase and the US Embassy in Manila.
The survey showed that 84 percent of the 1, 200 respondents wanted the Marcos administration to work with a Washington on the WPS issue.
The survey has an error margin of ±2.8.
Meanwhile, 4 percent of the respondents said they do not have enough knowledge to give an opinion on the issue as 0.2 percent answered “none” or did not pick any from the given choices.
The survey results also show that 52 percent of Filipinos believe that the Marcos administration should also work with Japan, 25 percent with Australia, 24 percent with the United Kingdom, 23 percent with South Korea, 20 percent with China and the European Union, 17 percent with Russia, 12 percent with France and 2 percent with India.
“This indicates that the Philippines must continue to work with its existing allies and forge relationships with new ones in order to competitively and efficiently address issues and incidents in the West Philippine Sea. Working with like-minded states such as the United States, Australia and Japan, and elevating this ties to strategic partnerships reaffirm the country’s 2016 Arbitral win and contribute to security and stability in the region,” Holmes said in presenting the results of the survey.
“Working with friends, allies and partners as a strategy allows the Philippines to practice an independent foreign policy based on the public’s interest,” he added.
Dindo Manhit of Stratbase ADR said the administration must pursue a foreign policy with national interest as the primordial guide.
“As long as his administration meets that requirement, the country’s strategic partnerships and alliances should not be influenced by pressure and interference from other states,” Manhit said.
He added that the country should also boost multilateral alliances to further its national interests.
The Philippines and the US have the Mutual Defense Treaty that binds the two countries to come to each other’s aid in case of foreign invasion or aggression. The US has a Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia to govern the conduct of Australian troops while doing military exercises with their Filipino counterparts.
A similar agreement is in the works with Japan.
The Philippines won its case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, with the latter junking Beijing’s massive claim in the South China Sea, including the WPS, under its so-called nine dash line theory.
But Beijing refused to honor the arbitral ruling and insisted on bilateral talks to resolve the maritime territorial dispute.
It has also strengthened its claim in the disputed waters by constructing man-made islands complete with ports and runways to service its naval ships and aircraft.
AWARENESS
In the same forum, De La Salle University professor Renato de Castro said the government should take the lead in raising public awareness on the WPS issue and its foreign policy.
“The public get their signal from the government so the latter should set their priorities,” De Castro said.
“By themselves, the public had a limited snapshot of foreign policy so the government should take the lead. The people take their cue from the government,” he said.
Holmes said he agreed with De Castro’s assessment as he cited as an example the priority set by the administration of then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino of fighting for the country’s interest by filing a case against China before the arbitral tribunal.
“Noynoy when he took up the issue made it very clear that this is a very important national issue. The West Philippine Sea has much resources that we can benefit from, and if we lose it, we will be at the losing end,” Holmes added.
He said Marcos can do this through policy speeches and publicizing actions, such as the filing of diplomatic protests, against Chinese incursions.
“If the government publicizes actions it has taken such as diplomatic initiatives, then it will help the public a lot,” he further said.
De Castro and security consultant Chester Cabalza both agreed though that Marcos is far better than his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, when it comes to protecting the national interest in the WPS issue.
De Castro said Marcos immediately acknowledged the country’s 2016 win in the arbitral tribunal compared to Duterte who, he added, took nearly four years before publicly doing so.
Cabalza while cautioning the public against raising too much expectation said Marcos has send the signal to China that the country will defend its interests and rights in the WPS.
“Don’t expect too much, but he did send a signal that he will fund the modernization of the AFP, particularly the Air Force.It is a subtle signal that we intend to defend our territory,” Cabalza added. — With Wendell Vigilia, Raymond Africa, Ashzel Hachero and Reuters
