China blasts RP gov’t for using grounded ship as Spratlys outpost

From the Daily Tribune (Jun 1): China blasts RP gov’t for using grounded ship as Spratlys outpost

China has condemned the Philippines over a Navy warship grounded on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), noting that the illegal grounding of the vessel on the Ayungin Shoal (Ren’ai Reef) is a “serious encroachment of territorial sovereignty.”

It also warned the Philippine government not to stir up the situation in the South China Sea any further.

Observers said Beijing acted in response to an attempt by the Philippines to assert territorial claims by keeping its warship stranded on the reef since 1999.

 

The Navy is maintaining troops in the area with grounded BRP Sierra Madre as barracks.

“China’s resolution and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty is unswerving,” Xinhua quoted Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, as saying.

He branded as groundless the Philippines claim that Chinese vessels have threatened to cut off supplies of water and food to its military staff at the reef.

“Chinese naval patrols in the area are justifiable,” he added.

After the warship was grounded on the reef, Beijing repeatedly asked Manila to retrieve it, but the Philippines ignored the request despite having promised to tow the ship away.

Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, “The Philippine’s logic is ludicrous in calling its grounded ship a symbol of occupation while it is in China’s inherent territory.”

The shoal and the lives of the troops guarding it were thrust into the global spotlight this week after the Philippines said a Chinese warship was “illegally and provocatively” circling the area.

It was the latest in a series of aggressive steps by China in recent years to assert its claim over the South China Sea that have rattled Manila, with others including the Chinese occupation of another Filipino-claimed shoal.

China says it has sovereign rights over nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters far away from its main landmass and approaching the coasts of Southeast Asian countries.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea, and the area has for decades been regarded as a potential trigger for major military conflict in the region.

All claimants, except Brunei, have troops stationed on various islands and atolls in the Spratlys — the biggest archipelago in the sea — to assert their claims.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Beijing has never tolerated Manila’s illegal attempt to seize the reef and Chinese government vessels are entitled to patrol there.

He was speaking in response to a recent claim by the Philippines that Chinese ships pose a threat to the security of the Spratly Islands.

Hong said China also urged relevant countries to fully and sincerely implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, to refrain from actions that could aggravate or complicate the issue, and avoid any action that could undermine peace and stability in the region.

Yang Baoyun, a Southeast Asian studies expert at Peking University, said Manila is again acting like a victim but is actually provoking Beijing to gain international sympathy and show off its “influence” in the South China Sea.

“The Philippines also plans to play up the reef topic at the Shangri-La Dialog, starting on Friday in Singapore, to win more support from major powers such as the United States. They did the same thing last year regarding the Huangyan Island,” Yang noted.

Malacañang, meanwhile, admitted that the government has no option but to remain on the “minimum defense” on the aspect of asserting the Philippines’ claim on the Spratlys group of islands off Palawan waters.

Chinese Ambassador Ma Kequing has notified Manila over the activities of Philippine Navy in Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, expressing concerns that the Philippine military is putting up structures in the islet.

“The ‘why’,  I cannot answer for them. At least from the point of view of our government, we’ve repeatedly asked them to leave Ayungin,” presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said.

“We’ve also made the necessary representations through the proper channels and we keep reiterating that the need for them to leave given that that area belongs to this country,” she added.

Valte said the government could not ascertain on how long China would continue acts which could be considered as “bullying” on the part of the Philippines.   

“Well, as far as we are concerned, we’ve taken the matter to the proper forum and we will let that procedure take its course,” she stressed.

The Palace official added the Aquino administration “cannot speculate at this point how long this will take but we will abide by, as you can see, we have been abiding by international laws.”

“We have been abiding by our commitments, and we will leave the resolution of it to the processes that we have chosen to undertake,” Valte said.

She added the minimum credible defense are the steps to upgrade the Philippine Navy.

“Yes, certainly, and this is not been a secret; and we are in the process of upgrading our hardware, the procurement of our choppers. We’ve not made this a secret. In fact, our new boats that already arrived, Hamilton class-cutter, that’s always been made public,” she added.

Valte also said it’s a deliberate choice in the part of the Philippine government not to respond to any provocative actions regarding disputes .

“It’s a deliberate step taken not to respond to any provocative actions regarding but whether it will achieve the minimum credible defense posture we want to achieve is something that need to assess,” military and security officials,” she stressed.

http://tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/14821-china-blasts-rp-gov-t-for-using-grounded-ship-as-spratlys-outpost