DND official says: Ongoing Chinese reclamation activities causing security concerns in Southeast Asia

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 6): DND official says: Ongoing Chinese reclamation activities causing security concerns in Southeast Asia

Ongoing Chinese reclamation activities at the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are causing major security disruption in the Southeast Asian region, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez said on Sunday.

"Activities of the Chinese government in the WPS are causing a major disruption in the security of the Southeast Asian region. Their activities, which need to be stopped immediately, have and are causing destruction of marine ecosystems and depleting fish stock/global commons, restricting navigation and flight, and placing global trade in a worried state," he added.

Adding to the sense of insecurity in the region is the continued disregard of the Chinese leadership of protest actions and complaints filed by several key leaders of other nations, international groups and the Chinese people themselves, the DND official said.

Galvez earlier said that the DND strongly welcomes pronouncements made by the Chinese leadership that they are strongly committed to peace.

But he questioned the Chinese government's display of offensive weaponry during the ceremony commemorating the defeat of Japan during the Second World War II.

"We, thus, call on China's government to show its sincerity by, at the least, stopping all ongoing construction and militarization activities and to refrain from restricting freedom of flight and navigation in the WPS," Galvez stressed.

"Several nations have called for the Chinese government to stop such activities that run counter to international law and agreements. The Chinese leadership should go beyond deceitful rhetoric claiming peaceful efforts before all their aggression takes a greater and irreparable toll on the region and beyond," he added.

The DND spokesperson stated that they have heard peace-loving Chinese people living in many communities all over the world echoing this sentiment.

At the same time, Galvez reiterated the Philippine position and incessant call for a "rules based and peaceful approach to this matter which is shared not only by our neighbors in the region but by the rest of the international community."

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=800981