PHL defense chief: Naval drills on disputed seas with China possible, but...

From GMA News (Nov 7): PHL defense chief: Naval drills on disputed seas with China possible, but...

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the Philippines is open to the holding of naval drills with China as long as it will be conducted with other Southeast Asian countries.

“As long as all countries will be involved, it may be possible. It should not be only us and [China]. It’s like in dialogue, it should not be bilateral, many should be involved. Everyone should be involved,” Gazmin told reporters on Friday.

Gazmin made the comments after the celebration of the 76th foundation anniversary of the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan proposed last month to hold the multilateral naval drills next year on rules about accidental encounters at sea, search and rescue, and disaster relief, the statement added, without providing further details.

China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.

The proposal came following reports of the United States' plan to conduct a "freedom-of-navigation" operations within the 12 nautical-mile limits that China claims around islands build on reefs in the Spratly archipelago.

The "freedom-of-navigation" operations pushed through with the US warship USS Lassen sailing close to one of the artificial islands being built by China in the disputed seas.

Last month, Chang told his counterparts from all 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the start of an informal summit in Beijing that all parties needed to push for the "correct" development of ties. Chang said the biggest common need was to maintain stability.

China denies it has militarized the South China Sea, saying construction work is mostly for civilian purposes, and has warned that Beijing would not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation.

In the Asean Defense Ministers meeting in Malaysia attended by Gazmin, defense chiefs did not issue a joint statement because some countries are opposed to mentioning the South China Sea.

The Malaysian defense minister instead issued a chairman statement, narrating the gist of the meeting.

“It would have been better, the message would have been strong if it was mentioned that the conflict should be resolved through the use of law, through the rule of law,” said Gazmin.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/543503/news/nation/phl-defense-chief-naval-drills-on-disputed-seas-with-china-possible-but