Duterte, Xi talk for hour after ‘Balikatan’ war game

From the Mindanao Examiner (Apr 16, 2022): Duterte, Xi talk for hour after ‘Balikatan’ war game

Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Xi Jinping

THE PHILIPPINES and China have agreed to exert all efforts to maintain peace, security and stability in the West Philippine Sea by exercising restraint, dissipating tensions and working on a mutually agreeable framework for functional cooperation.

West Philippine Sea is the official designation by the Filipino government of eastern parts of the South China Sea that are included in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

In a one-hour telephone summit, President Rodrigo Duterte and President Xi Jingping tackled the West Philippine Sea, the conflict in Eastern Europe, and the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Palace statement.

“Both leaders acknowledged that even while disputes existed, both sides remained committed to broaden the space for positive engagements which reflected the dynamic and multidimensional relations of the Philippines and China,” it said.

Duterte and Xi likewise discussed global and regional developments, with both of them reaffirming the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and making renewed commitment to ensure regional peace, progress and prosperity. At the same time, the two leaders emphasized the importance of continuing discussions and concluding the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea.

During their conversation, both Duterte and Xi expressed deep concern over developments in other parts of the world, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They renewed their call for a peaceful resolution of the situation through dialogue in accordance with international law.

It was also agreed during the telephone summit for Manila and Beijing to work closely together to address the impacts of climate change and to give voice to the developing world in all relevant climate change fora.

Addressing the pandemic, Duterte and Xi acknowledged the importance of making Covid-19 vaccines available to nations that most needed them, highlighting it “as crucial to global and regional economic bounce back”.

“The leaders committed to work even more closely to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to explore constructive ways to jumpstart interaction and exchanges through, among others, mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, streamlining health protocols and resumption of commercial flights,” the Malacañang statement said.

It added that the recent telephone summit gave the Philippines and China an opportunity to review their ties over the last six years, describing the trajectory of their relations as one that is positive and created greater space for partnership and cooperation with both leaders recognizing that economic and infrastructure cooperation between the two countries must be intensified, underscoring the significant growth of bilateral trade and economic exchange.

They also stressed the need to open up access to goods and services and work for a balance of trade that would reflect a healthy state of economic partnership.

Elevating the Philippines-China bilateral relations into a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation was also considered by the two leaders during the summit, describing it as a milestone achievement that demonstrated the commitment of the Philippines and China to continue building on the gains of the previous years towards the future.

Duterte and Xi also agreed to further enhance bilateral trade and investments, and continue supporting the Philippine government’s infrastructure Build, Build, Build Program.

Balikatan

The summit came a day after the Philippines and the United States concluded their joint military exercises dubbed as “Balikatan 2022” which involved nearly 9,000 soldiers, the largest ever mounted by the two allies since 1991.

Balikatan, which literally means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” is a longstanding bilateral exercise highlighting the deep-rooted partnership between the United States and the Philippines.

The bilateral exercises, which began on March 29 and ended April 8, focused on maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire training, urban operations, aviation operations, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava said the Philippines military and U.S. forces will continue to train and stand together routinely during other exercises and initiatives throughout the year to promote readiness, interoperability, friendship, and security.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Deputy Commander, said the completion of yet another successful Balikatan is a clear example of shared commitment to advancing peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. “As a result of our mutual efforts, our militaries have grown together in friendship, and we are better prepared to respond as one cohesive team to any crisis or challenge,” he said.

South China Sea

The U.S. repeatedly warned China of its aggression in the South China Sea, saying Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.

It said Beijing uses intimidation to undermine the sovereign rights of Southeast Asian coastal states in the South China Sea, including the Philippines, bully them out of offshore resources, assert unilateral dominion, and replace international law with “might makes right.”

The U.S. said China has no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region and that Beijing has offered no coherent legal basis for its “Nine-Dashed Line” claim in the South China Sea since formally announcing it in 2009.

In a unanimous decision on July 12, 2016, an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention rejected China’s maritime claims as having no basis in international law. The Tribunal sided squarely with the Philippines, which brought the arbitration case, on almost all claims.

As the U.S. has previously stated, and as specifically provided in the Convention, the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision is final and legally binding on both parties. China said it does not recognize the Arbitral Tribunal’s ruling.

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