US, PH training exercise starts: No pullout from Ayungin Shoal

From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 15): US, PH training exercise starts: No pullout from Ayungin Shoal

US and Philippine Marines started their first field training exercise in Palawan on Friday, even as Foreign Affairs said it never agreed to pull out its grounded vessel at the Ayungin Shoal as demanded by China, which is claiming the area.

The US Embassy in Manila said the training exercise was part of many defense exercises under the Philippine Marine Engagement Program.

“Effective maintenance management is vital to maintaining unit readiness,” the embassy said.

It said US 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge would be docking at the Manila South Harbor on March 18 “for a routine port call and a four-day goodwill visit.”

Last Sunday, the USS Cowpens, a guided-missile cruiser, also docked in Manila for a port call.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez reminded the Chinese government that the BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine Naval Vessel, was placed at the Ayungin Shoal in 1999 even before the signing of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties due to China’s “Illegal occupation.”

China has been claiming virtually the whole of the South China Sea as its own including the Ayungin Reef, which the Philippines says is within Philippine territory.

“The BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine Naval Vessel, was placed in Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a permanent Philippine installation in response to China’s illegal occupation of Mischief Reef in 1995,” Hernandez said.

“This was prior to the signing of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002.”

Hernandez said that, contrary to China’s allegations, the Ayungin shoal was part of the Philippines’ territory as provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“The Philippines reiterates that Ayungin Shoal is part of its continental shelf over which the Philippines has sovereign rights and jurisdiction,” he said.

On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang urged the Philippines to stay “good on its commitment” and “tow away the ship grounded on the Ren’ai Reef”.

He accused the Philippines of distorting the facts and confusing the difference between right and wrong.

“China has been telling what is true about the Ren’ai Reef and expounded on its position” Qin said.

“The Chinese Foreign Ministry has made solemn representations to the leading official of the Philippine Embassy in China about the Philippines’ attempt to carry out construction work on the Ren’ai Reef.”

Both China and the Philippines have territorial claims over the waters and resources in the West Philippine Sea.

China wants to occupy 90 percent of the whole South China Sea that overlaps the territories of other countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/03/15/us-ph-training-exercise-starts-no-pullout-from-ayungin-shoal-/