China warns Philippines over EDCA

CHINA HAS strongly warned the Philippines after it signed an accord with the United States allowing access to several military bases in the country.

Soldiers practice ambush techniques during training at Lightning Academy, Hawaii, Feb. 23, 2023. (Photo by Army Pfc. Mariah Aguilar)

It also reacted to the recent statement U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson’s on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the United States and the Philippines, including the tension on the South China Sea, also known as the West Philippine Sea.

Washington and Manila in February agreed to expand America's military presence in the Philippines following the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. This was also reported by the Voice of America which said the U.S. now has access to four more Filipino bases.

The accord comes as the U.S. seeks to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea. The agreement aims to support combined training, exercises and operations. As part of the agreement, the U.S. has budgeted $82 million toward structural improvements at five current EDCA sites. The U.S. will also expand its military presence to four new sites in strategic areas of the country, the statement said.

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippine said the U.S., to secure its hegemony and selfish geopolitical interests and out of the cold-war mentality, keeps upgrading military cooperation with the Philippines by adding EDCA bases and military deployment in this country.

It said the U.S. claims that such cooperation is intended to help the disaster relief efforts of the Philippines and some Americans even tout the EDCA sites as driver of local economy, it is plain and simple that those moves are part of the U.S. efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country.

“To bundle the Philippines into the chariots of geopolitical strife will seriously harm Philippine national interests and endanger regional peace and stability. On the South China Sea issue, there is no problem of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the Chinese Embassy said.

“When talking about free and open waterways, what the U.S. has in its mind is actually the freedom of rampage of its warships in the South China Sea. The U.S. military has been coming all the way from the other side of the Pacific to stir up trouble in the South China Sea and ganging up with its allies from other parts of the world to flex muscle in the South China Sea,” it added.

Marines participate in aerial lift training at Landing Zone Phoenix, Okinawa, Japan, March 1, 2023. (Photo by Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Sydni Jessee)

Warning

It also warned that by doing these, the U.S. has not only heightened tension, driven wedge between China and the Philippines, but also has disturbed and upset the joint effort of countries in this region to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

“Now that China and the Philippines, among other countries of the region, are at a critical juncture of postCOVID recovery, we should keep to the right track of maintaining good-neighbourliness and attaining mutual benefit rather than getting distracted by forces who are fanning the flame and driving a wedge between us, even less inviting a bully into our community. We need to focus on cooperation and development, and truly safeguard, promote and build peace, stability, and prosperity of our region and bring more tangible benefits to people of our two countries,” it added.

But Beijing’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea continues with Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese maritime militia ships harassing Filipino patrol boats and fishermen.

Marcos to fight for territories

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said the Philippines will not cede an inch of its territory in the West Philippines Sea largely being claimed by Beijing following repeated harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard vessel at a Filipino patrol delivering supplies to BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) inside Filipino waters.

Marcos promised to work with the nation’s allies to ensure the safety of Filipinos. “The country has seen heightened geopolitical tensions that do not conform to our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, of the region, and of the world,” he said.

“This country will not lose one inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our Constitution and with international law. We will work with our neighbors to secure the safety and security of our peoples,” he added.

Marcos noted that the current operating environment is uncertain and grows increasingly complex and his administration has been working hard to steer the country to a high growth trajectory in the past seven months.

He said as the Philippines continues to develop its internal resources, the country must pursue a path of prosperity that contributes to goals shared with the international community. “We have cemented our bilateral relations with our allies, with partners, with our friends. And as we work on translating these investments into material benefits for our people, we must ensure that we continue to preserve the security and the safety of our nation,” he said.

Harassment

Last August, China also prevented Philippine Coast Guard ships from coming closer to the Ayungin Shoal while providing security to a Philippine Navy resupply mission. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese Coast Guard vessel even readied its 70 mm cannon when BRP Teresa Magbanua came close to Ayungin Shoal at a distance of 2.5NM.

The Chinese Coast Guard vessel, together with two Chinese maritime militia ships and another Chinese Coast Guard vessel with bow number 5102, blockaded and prevented the Filipino vessel from reaching BRP Sierra Madre manned by troops.

Philippine Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu said regardless of this challenging situation, they remain steadfast in protecting the sovereignty and rights of the country and Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea.

“The PCG will continue to exercise due diligence in protecting the country's territorial integrity against foreign aggression. The AFP can always rely on the PCG to support their resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal. Despite the dangerous maneuver of the much larger CCG ships and their aggressive actions at sea, the PCG ships will always be in the West Philippine Sea to sustain our presence and assert our sovereign rights,” Abu said.

The Pentagon said the United States and the Philippines have agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea following a decision reached during the recent meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Filipino Defense chief Carlito Galvez in Manila. The Philippines also allowed U.S troops in several areas in the country.

China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea continues because the government allows it, especially during the time of then President Rodrigo Duterte who even publicly said that he loves President Xi Jingping and likened the relationship with China to a blooming flower. “I simply love Xi Jingping,” the former strongman said in April 2018 before heading to Beijing with her daughter Sara, now the Philippines Vice President. (Mindanao Examiner)