China’s use of non-military vessels disrupting regional security

 WASHINGTON – China’s use of non-military maritime vessels to advance its sovereignty claims in the East and South China Seas is disrupting regional security in ways that could very well lead to conflict, the Center for New American Security said.

A CNAS article by Zachary Hosford and Ely Ratner said the United States needed to develop a more coherent and comprehensive strategy to stem the tide of Chinese coercion and adventurism.

Rather than thinking about security cooperation primarily in bilateral contexts, US officials should reach out to Australia, Japan, Singapore and even allies in Europe to identify specific areas for multilateral cooperation with less advanced militaries in the Asia Pacific.

The US, in concert with major powers in the region and the international community, should not sit idly by if China continues its revisionist efforts to expand Chinese territory at the expense of regional stability, the article said.

It said Chinese maritime law enforcement ships have been harassing legitimate foreign commercial and military vessels, occupying waters that surround disputed land features and making provocative incursions into the territorial waters of neighboring states.

These maritime law enforcement vessels have played a leading role as the tip of the spear of Chinese coercion, it said.

Over the last decade, China has substantially modernized the capabilities of its numerous maritime agencies: the Border Control Department’s China Maritime Police, the Maritime Safety Administration, the Fisheries Law Enforcement Command, the General Administration of Customs and the State Oceanic Administration (particularly its China Maritime Surveillance, or CMS).

Sometimes referred to as the “five dragons,” these agencies have different resources, inventories and capabilities, but all are growing in size and power, CNAS said.
Other states in the region are also building and reinforcing their coast guard capabilities, notably Japan.

Chinese strategists have traditionally seen non-military maritime vessels as a buffer between navies. Such tack is seen to help avert crises by reducing the presence of naval forces and the likelihood of navy-on-navy accidents and incidents.

However, rather than contributing to regional peace and security, the actions of China’s maritime agencies are increasing the likelihood of war in the region, CNAS said.

In instances where maritime rights and sovereignty claims are often derived from de facto administration and presence, Beijing is using non-military maritime vessels either to control disputed territories or disrupt the administrative activities of other regional powers creating on-the-ground disputes where none previously existed, it said.

CNAS said these dynamics were manifest during the row over Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, where China mounted and sustained a substantial maritime law enforcement presence with Navy ships nearby, even as the Philippines withdrew its own government vessels.

Since consolidating its occupation of the waters surrounding the reef, China has been in no mood to compromise.

Chinese behavior in the East China Sea with respect to disputed islands called Senkaku by Tokyo and Diaoyu by Beijing has followed a similar playbook, CNAS said.

These events are troubling in no small part because China is trying to coerce US treaty allies. Yet it is even more worrisome that there is no clear end in sight.

China is eagerly capitalizing on opportunities to advance its sovereignty claims, with Chinese officials reportedly describing a “Scarborough model” of coercion and occupation, CNAS added.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jose Katigbak | The Philippine Star | February 7, 2013 | Article Link

Has China 'roped off' Scarborough?

MANILA, Philippines -- Chinese fishing boats may have left Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal but Philippine authorities said they appear to have “roped off” the entrance to the disputed territory.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said they “assumed” the barrier had been placed there by China to prevent Filipino vessels from entering the shoal.

“Ang nakita sa report ng Coast Guard, may nilagay pa na tali sa entrance ng shoal (The Coast Guard report said there was a rope tied across the entrance to the shaol),” Gazmin said.

He added that two Chinese vessels, one from the Fisheries Law Enforcement Command and a maritime surveillance ship, remained at the shoal, which the Philippines also calls Bajo de Masinloc.

The Philippines and China have been engaged in a standoff over Scarborough since April, when the Navy flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar intercepted Chinese fishing boats laden with contraband marine products.

Gazmin said the inclement weather has made it difficult for Philippine ships and boats to go to Scarborough.

The Defense chief said there is a need to resolve the latest situation.

"Pine-prevent tayo makapasok because kine-claim nila kanila, kine-claim din natin na atin, kaya kailangan mag-usap para mabigyang kalutasan ito (They are preventing us from entering because they claim the area, we claim it too, so we should talk and find a solution to this)," Gazmin said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com | August 3, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines 1st 'mistake' in Scarborough

MANILA, Philippines – For 8 Chinese fishing boats, the Philippines sent its biggest warship.

This, said a Singapore-based public policy expert, was the Philippines' fundamental “mistake” in the Scarborough Shoal dispute that erupted in April. The Philippine Navy then sent its flagship, the former US Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

“First, you sent out a message that you're ready to fight; you sent a warship. Second, you handled it as an international dispute,” said Huang Jing, professor at the National University of Singapore's Center on Asia and Globalization.

Huang spoke Friday, July 20, in a forum at the University of the Philippines titled "The Rise of China and the US Asia Pivot: Implications for the Philippines, Asean, and the West Philippine Sea Dispute."

NAVY'S FASTEST. The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar. Photo from www.gov.ph

Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama had said BRP Gregorio del Pilar was initially meant to go to Poro Point, La Union to prepare for North Korea's rocket launch before the standoff began. The ship, however, was diverted to Scarborough Shoal after authorities spotted the Chinese vessels.

For its part, China sent two maritime patrol ships, which are civilian in nature.

“China also sent two messages,” Huang said. “The first message, 'I'm trying to do it peacefully.' The second message – that is more fundamental – 'These are internal affairs, so I'm going to send my civilian police force.'”

This is because China wants to prove its “peaceful rise.” “China has always said that it follows a strategy of peaceful rise – and indeed China's rise has been peaceful... This is a test. Will this global power still remain peaceful?” he said.

BOATMEN INVOLVED. Some of the Chinese fishermen accosted by the Philippine Navy pose before their fishing boat. Screen grab from news.xinhuanet.com

The Philippines, eventually, pulled out BRP Gregorio del Pilar and had Coast Guard vessels – civilian ships – to conduct surveillance instead.

'Best' in response

Following this was a series of commitments between the Philippines and China to deescalate the tension in Scarborough Shoal. 

Eventually, the two countries supposedly promised to pull out their ships from the shoal's lagoon. The Philippines claimed China broke this commitment, while China asserted there was no such promise in the first place.

SCARBOROUGH VESSELS. In this graph issued May 23, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs tracks the increase in Chinese vessels as opposed to the Philippines' ships in Scarborough Shoal. Courtesy of DFA

Other analysts have criticized China over its attitude in the dispute.

In a recent forum organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Southeast Asian security expert Carlyle Thayer hit China's “dismissive” attitude.

“It's the best country in the world to respond to an incident. As soon as an incident occurs anywhere, China's never to blame. The other side's lying, mendacious, they made it up, or within 24 hours, we can tell you, it's just normal Chinese jurisdiction activities. They've never once conceded that there may be hothead, rogues, or miscalculation by someone out there... that they need to investigate and look at,” Thayer said.

For others, China should join the Philippines in bringing the Scarborough Shoal dispute before an international court. China, however, has repeatedly rejected the Philippines' invitations to do so, because “internationalizing this issue will only complicate and magnify the situation.”

US support?

Meanwhile, Huang cautioned Filipinos against depending too much on US aid in South China Sea issues. This, despite the 1951 Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty that states: “Each party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety, and declares that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional process.”

“If China dares to attack the Philippines, the United States will have no choice but to come to your defense,” Huang said. But if it happens in the South China Sea, "it's not really covered by the treaty.”

The MDT limits its coverage to armed attacks “on the metropolitan territory of either of the parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific, or on its armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific.” 

Huang noted the US has made it clear it will not take sides in South China Sea disputes. Much less would US go into war with China given the latter's growing economic and military might, according to Huang.

“If you are (US President Barack) Obama right now, do you want a war in the South China Sea? The answer is, that will be a nightmare for him,” Huang said. “He cannot send troops to fight the Chinese. But if he does not do that, he will be grilled alive by people like (Mitt) Romney.”

When President Benigno Aquino III visited the US in June, however, what US President Barack Obama did was pledge freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

Nevertheless, the ongoing dispute has produced “very good” effects for the Philippines, said Southeast Asian analyst Zachary Abuza in an interview on Rappler's Talk Thursday.

He said the Philippines, for one, has recognized the importance of broading alliances with the US and the rest of the Southeast Asian region.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Paterno Esmaquel II | Rappler.Com | July 20, 2012 | Article Link

DFA: China boats blocking PHL vessels from Panatag Shoal

China has blocked Philippine ships and fishing vessels from the lagoon of the disputed Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in West Philippine Sea by setting up barriers to its entry point, a top Department of Foreign Affairs official said Wednesday.

 

In its boldest display of assertion to date over the area, China had placed barriers at the entrance of the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, DFA Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio said.

 

China has reneged on its commitment to remove the barriers and also to withdraw its vessels inside the shoal, which Philippines officials say is well within Manila’s territory.

 

“The Philippines forged an agreement with a neighboring country for the simultaneous pullout of all vessels inside the shoal, which we undertook in good faith last June 4,” Basilio said, referring to China.

 

China has agreed to remove the blockade, she said.

 

To this day, Basilio said “the neighboring country has not fulfilled its obligations under the agreement and has maintained its ships inside and outside the shoal, as well as its barrier, in its aim to establish effective control and jurisdiction in the shoal and surrounding waters.”

 

The Chinese blockades comprised of a long rope and fishing nets held by buoys from end to end.

 

GMA News Online contacted the Chinese embassy in Manila, but there was no response as of this posting.

 

Several Chinese dinghies were tied together and used to block the lagoon’s entrance, Philippine officials who requested not to be named as they were not allowed to speak to the media told GMA News Online.

 

Manila and Beijing have been locked in a tense standoff in the area since April 10. Last month, President Benigno Aquino III pulled out Philippine vessels in the face off with Chinese ships due to bad weather.

 

The impasse started when Chinese ships blocked the arrest of fishermen, who were caught poaching by Philippine authorities.

 

China and the Philippines and are both claiming ownership over Bajo de Masinloc.

 

Manila says the rich fishing ground falls within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

 

China, which claims almost the whole of the resource-rich West Philippine (South China) Sea, maintains Bajo de Masinloc is “an integral part of Chinese territory,” citing ancient maps to back its claim.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michaela Del Callar | GMA News Online | July 18, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines slams Chinese 'duplicity, intimidation'

The Philippines' foreign minister on Thursday denounced Chinese "duplicity" and "intimidation" in the South China Sea, souring the mood at a regional gathering designed to soothe tensions.

"If Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction can be denigrated by a powerful country through pressure, duplicity, intimidation and the threat of the use of force, the international community should be concerned about the behaviour," Albert del Rosario told the meeting, according to an official statement.

He was referring to a recent standoff between Chinese and Philippine boats at a rocky outcrop called the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both sides.

Del Rosario said Beijing's increasingly assertive stance over disputed and non-disputed areas of the South China Sea posed a "threat to the peace and stability" in the Asia Pacific region.

"If left unchecked, the increasing tensions that is being generated in the process could further escalate into physical hostilities which no one wants," he said at the ASEAN Regional Forum, which was also attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The dispute over Scarborough Shoal began after Chinese government vessels blocked Philippine ships in an operation to arrest Chinese fishermen near the shoal on April 10.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coasts of neighbouring countries. The Philippines says the shoal is well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

A sharp disagreement over whether to mention the standoff over the shoal has held up a joint statement being prepared by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Manila wants the standoff mentioned while Cambodia, a staunch Chinese ally that currently holds the ASEAN chair, has rejected the proposal.

The Philippines is also leading a push for ASEAN to unite to propose to China a code of conduct aimed at governing behaviour and preventing conflicts in the South China Sea.
Progress on the code, strongly encouraged by the United States, was seen by analysts as a way of dissipating anger in the region and smoothing tensions after a string of recent confrontations.

Vietnam has accused China of aggressive behaviour and on Wednesday Japan lodged a formal complaint over Chinese boats approaching islands in the East China Sea which are controlled by Tokyo.

ASEAN has already agreed the key elements it will propose in any negotiations with China, including using international law such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the basis for any dispute.

But analysts said Beijing was likely to reject any use of international law to settle disputes because its position is to deal bilaterally with each claimant.

Yang has told his fellow ASEAN ministers in Cambodia that China will consider the proposal but stressed that negotiations for a code of conduct will only be launched when "conditions are ripe".

Clinton said earlier Thursday that nations should settle their territorial disputes "without coercion, without intimidation, without threats, and without use of force".

She also urged progress on the long-stalled code of conduct for the South China Sea to avoid "confusion and even confrontation" over shipping and fishing rights in the resource-rich waterway which is home to key shipping lanes.

The Scarborough Shoal sits about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines' main island of Luzon. The nearest major Chinese landmass is 1,200 kilometres northwest of the shoal, according to Philippine navy maps.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Abbugao | AFP News | July 12, 2012 | Article Link

P-Noy to China: Pull out ships from shoal

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday called on China to pull out all its ships from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal as he assailed Beijing for asking the Philippines to stop making provocative statements while itself continuing to talk.

“It’s not clear to me what provocative statements the Philippines or Filipino officials have made. But we know that the other side has been saying a lot. So maybe they should read first what have been written on their end and with all due respect, maybe they can balance that with reality,” Aquino said yesterday.

Malacañang also said that the redeployment of ships to Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, would depend on the weather.

“There are many schools of thought on how to handle (or) how to deal with the Chinese. So we will be getting, in effect, a discussion on the opposite points of view on what is the best approach to settle this issue,” Aquino noted.

As this developed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned on Wednesday China’s top diplomat in the Philippines and gave her a note verbale protesting Beijng’s establishment of a new “prefectural-level” city of Sansha to administer three disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea and future development of the islands.

“The DFA sent a note verbale dated 28 June 2012 and handed this to Ambassador Ma yesterday, protesting the establishment of Sansha City as the extent of the jurisdiction of the city violates Philippine territorial sovereignty over the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratlys) and Bajo de Masinloc and infringes on Philippine sovereign rights over the waters and continental shelf of the West Philippine Sea,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

He pointed out “it was a diplomatic protest” since the declaration of the establishment of Sansha City contradicts the spirit of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the non-aggression accord in 2002.

A senior security official also noted that China’s latest move showed that it has no respect towards its neighbors when it comes to peacefully settling territorial disputes in the region.

“With the way Beijing is behaving, it only showed that they don’t have any respect towards its neighbors,” the security official, who asked not be named, said.

Contrary to Beijing’s claim that the Philippines is plotting to further increase the tension in the region, its present actions to bolster its territorial claim of the entire South China Sea showed otherwise, the security official said.

Earlier, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Chinese officials and the state media were the ones who should be careful about issuing statements.

“Can I say to the Chinese ‘xiao xin yi dian.’ Be a little careful about your statements,” Lacierda said in reaction to a commentary in the People’s Daily of China, which admonished the Philippine government for its plan to ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the West Philippine Sea to help monitor the country’s territorial waters.

Lacierda stressed the Philippines has the right to explore all options in safeguarding its territorial waters, including seeking help from the US.

He added that the request should be viewed in the context of the defense cooperation between the Philippines and the US.

“So there’s no issue to us. We do not view it as a provocative statement,” Lacierda said. 

“And as the President said, by no stretch of the imagination can you consider the Philippines as an aggressor.”

Defending Kalayaan

Meanwhile, Kalayaan, Palawan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon said his civilian constituents in the Spratly region are not disturbed by China’s current aggression.

“We are not disturbed at all,” Bito-onon said, adding that aside from the Philippines, China has also to deal with other Spratlys claimant countries if Beijing so decides to settle the territorial dispute by force.

Western Command (Wescom) commander Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban also vowed that they would defend at all costs Kalayaan municipality.

“We will keep on doing our duty, prepare for any contingency and let our leaders do the high level solutions. Kalayaan municipality is ours. We will defend it,” Sabban said.

Wescom, a composite military unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), has operational jurisdictions over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and has forward troops deployed in the region.

The Philippines and China are currently locked in a territorial dispute not only in Panatag Shoal but also in the Spratly region, which is also being claimed in whole or in part by Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

The Spratly archipelago is a chain of islets, reefs, atolls and sand bars straddling the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in mineral and fuel deposits.

Panatag Shoal is located 124 nautical miles from Zambales Province and is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.

China stands on a historical claim while the Philippines has taken the view that Beijing’s claim is not supported by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aurea Calica | The Philippine Star/Yahoo News Online | July 6, 2012 | Article Link

'Be careful what you say,' Palace tells China

MANILA, Philippines - Malacanang on Wednesday cautioned China about accusing the Philippines of stirring up tensions in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.

“Xiao xin yi dian (Be a little careful about what you say)," Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said as he denied Chinese claims President Benigno Aquino III's statement that he may ask the United States to deploy spy planes to help monitor its waters was a provocation.

A commentary in the People's Daily, known to be a mouthpiece of China's Communist Party, said on Tuesday that the Philippines was planning to stoke tensions at a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Cambodia this week.

"On the cusp of the ASEAN foreign ministers meetings, the Philippines is sparing no effort to stir up the South China Sea issue through all sorts of means, and we should be on guard against its plots," the newspaper wrote.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News5/InterAksyon.Com | July 4, 2012 | Article Link

Coast Guard ready to sail back to Panatag Shoal

MANILA, Philippines - The Coast Guard is all set to sail back to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Coast Guard fleet commander Rear Adm. Rodolfo Isorena said all their vessels are on standby and ready to perform maritime duties in the shoal, 124 miles from Zambales.

“Any time we are prepared to go back,” he said. “We are just waiting for orders.”

Isorena spoke at the sidelines of the official launching of this year’s joint naval and maritime exercise between the Philippines and the United States in General Santos City in which the Coast Guard is participating.

The BRP Pampanga was the first Coast Guard vessel to be dispatched to Panatag Shoal.

Maritime tension between the Philippines and China started when two Chinese maritime surveillance ships blocked moves of the Philippine Navy flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar from effecting the arrest of Chinese fishermen caught poaching in the shoal and illegally harvesting endangered marine species like giant clams, corals and sharks.

Coast Guard vessels have been alternately maintaining their presence in the shoal since May 10 until President Aquino ordered the pullout last month due to bad weather.

While in General Santos City, the Pampanga and crew are all geared up for the sea phase of CARAT 2012.

CARAT 2012 is a bilateral training exercise between the Philippine and US navies. It started in 1995 in line with the Phl-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

This year’s joint naval and maritime training, aimed to further foster strong relationship and mutual cooperation of the units involved, is also introducing, for the first time, minesweeping and nighttime naval insertion operations in the Mindanao Sea.

In this year’s exercise, the US government invited the Philippine Coast Guard to actively participate in the sea phase, anti-terrorist and other related trainings.

No problem with Chinese ships

Armed Forces chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa does not see any problem with China’s sending of patrol ships to the West Philippine Sea.

“As long as they are within the freedom of navigation area, there is no problem with that,” he said. “Ships usually navigate that area. There is no problem.”

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Dellosa said it would be up to the national government to redeploy Philippine vessels to the hotly contested Panatag Shoal.

Dellosa said the Navy must not be involved in the dispute as the Coast Guard is already monitoring the situation.

“We will just wait for the instructions,” he said. “As of now, there is none. We don’t want to escalate the situation. It’s been the Coast Guard (that is monitoring the area). We have no Navy (ships) there so I do not have control.”

The Navy’s latest aerial surveillance showed 28 Chinese vessels and boats are in the area.

However, the latest report was issued on June 26 and no other updates have been released after that.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jaime Laude | The Philippine Star | July 4, 2012 | Article Link

DFA to seek clarification on return of Chinese vessels to Panatag

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said it would seek clarification from China regarding the return of its vessels to the lagoon of the Scarborough [Panatag] Shoal off northwestern Philippines two days after it was reported to have left the contested area.

“We would like to ask for clarification as to what happened,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters as he reiterated China’s commitment to pull out its vessels inside the shoal.

Hernandez said China’s renewed presence at the lagoon would be taken up in the government’s next consultations with Chinese embassy officials in Manila.

“Negotiations and decisions always require people to act in good faith," he said. "We would like the parties to this issue to comply with commitments."

“That’s how we try to move forward with the discussion and to resolve this issue diplomatically and peacefully,” Hernandez said.

Manila and Beijing both pledged to pull out all its government and fishing vessels from inside the shoal’s lagoon to ease tensions, Hernandez said.

Weeks earlier, Philippine vessels, as part of this commitment, left the lagoon and moved outside the shoal, but Chinese government ships and fishing boats have remained inside.

Both the Philippines and China claim ownership to the shoal, which had been at the center of weeks-long territorial feud between the two nations.

A standoff erupted between the two countries on April 10 when China’s government ships prevented Philippine authorities from accosting Chinese fishermen poaching in the shoal, which Manila said was part of its territory.

On June 15, the President Benigno Aquino III ordered the pullout of the two remaining Philippine government ships in the area due to bad weather, in a move that temporarily halted the standoff.

Aquino has said that he would send back Philippine sovereignty vessels to the shoal if Chinese ships would not leave the area.

A Philippine plane, he said, would conduct surveillance to check on the Chinese presence as soon as the weather clears.

Scarborough, a ring-shaped coral reef with rocky outcrops teeming with marine life, is called Panatag or Bajo de Masinloc by Manila and Huangyan Island by Beijing.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has sent its recommendations to the President regarding the current situation at the shoal.

“We’ll just wait for the higher authorities to make a decision,” Hernandez said, declining to give further details. “I am not at liberty to divulge these recommendations at this time.”

On Monday, the DFA announced that Chinese government ships and fishing vessels have left the shoal’s lagoon.

Hernandez said the basis of the DFA’s announcement was based on information it received on June 23 that there are no more Chinese vessels inside the shoal.

Two days later, the Philippine Navy conducted an aerial survey of Scarborough and sighted six Chinese fishing vessels, accompanied by 17 smaller boats, inside the lagoon while five of Beijing’s government ships stood guard outside the contested area.

Manila said the shoal, located 124 nautical miles from Masinloc town in Zamabales and 472 nautical miles from China’s nearest land mass in Hainan province, was within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone as provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Both countries, along with 162 other nations, are signatories to the treaty.

China rejected Manila’s assertion over the shoal, saying proximity alone could not be a basis for ownership.

It said it was the first to have discovered Scarborough, citing ancient maps to prove its claim.

Apart from Scarborough, China also claims the South China Sea nearly in its entirety, including areas that overlap with the Philippines’ territorial waters.

Competing claims to the South China Sea, believed to be harboring vast oil and gas deposits, by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan, have ignited violent confrontations in the past, sparking fears it could be Asia’s next potential flashpoint for war. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philippine News Agency/InterAksyon.Com | June 27, 2012 | Article Link

PNoy gags Navy on Panatag Shoal; China sends 4 patrol ships to West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE: 4:58 pm) President Benigno Aquino III has restricted to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) all public announcements of updates in the Panatag Shoal standoff, and wants a full discussion of the conditions in the area before pursuing a declared intent to redeploy Philippine ships that were pulled out last week due to bad weather.

Even as Palace officials indicated Manila will still redeploy its boats to the area off Masinloc, Zambales if Chinese ships stay put, Beijing was reported to have deployed four maritime surveillance ships to the South China Sea (called West Philippine Sea by Manila) on regular patrols.

The apparent gagging of non-DFA agencies was apparently taken after the Philippine Navy monitoring report on Tuesday showed 28 Chinese ships of varying sizes were still in the area, some right within the lagoon, as of late Monday, as seen by an aerial sweep of a Navy islander plane. 

That information contradicted a DFA announcement that all Chinese ships had left the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal area, site of a standoff since April 10.

Protest over  school  dismissed

Meanwhile, Malacanang Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda dismissed Beijing’s protest over the establishment of a school on Pagasa Island in the Spratlys, saying Pagasa has long been Philippine territory. It is in fact listed among the voting precincts. 

On Wednesday, President Aquino sought a full discussion on Panatag Shoal before ordering the return of Philippine ships to the area.

The apparent gag order on non-DFA agencies notwithstanding, Palace officials indicated that the government will, as announced last week, redeploy its vessels to Panatag amid reports that a total of 28 Chinese vessels have returned to the area.

"The President’s position still stands," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said on Wednesday.

This was in reference to President Aquino’s earlier pronouncement that the two vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Philippine Coast Guard would be redeployed to Panatag if foreign vessels remain in the area.

Based on the latest aerial surveillance by the Philippine Navy, 23 out of the 28 Chinese vessels are right inside the lagoon.

The remaining vessels – three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels and two fishery and law enforcement command (FLEC) ships – are outside the lagoon.

"(The redeployment will be) based on considerations. For instance, the weather will be a consideration. There will be parameters that will be considered," Lacierda added. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News5/InterAksyon.Com | June 27, 2012 | Article Link

Navy 'willing and able' to return to Panatag

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Navy is waiting for President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to order them to go back to the Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) following confirmation that Chinese vessels have yet to pull out from the disputed territory despite an agreement to do so.

"The Navy is willing and able to undertake whatever instructions given to us," Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said in a television interview.

However, Pama said the Palace has yet to give the Philippine Navy its go-signal to return to the shoal. He also said the government is opting to send non-military ships to the shoal, which is called Bajo de Masinloc by Zambales residents.

The tension between the Philippines and China began in April when a Philippine Navy ship boarded eight Chinese vessels, which were allegedly caught poaching giant clams, baby sharks and coral reefs.

However, a large Chinese vessel blocked the arrest and detention of the Chinese fishermen.

On June 15, President Aquino ordered two ships from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to pull out from the shoal due to bad weather.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had said that the Philippines and China had an agreement to pull out ships from the lagoon of Panatag Shoal. It clarified that both countries can deploy ships outside the lagoon.

On Monday, DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario announced that Chinese boats have been pulled out from the lagoon.

Pama, however, reported on Tuesday that six fishing boats and 17 dinghies were spotted by the Philippine Navy inside the lagoon during an aerial inspection on Monday. He added that three Chinese maritime surveillance ships and two Chinese fishery and law enforcement command (FLEC) ships were outside the lagoon.

Pama clarified that Del Rosario could have been quoting a previous report.

President Aquino had said that he may order the return of Philippine ships to the shoal if the Chinese will continue its presence in the lagoon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Philippine Star | June 27, 2012 | Article Link

28 Chinese vessels spotted around Scarborough Shoal - Philippine Navy

MANILA – (UPDATE, 2 p.m.) The Philippine Navy on Tuesday belied reports that China withdrew its ships from the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

Based on a report following an aerial surveillance by a Navy Islander plane, Navy flag officer-in-command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said that as of 2 p.m. Monday, a total of 28 Chinese vessels and boats were spotted in and outside the lagoon.

This consists of three China maritime surveillance (CMS) vessels, two Fisheries Law Enforcement Command (FLEC) ships, six fishing boats, and 17 dinghies.

Of this number, the six fishing boats and 17 dinghies were spotted inside the lagoon itself.

No Philippine ships are in Scarborough Shoal after the government withdrew the vessels due to bad weather.

The Navy report was contrary to the statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday that there were no more Chinese ships inside the lagoon itself. The DFA issued the same statement Tuesday afternoon.

The withdrawal of all types of vessels from inside the lagoon was part of the agreement between the two countries reached through diplomatic negotiations. 

The withdrawal of vessels from outside the lagoon and around the shoal is still to be negotiated, the DFA had said. 

Diplomatic sources said the Chinese ships are expected to leave the area as soon as weather permits. The shoal is a known sanctuary for fishermen caught in a storm in the West Philippine Sea.

Asked if China was lying based on this report, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said: "We would not cast judgment."

Gazmin said he would recommend that Philippine vessels return to the shoal once weather improves. 

The rainy season with its attendant typhoons has prompted President Benigno Aquino III on June 15 to call both the Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources survey ship to shore. 

China and the Philippines have remained in a standoff since April 10, when the Philippines' only warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar tried to enforce Philippine environmental laws on Chinese fishermen caught in the lagoon poaching and harvesting endangered marine species. China reacted and sent its maritime and fisheries ships in order to protect its fishermen. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com | June 26, 2012 | Article Link

No more vessels inside lagoon of Scarborough

MANILA (Updated 12:53 p.m.) -- Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Monday both Philippine and Chinese vessels have already withdrawn from the lagoon of the disputed Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs chief clarified that there are no more Chinese fishing and government vessels inside the shoal.

“Based on coordination with the Philippines and China, as of two days ago, we have received information that all boats have left the lagoon in Bajo de Masinloc,” del Rosario said.

The Philippines refers to the shoal as Bajo de Masinloc based on its proximity to Masinloc municipality in Zambales province in Luzon.

China, on the other hand, calls the shoal Huangyan Island.

“There are no longer any boats from either the Philippines or China inside the shoal,” the former Philippine ambassador to Washington said.

Reports, however, indicated that there are still Chinese government vessels outside the lagoon of the shoal. 

“This is a subject of continuous consultations,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

The Philippines, upon orders of President Benigno Aquino III, pulled its government vessels out of the lagoon during the height of Typhoon Butchoy (international codename: Guchol) two weeks ago.

Del Rosario has expected the same move from Beijing but China denied that it has made any commitments to the Philippines about the pullout of their government vessels.

Aquino, in an earlier statement, said the government is studying the possibility of redeploying Philippine vessels—Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources—to the area if Chinese vessels refuse to leave the shoal.

The continuous fishing of Chinese-manned boats in the region is seen as a violation of the indefinite fishing ban imposed there by both countries to “replenish maritime resources.”

China and the Philippines are locked in months-long standoff that originated when Chinese government ships prevented Philippine officials from capturing eight Chinese fishermen who were caught illegally poaching in the shoal.

The shoal is being claimed both by Manila and Beijing.

The Philippines’ claims are based on geographical proximity since the shoal sits well within its 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf founded in the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

China, however, lays claim on virtually 90 percent of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) based on its nine-dash line that falls on territories under the jurisdiction of its Asian neighbors.

The United States recently backed up the Philippine initiative to bring the matter before the UN-backed International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos), which was based in Hamburg, Germany.

But Beijing already earlier rejected any proposition that will invite third parties into the regional dispute.

It said that it will only negotiate in a bilateral level. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SunStar.Com.Ph | June 25, 2012 | Article Link

Vessels Needed In Panatag – Gazmin

Country ‘Window Shopping’ For Fighters

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin sees the need for Philippine government ships to go back to Panatag Shoal, saying the absence of any vessel may eventually lead to the country losing its claim to the dispute area.

“If we do not send back our ships there, they may eventually use it as basis for their claim,” said Gazmin, referring to China.

The Philippines has been locked in a dispute with China over the Panatag Shoal which is located off Zambales province. The country’s three vessels earlier left the area following Butchoy’s visit.

The Foreign Affairs department earlier said that the withdrawal of vessels was part of verbal agreement but China ships did not follow suit.

As soon as the weather condition improves, Gazmin said he would recommend for the return of at least three Philippine government vessels to Scarborough.

“They did not leave so we have to go back there,” said Gazmin.

He said that it would be ships from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources which he would recommend to return.

The Philippines is now upgrading its military capability after the Panatag standoff. The concentration of the modernization program is on the Philippine Air Force via procurement of fighter jets.

Meanwhile, Gazmin said the reported purchase of T50 fighter jets from South Korea is not yet definite as an evaluation team is still conducting “window shopping” in other countries.

“The T50 is just one of the candidates for our leading fighter jets,” said Gazmin.

A T50 costs some P1.2 billion and the Philippine government is planning to buy 12 fighter jets.

Another option is the Super Tucano in Brazil, he said.

“We are just completing our study so that we can select the best possible option for us,” said Gazmin.

Gazmin assured that the procurement of 12 fighter jets and other military hardware for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would not be tainted by graft.

He said the government may even end up saving money due to their decision to turn the purchase of military hardware into a government to government transaction.

“There is no longer middleman in government-to-government, so the price will not be padded because there is no more need for the commission of the middleman,” said Gazmin.

Gazmin made the statement amid concerns of corruption in the purchase of jet fighters from South Korea since the procurement will no longer undergo the normal bidding process.

Aside from fighter jets, the Philippine government is also planning to buy helicopters and other military hardware that would serve the need to strengthen the country’s territorial defense following the Scarborough standoff with China.

The fund for the purchase will come from the AFP modernization program which is proposed to be funded with P75 billion for five years, starting 2013.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aaron Recuenco | Manila Bulletin | June 21, 2012 | Article Link

Philippine plane to do fly-by over Panatag

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino said a Philippine aircraft will fly over Scarborough shoal to determine if there is a need to redeploy Philippine vessels in the area.

He said that there would be no need to send back Philippine ships if no vessel from other countries would be seen during the mission.

"If there is a presence in our territorial waters, then we will redeploy. But if there is no other presence of other vessels that might impinge on our sovereignty, there is no need to deploy and they can go back to their normal routine of safeguarding-the Coast Guard for instance-our coastlines from… [the] wet season," Aquino told reporters. 

"And endpoint nito, is there a need for our vessels to be there? That will be determined by the overfly to determine if there are things that we should be guarding. If there are none, we can go. We don't have to go back," he added.

President Aquino said it is "physically impossible" for the Philippines to permanently station vessels in the area. He pointed out that the BFAR and Coast Guard vessels were pulled out from the area because of bad weather.

There are also limitations with the Coast Guard vessel given the depth of the area.

"How do you position somebody 'pag very rough seas?" he said.

He said he would await the data that would come from the fly-by before deciding whether Philippine vessels would be sent back.

The mission was supposed to be conducted Tuesday but was cancelled due to the prevailing weather conditions. 

"The guidelines are very, very clear. 'Pag meron pang mag vessels doon na not ours, in our waters, we send back our ships… When you say reevaluate, dumating, nag-overfly ang ating aircraft, may nakita, wala. Pag walang nakita, anong need para ipadala doon?" he said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Willard Cheng | ABS-CBN News | June 20, 2012 | Article Link