Manila air-drops supplies to troops on disputed reef

The Philippines air-dropped food and water to soldiers posted on a grounded transport ship on a disputed South China Sea shoal, after China blocked two supply ships from reaching the troops, a senior navy official said on Wednesday.

Chinese ships patrolling waters around Second Thomas Shoal, known in China as the Ren'ai reef, on Sunday ordered the Philippine ships carrying construction materials to leave the area.

Beijing claims Manila is trying to start construction on the disputed reef after it ran aground an old transport ship in 1999 to mark its territory and stationed marines on the ship. Manila claims the Shoal is part of the Philippine's continental shelf.

"We only intend to improve the conditions there, we have no plans to expand or build permanent structures on the shoal," said a Philippines navy official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

"On Monday, we sent a navy Islander plane to drop food and water, but it will only last a few days. We really have to send back the civilian boats. Since last year, we've been resupplying our troops using civilian ships to avoid confrontation and this was the first time China blocked them."

On Tuesday, Manila summoned the second highest Chinese embassy official to hand over a strong-worded protest, calling the blockade "a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines".

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China had called in Philippine diplomats in Beijing to lodge a protest in response.

"The Philippines' motive in trying to illegally occupy Ren'ai reef and create incidents in the South China Sea is abundantly clear. China calls on the Philippines to stop all its provocative actions," he added.

The Second Thomas Shoal, a strategic gateway to Reed Bank, believed to be rich in oil and natural gas, is one of several possible maritime flashpoints that could prompt the United States to intervene in defense of Asian allies troubled by increasingly assertive Chinese maritime claims.

WASHINGTON CALLS BLOCKADE "PROVOCATIVE"

On Wednesday, Washington said it was troubled by China's blockage of the Philippines ships, calling it "a provocative move that raises tensions."

"Pending resolution of competing claims in the South China Sea, there should be no interference with the efforts of claimants to maintain the status quo," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. She added that "freedom of navigation" in the area "must be maintained."

China has objected to efforts by Manila to challenge its territorial claims under the Law of the Sea at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

Ernest Bower of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank said new pressure on Manila could be due to China's perception that the United States has shown weakness in dealing with crises in Syria and Ukraine and will be similarly lacking in resolve in Asia - in spite of its declared policy "pivot" to the region.

It also reflected Chinese concerns about negotiations expected to bring about broader access for U.S. troops to the Philippines, he said.

"The Chinese see a very unhappy situation in the Philippines - that one of their smaller neighbors is taking them to court and working with the Americans for expanded military access," Bower said. "It does not fit with the Chinese script of where they want to be in terms of the South China Sea and their sovereign claims."

Bower said such incidents raised the risk that a small clash could escalate and it was important for the United States to make its commitment to the region clear ahead of a planned visit to Asia, including the Philippines, by President Barack Obama next month.

"The Chinese look at the situation in Syria and Ukraine and they look at the so-called Asia pivot and they don't think there is any political foundation that has been built that would support American action in Asia if push came to shove," he said.

Beijing's claim over islands, reefs and atolls that form the Spratlys, a group of 250 uninhabitable islets spread over 165,000 square miles, has set it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of the South China Sea. China also has competing territorial claims further north with Japan, a major U.S. ally in Asia.

The South China Sea provides 10 percent of the global fish catch, carries $5 trillion in ship borne trade a year and its seabed is believed to be rich with energy reserves.

Article Source: Yahoo News

Philippines protests China stopping troop resupply

The Chinese coast guard prevented delivery of supplies to Filipino soldiers guarding a disputed shoal in the South China Sea and an envoy rejected a Philippine protest over the interference, officials said Tuesday.

Chinese ships prevented two Filipino civilian vessels hired by the Philippine navy from reaching Second Thomas Shoal on Sunday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The shoal is called Ayungin Shoal by Manila and Ren'ai Reef by the Chinese.

"Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines and therefore, the Philippines is entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other states," the statement said.

China's actions "constitute a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines" under the Law of the Sea, it added.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the resupply was a routine activity that hasn't been interrupted by the Chinese in the past.

"For 15 years we have conducted regular resupply missions and personnel rotation without interference from China," he said.

He said the Chinese ships used digital signs, sirens and megaphones in ordering the Filipino vessels to leave. The Filipinos returned to Palawan, the nearest Philippine province east of the Shoal.

China's charge d'affaires was summoned and handed the protest note. Hernandez said that as in the past, Beijing rejected the protest.

Less than a month ago, Manila also protested a Chinese water cannon attack on Filipino fisherman near another disputed shoal. No one was injured in the Jan. 27 incident at the Scarborough Shoal off the country's main island of Luzon in the north.

The Filipino troops awaiting fresh supplies are stationed on a decrepit military hospital ship that ran aground in 1999 on the shallow coral outcrop of the Second Thomas Shoal. The rusty ship has since become the symbol of the country's sovereignty over the area.

China has been demanding the removal of the ship, claiming that the area is part of Chinese territory.
Department of National Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said "the Chinese coast guard ships blocked our two vessels which were en route to Ayungin to reprovision" the troops. He did not give other details.

The Chinese did not block Philippine marines and supplies to the station last June, a month after the deployment of Chinese ships to the area that also prompted diplomatic protests from Manila.

China's official Xinhua news agency on Monday quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang as saying that the two Philippine ships were loaded with construction materials and were driven away by Chinese coast guard vessels as they approached the shoal.

"China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters including the Ren'ai Reef," Qin said.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea. Nansha is the Chinese name for the Spratlys, a chain of resource-rich islands, islets and reefs claimed partly or wholly by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Article Source: Yahoo News

China twits Philippines' 'historical, legal errors'

BEIJING, China (UPDATED) -  The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that China had rejected the Philippines' request to submit the two countries' territorial disputes in the South China Sea to international arbitration.

The ministry's spokesman Hong Lei said China's ambassador to the Philippines, Ma Keqing, met on Tuesday with officials from the Philippines' Foreign Ministry to reject the request.

Hong stressed that China has consistently advocated resolving territorial disputes bilaterally, a stance he said was supported by the ASEAN countries.

"The Philippines' actions not only violated this consensus, they also make numerous historical and legal errors, including false criticism of China. China absolutely cannot accept it," Hong told a regular news conference in Beijing.

"We hope the Philippine side can scrupulously abide by its promises, not take actions to expand and complicate the situation, and positively respond to proposals made by China on setting up a negotiation system to discuss maritime disputes, and restarting work of building a mutual-trust mechanism," he added.

China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan all claim territory in the South China Sea.

China's claim is the largest, forming a vast U-shape over most of the sea's 1.7 million square km (648,000 square miles), including the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos.

China has insisted on handling the disputes on a one-on-one basis rather than multilaterally, a strategy some critics have described as "divide and conquer."

DFA: Arbitration to proceed

In response to China's move, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said: “China’s action will not interfere with the process of Arbitration initiated by the Philippines on 22 January 2013. The Arbitration will proceed under Annex VII of [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] and the 5-member arbitration panel will be formed with or without China.”

“The Philippines remains committed to Arbitration which is a friendly, peaceful and durable form of dispute settlement that should be welcomed by all,” the DFA said.

DFA also said the soon-to-be-formed tribunal will check the domestic laws of China, which should be in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario earlier said UNCLOS, which defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans, will be the great “equalizer.”

Article 9 of Annex 7 provides that: “If one of the parties to the dispute does not appear before the arbitral tribunal or fails to defend its case, the other party may request the tribunal to continue the proceedings and to make its award. Absence of a party or failure of a party to defend its case shall not constitute a bar to the proceedings. Before making its award, the arbitral tribunal must satisfy itself not only that it has jurisdiction over the dispute but also that the claim is well founded in fact and law.”

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Reuters / ABS-CBNnews.com | February 20, 2013 | Article Link

US: Palawan may be target of Chinese navy

WASHINGTON – China may target Palawan for a military attack to punish the Philippines for challenging its maritime claims in the South China Sea, Richard Fisher Jr., a US think tank military affairs analyst, said.

He said the presence of the Chinese frigate Dongguan which ran aground last month near disputed Half Moon Shoal off Palawan, and the five or six Chinese ships that sailed to its aid were believed to be part of stepped-up efforts to enforce what Beijing calls its “Nine-dash Line” that outlines almost all of the South China Sea, which it claims as sovereign waters.

Fisher, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, was quoted extensively by Washington Times columnist Bill Gertz on Thursday.

Accompanying Gertz’s article was what he said was the first photo of Dongguan taken by a Filipino military photographer during a flight over the disputed Half Moon Shoal that both Beijing and Manila claim as their maritime territory. The shoal sits astride a key strategic waterway about 70 miles from the Philippine island province of Palawan.

Gertz quoted a Philippine official as saying the photo showed “the bully that ran aground.”

Fisher said the Dongguan recently was upgraded with YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missiles, which have a range of 155 miles. It also has a new stealthy, infrared-suppressing exhaust stack.

Philippine officials do not know why the Chinese warship sailed so close to Half Moon Shoal and ended up stuck in the sand, Gertz said. But some believe its presence is part of stepped-up efforts to enforce Beijing’s “Nine-dash Line.”

Another theory is that the Chinese sought to survey the region ahead of an expected Philippines-sponsored, oil-prospecting venture that will begin this year or early next year.

“The fact that several ships were in the vicinity of Half Moon Shoal able to render assistance to the Dongguan is a testament to the overall increased Chinese naval presence in this region, but also a testament to the (People’s Liberation Army’s) command and control capabilities,” Fisher said.

“While the grounding was a major embarrassment for China that provided a perhaps unintended military reinforcement to its diplomatic bullying at (a recent regional) summit, this incident also served to highlight the increasing strategic importance of Palawan,” he said.

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Jose Katigbak Star  | The Philippine Star | August 11,2012 | Article Link

Keep China in check (No pun intended)

"The Chinese are too strong, too assertive. That is why a Pax Sinica is very threatening to us," said an analyst from Vietnam's Diplomatic Academy to a reporter from the Atlantic magazine. Vietnam has cause for concern: China invaded it 17 times. 

Vietnam is not resting on China's assurances that it is only interested in business and harbors no imperial ambitions. Vietnam recently spent $200 million to rehabilitate Cam Ranh Bay, probably the largest and most important US naval base during the Vietnam War, to make it available for use by foreign navies.

In Vietnamese "making Cam Ranh Bay available for foreign navies" means laying out the welcome mat for the US. In Chinese "laying out the welcome mat for the US" means containment, a bad word to the communist tyrants in Beijing. The phrase also means containment in Vietnamese and English but it's a good word as far as they and the rest of the civilized world are concerned.

Everybody wants to keep China in check. (No pun intended.)

Nobody wants Pax Sinica or Chinese hegemony. Everybody welcomes increased "US meddling in Asia-Pacific affairs", to use Beijing's characterization of US presence, because no civilized country wants an utterly corrupt totalitarian regime exercising exclusive control over the South China Sea. Everybody wants someone who can guarantee that Beijing will not make unilateral moves that violate "the rules-based order that has served the region for six decades." Everybody understands that a countervailing power to Beijing is necessary and the US is it. It's the only country that can keep Beijing from running wild.

Why point out the obvious? Because there are those in this country who still persist in promoting juvenile nationalism, blind anti-Americanism fueled by outdated Cold War propaganda. Well, times have changed my dear Jomanians and we have to adjust to new realities: a former oppressor is now our bodyguard against a future oppressor, yesterday's imperialist is now our only protection against tomorrow's imperialist. 

The best national security decision made so far is to allow the US access to Subic and Clark.  We are not selling out, we are simply doing what is best for us, at this time and under the circumstances. If Vietnam can open Cam Ranh Bay to a former enemy why can't Subic and Clark be made available to an old friend and ally? Besides, there is a commonality of national interest between the US and the nations around the South China Sea: the US wants freedom of navigation, we want freedom from Beijing's incursions into our seas.

Will the occasional US visits turn into permanent US bases? Maybe they could but it definitely won't happen anytime soon. The US cannot afford permanent overseas bases right now, "places not bases" is the new Pentagon mantra. Besides, experience has shown that bases agreements are messy and expensive while visiting or status of forces agreements are neater and cheaper, both for the US and the host country, so why go back to it?

The Jomanians' fear that US bases will return and become US territory once again is not grounded on reality, it comes from robotic thinking. We have to celebrate a new era in Philippine-US relations instead of mindlessly chanting slogans that give Beijing an erection.

Another thing to keep in mind is the new US Pacific strategy does not stand on access to Subic and Clark. The US can port its ships and land its planes in India, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and soon in places like Cam Ranh Bay. We need US presence to fend off China more than the US needs Philippine hospitality to keep the sea lanes open to navigation. We have to live with that reality until we become strong enough to stand up to China or any other ambitious neighbor.

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Manuel Buencamino | InterAksyon.Com | June 11, 2012 | Article Link

 Manuel Buencamino is a fellow of Action for Economic Reforms

India might get involved in the Philippine – Chinese dispute over the Scarborough Shoal

The Indian government officials hinted yesterday that they are interested in the ongoing diplomatic standoff between the Philippines and China over a group of isolated rocks in the South China Sea. In a very unusual step, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs urged both the nations to show restraint and resolve the territorial dispute through dialogue. 

The ministry also said that it was concerned about the events and the effect it may have on stability of the region.

India has been strengthening its diplomatic and trade ties with the nations bordering South China Sea for some time now. Last year, it signed an agreement with the Vietnamese government to undertake oil and natural gas exploration in some of the disputed areas. The measure invited strong criticism from the Chinese government, which warned the Indians to stay away from the region. China claims that the exploration blocks, which the Vietnamese government granted to Indian oil exploration companies, are actually within its own borders. However, both India and Vietnam rejected China’s claims, saying that as per the United Nations, the bocks are completely within the maritime boundaries of Vietnam. The defence sources further said that Indian oil exploration companies like Oil and Natural Gas Commission Videsh Limited (OVL) will work to strengthen their presence in the region.

Meanwhile, the protests against alleged Chinese naval bullying continued in Philippines, as more than 1,000 people protested in downtown Manila yesterday. Some of the protestors burnt Chinese flags outside their consulate in Makati. However, the People’s Liberation Army Daily, regarded as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Armed Forces, again made it clear on Thursday that China will not show any restraint in the territorial dispute. The daily warned the Philippine authorities that the patience of the Chinese defence forces are running out and they are not going to tolerate any more of the defiance from them.

The standoff at the Scarborough shoal is not showing any sign of diffusion, as both the sides are moving in more and more military equipment and warships. The dispute started when the Philippine Navy stopped some Chinese fishermen from poaching in the area, claiming they don’t have the right to fish there. The South East region is economically very important for India, as a lot of trade is conducted with the ASEAN member nations. Indian Navy is involved in the anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations in the area and the armed forces are looking towards the strengthening of already friendly ties with many of the South Eastern Asian nations.

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Sahil | Indian Defence | May 11, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines, China trade barbs over new incursions

The Philippines and China traded fresh accusations Tuesday of illegal incursions in a disputed area of the South China Sea, while refusing to compromise on their territorial claims.

The Philippines said it had lodged a new diplomatic protest, accusing Chinese vessels of harassing a Filipino-flagged archaeological research ship at Scarborough Shoal.

The shoal is the same area where Chinese vessels last week blocked a Filipino warship from arresting the crews of eight Chinese fishing boats.

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the M/Y Saranggani was "harassed by Chinese ships and aircraft" at Scarborough, which is about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines' main island of Luzon.

"We lodged the protest yesterday afternoon. The harassment of the vessel is part of the continued intrusion and illegal activities being done by China in our area," Hernandez told AFP.

Philippine National Museum director Jeremy Barns said the vessel was conducting a preliminary survey of potential ancient shipwrecks, and was manned by Filipino and French scientists, including nine French archaeologists.

"We're looking for the wrecks of Western as well as Asian vessels -- Vietnamese, Thai, and also Chinese. This is a project of the National Museum," Barns told AFP.

He described the area around the shoal as an important maritime passageway for foreign vessels that conducted trade with the Philippine islands, possibly even prior to their colonisation by Spain in the 16th Century.

Filipino officials would not say when the scientific vessel specifically arrived in the area, but Hernandez said the boat was still there.

"It is doing research, which is well within our rights," he said.

But the spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Manila, Zhang Hua, insisted China owned Scarborough, and accused the M/Y Saranggani of intrusion.

"We urge the archaeological vessel leave the area immediately," Chang said in a statement.

China claims all of the South China Sea as its own on historical grounds, even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.

The nearest Chinese land mass from Scarborough Shoal is Hainan province, 1,200 kilometres, (750 miles) to the northwest, according to Philippine naval maps given to the media.

The rival claims have been a source of regional tensions for decades, and the Philippines as well as Vietnam have accused China over the past year of becoming increasingly aggressive in asserting its position.

The latest flare-up occurred on April 8 when the Philippines found the eight Chinese fishing boats at Scarborough Shoal, and sent its warship to arrest the crew.

China quickly deployed three civilian maritime vessels that took turns in blocking the warship.

In a bid to calm the situation, the Philippines pulled back its warship and replaced it with a coast guard vessel late last week, and the fishing vessels sailed away over the weekend.

Hernandez said a lone Philippine coast guard boat now remained in the area on Tuesday, facing off against two Chinese civilian ships.

"As of now, we are still in a stalemate or a stand off," Hernandez said. 

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Jason Gutierrez | AFP News/Yahoo News Online | April 17, 2012 | Article Link

Tensions still high at Scarborough - defense chief

MANILA, Philippines -- Tensions remain high at Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal as a standoff between Philippine and Chinese naval vessels at the disputed territory in the West Philippine Sea, also called the South China Sea, entered its second week, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Tuesday.

The standoff was triggered by the interception of eight Chinese fishing vessels laden with contraband marine products by the Philippine Navy flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar but two Chinese “civilian” maritime surveillance vessels rushed to the disputed island and prevented the arrest of the fishermen.

Tuesday afternoon, tensions stepped up a notch when a Philippine exploration vessel was buzzed by a Chinese aircraft and another Chinese fishing vessel arrived at the area.

Both the Philippines and China have filed diplomatic protests against each other.

"Up to now the tension is still high," Gazmin told reporters.

At the moment, a Coast Guard vessel and the French archeological yacht M/Y Sarangani remain in the area.

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Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com | April 17, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines files new protest vs China for another Scarborough incident

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday afternoon filed a new diplomatic protest against China, this time for the harassment by Chinese ships and aircraft of M/Y Saranggani, a Philippine-registered private ship (yacht) with nine French nationals onboard conducting archeological research in the area.

In a statement texted to the media, the DFA also stressed that Scarborough Shoal is more than just within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone or Continental Shelf, but actually part of the municipality of Masinloc, province of Zambales. It reiterated that the shoal is only 124 nautical miles west of Zambales. The protest did not say that the shoal is more than 500 miles from the nearest point of China.

The Philippines demanded that the Chinese ships and aircraft cease the harassments of and fly-bys over M/Y Saranggani so that the boat and its crew can complete their work. 

Any attempted action by Chinese ships or aircraft against M/Y Saranggani will be considered by the Philippines as a gross violation of its national laws and of international law. Discussions still ended in a stalemate. The Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to exert efforts to reach a diplomatic solution. 

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the protest was filed through Chinese Ambassador to Manila Ma Keqing. 

Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio has taken over the negotiation tasks from DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario, who has flown to the United States on a previous engagement to campaign for the candidacy of Justice Florentino Feliciano to the International Court of Justice. 

Del Rosario is also scheduled to meet with some US legislators and is expected to talk about the ongoing diplomatic standoff on the Scarborough Shoal. 

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Veronica Uy | InterAksyon.com | April 16, 2012 | Article Link

Aquino: We’re not going to war with China

Navy pullout from Scarborough meant to ease tension

Stressing that he did not intend to go to war against China, President Benigno Aquino III said on Monday he was attempting to ease tensions at Scarborough Shoal by deploying a Coast Guard cutter in the area to match Beijing’s civilian vessel there and continuing talks with Chinese diplomats.

“It would be difficult if we are not talking anymore,’’ the President said. “It’s better to jaw-jaw than to war-war,’’ Mr. Aquino told reporters, quoting the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In a hastily called news conference in Malacañang to respond to  widespread criticism of his handling of the power crisis in Mindanao, the President explained for the first time the actions taken by his government on the week-old standoff at the shoal whose resolution, he said, was a “work in progress.’’

Mr. Aquino said the government had no intention to escalate tensions at the shoal when it sent its Navy warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, there last week.

Using a PowerPoint presentation, the President explained that the Navy flagship was en route to the eastern coastline of northern Luzon to stand vigil there in case debris from the April 13 launch of a North Korean missile fell there.

“On its way there, it was informed by a Navy aircraft that it spotted fishing vessels and [since] part of its duty is to enforce our maritime laws, it inspected [the vessels] and found these endangered species,’’ he said, referring to poached marine life aboard what turned out to be Chinese craft.

He said the Navy frigate left the area immediately upon the arrival of a Philippine Coast Guard search and rescue vessel, which he described as a “civilian component’’ under the Department of Transportation and Communications and which was dispatched “just to demonstrate that we want to de-escalate the situation.’’

On Monday, he said PCG vessel 003 was replaced by PCG vessel 002 so that it could refuel and take on provisions like water. “We don’t have replenishment at sea capabilities,” he said.

“So 002 will maintain station to assert our sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, which is about 160 nautical miles (296 km) from our coastline and which is well within our exclusive economic zone,’’ the Chief Executive said.

Trying to de-escalate

When a reporter pointed out to him that authorities were unable to arrest the Chinese poachers and confiscate the items they got, the President shot back:  “Will it be better for us to deploy all our maritime vessels there, prevent Chinese maritime surveillance vessels that are unarmed and force China to react by sending their own military vessels?’’

“Would escalation serve the national interest?’’ he  asked, adding that the two sides had not stopped exploring all avenues to resolve the impasse. “We have two missions: One, not to escalate the situation and two, to protect our sovereignty,’’ he said.

The President also dismissed speculation about the timing of the annual Philippine-US Balikatan exercises, which started Monday, amid the standoff at  Scarborough Shoal, a cluster of reefs and islets surrounding a lagoon that is being claimed by China. The area is separate from the Spratlys, which are being disputed by the Philippines and China, along with Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

“It will not serve us any good that at a time that we are trying to de-escalate the situation, we will put in place something that will potentially be a subject of complaint of the other side,’’ he said.

While he said his government was prepared to protect the country’s sovereignty “to the limits of our capabilities,” he stressed that the Philippines did not have the resources to fight the Chinese, “even in boxing, they are 1.3 billion, we are 95 million.”

No breakthrough

The President noted a provision in the Constitution that “we renounce war as [an] instrument of national policy and I am bound to follow that.’’

That’s why he said it was important for the two nations to continue with their dialogue, now being conducted between Foreign Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio and Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing, because Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario was now in the US on a previous engagement.

“I’m hopeful that reasonable people … can come up with a situation that will resolve the situation,’’ Mr. Aquino said.

Basilio and Ma held discussions for 45 minutes Monday afternoon. The Chinese ambassador declined comment on the outcome of the talks but her political counselor Bai Tien, told reporters, “No breakthrough.”

Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez said “the discussions ended in a stalemate.”

Hernandez also announced that the Philippines on Monday lodged a diplomatic protest over “acts of harassment” by Chinese ships and aircraft of the MY Saranggani, a Manila-based vessel doing archeological research in the shoal area last week.

In a news conference earlier, Hernandez shrugged off suggestions by Senator Joker Arroyo that the Philippines had become an “orphan” that could not depend on the United States or its partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to protect its territory against Chinese intrusions.

“Our regional and international partners, including the United States, our treaty ally, are assisting us upgrade our capabilities and build a minimum credible defense posture,” Hernandez said.

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Christine O. Avendaño | Philippine Daily Inquirer | April 16, 2012 | Article Link

New Philippines Coast Guard ship patrols Scarborough

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - A new Coast Guard ship replaced the lone Philippine vessel in the disputed waters off Panatag Shoal (Scarborough), a spokesman confirmed Monday.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Algier Ricafrente said the BRP Pampanga was replaced by BRP Edsa (SARV-002), the same type of search and rescue vessel Monday morning, for refuelling and fresh supplies.

Meanwhile, Northern Luzon Commander Lieutenant General Anthony Alcantara said two surveillance vessels of China were still in the area.

He added that Navy ships were also under reprovisioning, but were ready to support the Coast Guard vessels anytime.

He also described the situation in the area as ¿stable."

Philippine Navy Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, on the other hand, said he doesn¿t see the need to send back the Philippines¿ warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar as it was a law enforcement issue.

¿From reports that Coast Guard showed with us, things are not as tense as some people think," he told reporters after the opening of Balikatan Exercises at Camp Aguinaldo.
¿We don¿t have a Navy vessel but we remain on standby. No definite plans (to deploy) a Navy ship," he added.

He also said he believed the Coast Guard could handle the issue.

On Saturday afternoon, China added one more vessel to boost its presence after pulling out all of its ships and leaving behind just one.

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Frances Mangosing | Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network  | April 16, 2012 | Article Link

Diplomatic offensive pushed

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Joker Arroyo yesterday called on President Aquino to launch a “diplomatic offensive” in the region by tapping the support of the United States and its allies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the latest conflict with China.

Arroyo said he wants a collective stand against the apparent intrusion of China into Philippine shores through Scarborough Shoal.

“We are one of the founders of the ASEAN. We were even the first chairman of the ASEAN. Now what is the use of the ASEAN?” he said. “We should have a diplomatic offensive. They have been meeting. (But now) when one of the members are threatened, they have not even issued a stand.”

Arroyo said ASEAN failed to issue even a “resolution of concern or sympathy” during the standoff with China over Scarborough, which the Philippines calls Panatag Shoal.

He noted that the Philippines did not even get any commitment from other ASEAN states during the recent summit in Cambodia when President Aquino pushed for a common stand on maritime disputes in the region.

In the case of the US, Arroyo said it should at least come out with a categorical statement on the dispute “even if we know that they will not likely go to war with China for us.”

He said the Scarborough incident “showed we don’t have reliable allies at all.”

Arroyo described as “embarrassing” the country’s deployment of the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a retired ship donated by the US to the Philippine government without its high-tech equipment.

Arroyo added that Malacañang should start coordinating with other agencies of the government, including the Senate and the House of Representatives, to be able to provide a holistic approach to resolving the issue after consensus is reached among all stakeholders.

“We don’t know information that may only be exclusive to Palace… we should work together on this… perhaps they are doing something, but we cannot second-guess on the information that Malacañang has,” he said.

Losing both

Arroyo expressed concern that the Philippines might eventually lose the Spratlys and even Scarborough to China, in the same manner Sabah was acquired by Malaysia with British backing several decades ago.

Arroyo lamented that the country was unable to get any show of support from the US, which has been the Philippines’ traditional ally amid its implementation of the so-called Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

“Ang nakakalungkot dito (What is lamentable), is this: ang laban (the battle is) Spratlys and Scarborough. In both instances, at the moment, we are left on our own. Once upon a time, we had a claim in Sabah… but that was it, we lost it. What if the situation happens again to China? What would we do?” he said.

Because of this, Arroyo said Aquino should discuss the matter with the US government to enable the Philippines to get a commitment of support over the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal.

He said the US Seventh Fleet is still operating in the region, and the Philippines can possibly ask the US for help about securing its economic sea lanes.

“The Philippines should start talking with the Americans. This is the problem. That is the solution,” said Arroyo, noting further the US’ silence on the security problem in the region.

Arroyo lamented the US failed to even give a statement of support for the Philippines in the middle of the standoff over the shoal.

“America will not go to war over Scarborough Shoal and Spratlys. They are withdrawing from Iraq, even in Pakistan. Even in Syria, they don’t want to be involved,” he said.

Arroyo also called for a stop in politicking among enemies and allies of the Aquino administration, saying the more pressing problems on power rates and the territorial standoff between the Philippines and China should be given top priority.

Other lawmakers also called on the ASEAN to intervene in the standoff.

“We are also calling on the ASEAN to actively monitor and intervene in the dispute based on the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño said.

He said President Aquino should not ask the US for help as this could only exacerbate the conflict over the Scarborough Shoal.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone also urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to seek the help of the United Nations (UN) in resolving the standoff.

“The UN should step in because what is being violated by the Chinese is the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. The UN should assert that international laws should be respected and obeyed by the international community,” he said.

Evardone said under UNCLOS, countries that are archipelagoes like the Philippines could claim waters 200 miles from their shorelines as their exclusive economic zone.

“Scarborough Shoal is just 124 miles from Zambales and is clearly within our country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone. It is thrice that distance from China,” he said.

Evardone said even just in terms of distance, the Philippines has more right to claim Scarborough Shoal than China.

Evardone, however, said he is not surprised that the Chinese are declaring ownership of this group of rock formations off Zambales since they are also claiming the Spratly group of islets, which are farther away off Palawan.

Multilateral approach

The Department of National Defense (DND) urged China to limit actions that would not contribute to the peaceful resolution of the standoff in Scarborough.

DND spokesman Peter Galvez said the incident underscores the need for Southeast Asian countries to cooperate in seeking a solution to territorial disputes.

“We are always for the multilateral approach in resolving the issue,” Galvez said. “The Panatag incident highlights our call for a multilateral approach and cooperation between our regional partners and allies.”

Galvez said territorial disputes are multilateral as these involve the conglomeration of different claims.

China has rejected a multilateral approach to resolve the issue, saying non-claimant countries should not meddle in the dispute.

Galvez said the recent actions of China might not help resolve peacefully the standoff now on its sixth day.

“(Our appeal is for China) to limit their actions that may not be helpful for the peaceful resolution (of the matter),” Galvez said.

When asked if the DND is disturbed by China’s move to send another vessel and aircraft in the area, Galvez said, “This will not be helpful in coming up with a peaceful resolution. We view it as actions that may not be helpful in the current situation.”

The DND, nevertheless, remains optimistic that the issue would be settled peacefully.

“We don’t wish it to escalate further. We are still hoping for a peaceful resolution (of the standoff),” Galvez said.

On April 8, the Navy monitored eight Chinese fishing vessels anchored inside the shoal while conducting a security patrol.

The Gregorio del Pilar, the Navy’s largest warship, was deployed on the same day to protect the country’s sovereignty.

Scarborough, which the Philippines calls Panatag Shoal, is 124 nautical miles from the nearest base point in Zambales. It is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone based on the UNCLOS, to which China is a signatory.

The Gregorio del Pilar sent a boarding team on April 10 to inspect the fishing vessels and collect evidence of their catch. The team found illegally collected corals, giant clams and live sharks inside the vessels.

However, two Chinese surveillance ships placed themselves between the Del Pilar and the fishing vessels, preventing the arrest of the erring fishermen.

The Del Pilar was “relieved” by Coast Guard ship BRP Pampanga on April 12 reportedly to allow the warship to load supplies.

On the same day, China sent a third vessel, which the military said is from the Chinese ministry of agriculture.

On Saturday, China boosted its presence by redeploying a ship into the shoal that had been thought to have already left the area.

An aircraft believed to be Chinese was also reported to have buzzed over BRP Pampanga, the only asset that the Philippines used to assert its claim in the area.

The DFA said a white or civilian Chinese ship – presumably the one that returned – harassed a Philippine-registered vessel with nine French nationals conducting archaeological surveys.

It was also reported on Saturday that all but one of the Chinese vessels involved in the standoff had left Panatag Shoal.

Casiño, for his part, said the Chinese fishermen caught poaching in Scarborough Shoal should turn over their illegal catch.

“What the Chinese did was a blatant infringement of our territory. China is obviously targeting our rich marine, mineral and energy deposits and if they are serious in not escalating this standoff, they should return their illegal catch to Philippine authorities as a sign of goodwill,” he said.

“But this incursion must stop and this should be the last. We call on China to respect the Philippines’ territorial integrity and to settle our conflicting claims over the area diplomatically and not through force or intimidation,” he said.

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Christina Mendez | The Philippine Star | April 16, 2012 | Article Link

South China Sea represents 'a new Persian Gulf'?

The stalemate over the Scarborough shoal is the latest in a series of recent incidents in the diplomatic tug-of-war between the Philippines and China over a number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

From a Filipino perspective, the root of the problem lies in Beijing's assertion of its historical claim to the islands and waters of the South China Sea, or what Manila now calls the West Philippines Sea.

With its long civilization, China claims that the Scarborough shoal was first discovered in the 13th century when the Yuan dynasty emperor, Kublai Khan, ordered a survey of the South China Sea.

In the case of the Spratlys, the Chinese claim goes further back more than two thousand years ago when a Han dynasty navigator discovered the islands during a journey through the South China Sea.

So does it mean that China claims the whole South China Sea?

A Chinese spokesman officially denied this during a Foreign Ministry press briefing last February 29. According to the spokesman, "Neither China nor any other country lays claim to the entire South China Sea."

But he went on to point out that China has "indisputable sovereignty" over all the islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

What is not yet clear, however, is the exact extent of this claim or whether China will ever agree to validate the legality of its historical claim in an international tribunal.

One can get an idea of China's expansive claim from its official map, a copy of which was attached to a document it submitted in 2009 to a United Nations commission which handles cases related to the limits of the continental shelf, as provided by the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This map, first drawn up in 1947, contains the "nine-dash line" that is supposed to delineate China's maritime borders. But due to the obvious conflict between the "nine-dash line" and the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves defined by UNCLOS, the Philippines and other countries have questioned the legal validity of this line.

A prominent international law expert described the "nine-dash line" map as “puzzling and disturbing” because it has no basis under UNCLOS.

New 'Persian Gulf'?

Facing growing pressure, China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi gave a brief comment about it at the Asean regional forum last July.  He said, “The dotted line was formally announced by the Chinese government in 1948. China's sovereignty, rights and claims in the South China Sea were established and developed in the long course of history. They have been consistently upheld by the Chinese government.”

Though there is no sign that China will ever give up this burden of history, its recent denial about claiming the entire South China Sea appears to indicate some movement at clarifying the extent of China's historical claim.

As China is finding out, its stated policy of developing good-neighborly relations with Southeast Asian countries is being undercut, if not undermined, by its own efforts to increasingly assert its historical claim.

Whatever reservoir of goodwill it has built up in the region is being drained by the accumulation of maritime incidents and standoffs, leading to increasing suspicion of China’s intentions.

But underlying these disputes over these islands and reefs are real concerns over marine resources. The waters around Scarborough shoal abound in fishery resources, while the Reed bank is believed to have oil and gas deposits.

There is a growing perception that the South China Sea represents “a new Persian Gulf."

Thus, aside from the issue of sovereignty, energy security is also a major factor behind these competing claims.

Imported oil accounted for 55% of China's total oil use in 2010 and this share is expected to increase. The natural gas field in Malampaya, which is located off Palawan, already supplies 40% of Luzon's electricity. The Philippines is hoping an even bigger gas field can be developed in the Reed Bank.

China's anxiety

Finally, the growing rivalry between China and the United States in Asia provides a strategic context that complicates the regional situation.

To China’s dismay, the US pivot to Asia symbolizes a move to balance, if not contain, the growth of Chinese power with US military presence as Asian countries seek to hedge against any potential miscalculation or conflict.

China’s anxiety is reflected in its state media, particularly the Global Times, which is considered a bellwether of extreme nationalist sentiment. In a commentary last January, the Global Times called for punishing the Philippines and Vietnam for “balancing China by siding with the US.”

With the strengthening of the military alliance between the US and the Philippines, the Global Times issued a stern warning to Manila against acting as “a pawn in the US geopolitical game against China.”

Amid such a complex background of overlapping claims over sovereignty, competition over marine resources and intensifying strategic rivalry, it is difficult to expect an end to this diplomatic tug-of-war in the near future.

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Chito Sta. Romana | Rappler.Com | April 16, 2012 | Article Link

Stalemate remains in maritime dispute: Philippines

The Philippines said Sunday it remained locked in a stalemate with China over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The statement came a day after the Philippine side reported that two Chinese vessels remained in Scarborough Shoal, just as the week-old standoff appeared to have eased.
Eight Chinese fishing vessels which sparked the standoff however had already left the area.

"The stalemate remains. Both sides are in touch with each other," Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a brief statement.

He said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario left Sunday for a week-long trip to the United States, and negotiations would be taken over by one of his top aides.

On Monday, the Philippines and the United States are due to begin joint annual war games to boost its military alliance amid fears of China's growing power in the region.

Local military officials said some of the manoeuvres would take place off the southwestern island of Palawan close to the disputed South China Waters, but sought to downplay fears they could further add to the Scarborough tension.

"The Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercises is in no way related to an event like that of the Scarborough Shoal," said Major Emmanuel Garcia, spokesman for the Philippine contingent.

"We had long planned for this and the focus would be on improving security, counter terrorism and humanitarian and disaster response."

Presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said in a statement the government hoped China would not be be alarmed by the exercises.

"We are hoping that this will not result in provocation," Valte said.

She said that while Manila maintained jurisdiction over the shoal, it remained committed to resolving the issue in a diplomatic manner.

The Scarborough Shoal dispute started on April 8 when the Philippines found the eight Chinese fishing boats in the area, which the Philippines claims as its territory.

A Philippine navy warship was deployed there to arrest the Chinese fishermen for illegal poaching, but China sent three civilian surveillance vessels and took turns blocking the ship.

Manila pulled back the naval warship from the area on Thursday and the tension further eased Saturday after the Chinese fishing vessels laden with their catch and escorted by two surveillance ships had already left the area.

But as the Philippines prepared to welcome the positive development, it subsequently reported Beijing had sent back one of the two maritime vessels and a Chinese aircraft made flybys above the lone Philippine vessel.

Manila also said the Chinese harassed a Philippine-registered vessel conducting a scientific survey.

Among those aboard the vessel were nine French citizens helping to conduct an "archaeological survey" in the area, though the foreign department did not elaborate further.

The military has said a Philippine coast guard vessel remains near the shoal, about 230 kilometres (140 miles) west of the country's main island of Luzon, monitoring Chinese activity.

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AFP News/Yahoo News Online | April 16, 2012 | Article Link

NOLCOM: 8 Chinese vessels have left

[2nd UPDATE] MANILA, Philippines – 7 Chinese fishing vessels and 1 Marine survey ship have left Panatag Shoal, Lt Gen Anthony Alcantara, commanding general of the Northern Luzon Command has confirmed.

This eases considerably brewing tension in the disputed Panatag Shoal (Scarborough) in the West Philippine Sea where a standoff had resulted between the Philippines and China.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also corroborated on Saturday, April 14, information about the departure of the 8 Chinese vessels.

The Philippines, however, is still mulling its next moves after this development, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said in a phone interview with Rappler.

“We are still talking with (China),” added Hernandez, referring to the ongoing negotiations between the Philippines and China over the disputed territory.

How it started

Earlier this week, the Philippine Navy boarded the Chinese fishing vessels and found endangered species that had been illegally obtained. These included corals and giant clams, reports said.

The vessels were caught fishing illegally in the West Philippine Sea. But 2 Chinese maritime surveillance vessels, according to a Navy report, positioned themselves between the Chinese fishing vessels and the Navy’s flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

The Philippine Navy was told they were on Chinese territory, but the Philippines maintained the vessels were within the country's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

China insisted they were on Chinese territory and sent 3 civilian maritime surveillance ships to prevent the Philippine Navy’s largest vessel from arresting the Chinese fishermen.

Diplomatic talks followed, resulting in the Philippines withdrawing its warship on Thursday, April 12, replacing it with a coastguard search-and-rescue vessel. This was seen as an effort to lower tensions by taking away the immediate threat of military force.

China claims all of the South China Sea as its own, even waters up to the coasts of other countries. Aside from the Philippines and China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim all or parts of the waters as their own.

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Paterno Esmaquel II | Agence France Presse/Rappler.com | April 14, 2012 | Article Link