But it appears while China says it wants to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, it is doing the exact opposite
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, we know by now, is not afraid to say what’s on his mind and to call a spade a spade.
Recently, he described Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to reach out to President Marcos Jr. and then-President Rodrigo Duterte as “false pretenses” since China’s harassment and intimidation of our Coast Guard and fishermen in the West Philippine Sea belie its assurances of our close ties and deep friendship.
“China talks to us…just for show, to show the world that they talk to us, but beneath all that, what their actions say is different,” Teodoro said.
Exactly. There is a wide gap between what China’s leaders say and what they do, and we commend our Defense Secretary for pointing this out.
We recall that President Marcos’ visit to China earlier this year was capped by a meeting with Xi.
The Chinese president gave assurances he would look into the Philippine proposal to establish a hotline to prevent any miscommunication or an unfriendly encounter in the disputed sealane.
Not long after, Teodoro lamented, the China Coast Guard pointed a military-grade laser toward BRP Malapascua, temporarily blinding Philippine Coast Guard personnel.
Teodoro’s remarks came after the latest incident, when the Chinese Coast Guard blocked in an aggressive and dangerous manner a Philippine resupply enroute to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal and caused a collision.
If China seeks continuous talks with the Philippine government regarding disputes over the West Philippine Sea, it should henceforth be open to the public and not anymore with the cloak of secrecy, Teodoro said.
“Another problem with engaging with China (officials) is that they’re not transparent. We don’t know how they work, we don’t know who we’re talking to,” he said.
The defense chief stressed if future talks are on the table, China needs to show it respects the Philippines as a people and a country.
Does Beijing treat us with respect?
We don’t think so.
Recent experience tells us talks with China for the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea have been going nowhere.
The two sides agreed to put up the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) in 2016 as a platform for dialogue and as a confidence-building process for both sides to manage and address differences, to promote practical maritime cooperation and environmental protection, as well as enhance mutual trust and confidence.
The BCM was first held in 2017 and was supposed to be held every year thereafter until the COVID-19 pandemic started in early 2020.
The 6th meeting was held in May 2021.
The communiqué issued after this meeting was, as expected, diplomatic: “The two sides had friendly and candid exchanges on the general situation and specific issues of concern in the SCS/WPS.
“There was mutual recognition of the importance of dialogue in easing tensions and understanding each country’s position and intentions in the area…Both sides acknowledged the importance of addressing differences in an atmosphere of openness and cordiality to pave the way for practical cooperation and initiatives.”
The 7th BCM, held in March 2023, was the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries since the onset of COVID.
This was convened in an effort to implement the important consensus on maritime issues reached by the presidents of the two countries, particularly on setting up a hotline to prevent any escalation of tensions at sea.
While the two sides spoke positively of the development of China-Philippines relations, and emphasized the important consensus on maritime issues between the two presidents should be implemented expeditiously, the prior agreement to set up a hotline between foreign ministries in Beijing and Manila did not lead to a lessening of tensions.
Here’s what the communiqué said: “The two sides agreed to exercise restraint, make good use of the hotline between the two foreign ministries, improve maritime communication and dialogue mechanisms, and enhance talks and exchanges between different departments and on multiple levels… The two sides agreed to manage and control differences and properly handle emergencies at sea through friendly consultations.”
It is understandable that communiqués issued after the meetings of the total of seven BCMs since 2017 have been couched in general terms, mainly on agreements reached, rather than on controversial issues requiring urgent action.
But it appears while China says it wants to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, it is doing the exact opposite.
With that, can we can expect only more bullying and harassment tactics against our Coast Guard and fishermen, and not restraint and friendly consultations with them?
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