A day after China prevented Philippine vessels from delivering food to a coast guard ship at the Sabina Shoal, the defense chief of the Philippines declared on Tuesday that China is “the biggest disruptor” of peace in Southeast Asia and demanded stronger international condemnation for its aggression in the South China Sea.
Speaking at an international military conference hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Manila, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. discussed the recent upsurge in airspace and military incidents between China and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea.
Senior diplomatic and military leaders from the United States and its allies were present at the summit, where Teodoro declared that China is “the biggest disruptor of international peace” in Southeast Asia.
Later, when speaking to reporters outside the conference, he said that world protests over China’s escalating assertiveness in the disputed waters and elsewhere were “not enough.”
Teodoro stated, “A stronger collective multilateral action against China is the antidote,” adding that defense and diplomatic leaders have to decide on such more forceful measures.
When reporters pressed Teodoro for further details, he acknowledged the challenge of pursuing a resolution in the U.N. Security Council denouncing and mandating an end to Chinese acts of aggression. Teodoro remarked, “The world is not that perfect.”
Chinese authorities did not respond right away.
As one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China shares the same veto power as its geopolitical opponent, the United States.
Teodoro stated that although the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has given China’s aggressive moves “attention,” much more has to be done. The South China Sea claims of China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei are among the ten nations that make up the Southeast Asian bloc. These claims overlap.
Teodoro stated, “ASEAN cannot continue to ignore what China is doing in the South China Sea if it is to remain relevant and credible.”
China reportedly used “an excessive force” of 40 ships in the most recent incident in the South China Sea, blocking two Philippine vessels from supplying food and other supplies to Manila’s largest coast guard ship in the disputed Sabina Shoal. This is the latest in a string of territorial disputes between the two countries in the busy sea passage.
The Philippines and China both claimed responsibility for the clash that occurred on Monday at Sabina Shoal, an uninhabited island that has become the newest flashpoint in the Spratly Islands, the most highly contested area of the maritime corridor that is vital to international trade and security.
In recent months, China and the Philippines have both sent coast guard ships to Sabina, possibly in an attempt to seize control of the fishing atoll and erect facilities there.
Since last year, there has been a noticeable increase in hostilities between China and the Philippines; Monday’s encounter was the sixth that the two sides have reported on in the air and on the high seas. The clashes have sparked worries about the possibility of a wider war including the US, the Philippines’ old treaty partner.
The Second Thomas Shoal, another hotspot where China has impeded Philippine supplies reaching Filipino soldiers on board the BRP Sierra Madre, a long-grounded military vessel, is close to Sabina. A week after the two countries’ agreement last month to stop being more and more antagonistic at the Second Thomas Shoal, food supplies could be delivered by a Philippine vessel without any clashes.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, 31 suspected militia vessels, Chinese coast guard and navy ships, and unlawful obstructions from the past illegally impeded Monday’s delivery of Sabina Shoal, which included an ice cream treat for the crew of the BRP Teresa Magbanua in honor of National Heroes’ Day in the Philippines.
In addition to urging “the China coast guard to abide with the international law and stop deploying maritime forces that could undermine mutual respect, a universally recognized foundation for responsible and friendly relations among coast guards,” the Philippine coast guard stated that it “remains steadfast in our commitment to uphold national interests and ensure the safety and security of our waters.”
China’s coast guard declared in Beijing that it had taken action against two Philippine coast guard vessels that had “intruded” into seas close to Sabina Shoal. In a statement, it claimed that by continuously approaching a Chinese coast guard ship, the Philippine ships had worsened the conflict. The controls that the Chinese Coast Guard implemented were not disclosed.
Beijing claims almost the whole South China Sea as its own. China has been pursuing these claims with more assertiveness, growing its military force. Though other claimants, such as Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei, are also involved in the long-running territorial disputes, the tensions have resulted in more regular confrontations, mostly with the Philippines.
On Tuesday, the Japanese government also lodged a protest with Beijing, claiming that it had to scramble fighter fighters after a Chinese spy plane infringed on their airspace.
