Defense chief accuses China of double talk

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin is apparently wearying of the double talk coming from his Chinese counterpart amid reports of fresh incursions into the Philippine-claimed portions of the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (or South China Sea).

Gazmin said the military is still verifying whether the orange buoy-like object discovered on July 10 at Sabrina Shoal, which is about 13 kilometers away from the Palawan capital of Puerto Princesa City, belonged to the Chinese.

When asked how the latest discovery of a foreign marker reflected on Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie’s pronouncement that China wanted a “peaceful resolution” of the territorial conflict, Gazmin was skeptical.

Violations

“Well, if you have been following events, you will know that he (Liang) says one thing and things are taking place opposite of what he is saying,” Gazmin said in an interview on the sidelines of the command turnover ceremonies of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command.

“Remember, he was here (in Manila) and during the time that he was here there were two violations. And he was talking and speaking at the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore and there was another violation, so you can conclude [what you want],” he said.

Liang was in the Philippines on an official visit from May 21 to 25.

During talks with Gazmin on May 23, the two defense officials agreed to avoid “unilateral actions that would cause alarm” as they assured each other that they were for peacefully resolving the Spratlys dispute.

After Liang’s visit, however, the military belatedly learned that Chinese ships had been spotted unloading an undetermined number of steel posts, a buoy, a marker and other construction materials in the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank on May 21 and May 24.

The Amy Douglas Bank is 125 nautical miles from mainland Palawan, which is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.

Gazmin tried to personally take up the matter with Liang at a security meeting of Asia-Pacific defense ministers in Singapore on June 5, but failed to talk to the Chinese official.

At the Singapore summit, Liang assured his counterparts that China would not use its military might to impose its territorial claims and vowed that Beijing was committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

But on that very day, June 5, Navy forces found a marker—similar to the one found in the Iroquois Reef—buried in Boxall Reef, which is around 105 nautical miles from mainland Palawan and part of the Kalayaan island group in the Spratlys claimed by the Philippines.

The government has proposed that the dispute be brought to the United Nations, a proposal that China has rejected outright.

Code of conduct

But in Bali, Indonesia, this week,  the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China agreed to devise a set of guidelines similar to the code of conduct that the Philippines has long been pushing for the West Philippine Sea.

“That is a very welcome move and a welcome event. We do hope that this becomes a step toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” Gazmin said.

China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims to all or parts of the reputedly oil- and gas-rich Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea.

In recent months, the Philippines has accused China of violating its sovereignty, saying Chinese forces had shot at Filipino fishermen in the area and harassed an oil exploration vessel.

It also claimed that China had erected poles or markers, placed a buoy and left building materials on islets and shoals that fall well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

First posted 12:29 am | Saturday, July 23rd, 2011