China open to marine research cooperation with Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - China is willing to engage in marine cooperation, including joint scientific research projects with the Philippines, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang’s statement came after acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said that the Philippines has turned down China’s request for scientific research on Benham Rise off the eastern seaboard of Luzon, because China refused to take Filipino scientists on board for research visits. 

He said the Philippines is still considering other requests.

“You mentioned that the Philippines wanted to take part in the research activities. I have not heard about that,” Lu said. “But I know for sure that China is willing to engage in marine cooperation, including joint scientific research, with friendly countries like the Philippines, so as to bring benefits to people.”

He added that China is willing to maintain close communication with the Philippine government on relevant issues.

Lu reiterated that China fully respects the right of the Philippines to the continental shelf of Benham Rise and has been committed to the provision of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which stipulates that a country should seek permission from a littoral state prior to carrying out scientific research activities in territorial waters, exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves of that state.

Manalo said on Thursday that China had already asked permission from the Philippines to survey Benham Rise but was denied the request for failure to fulfill the requirement.

“China did not fulfill the requirements to have a Filipino scientist on board,” Manalo said. “If they comply, fine. That is one, perhaps China did not want it so the permission was denied.”

He said a number of China’s requests have been denied and three requests are still under consideration. 

Manalo said the Philippines will raise China’s construction of military facilities in the South China Sea when the two countries meet at the bilateral consultation mechanism meeting in May.

In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Manalo said China’s construction activities within the Philippines’ EEZ and the images released by the Washington-based CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) on Chinese developments are taken by the Philippines “very seriously” and “we will have to seek clarification from China on what these are all about.” 

He stressed that Chinese developments have to be clarified further, “but what is important is that we are constantly monitoring… and we are certainly not sleeping on this.” 

The DFA, in coordination with other security agencies, is keeping “a tight watch on developments.”

He said the Philippines will have to raise whatever issues are important to the country, noting that it is in fact the purpose of the bilateral consultation mechanism.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said that a resource exploration survey to be undertaken at Benham Rise with a Japanese agency would push through next year.

Carlos Primo David, executive director of the DOST’s Philippine Council on Industry, Energy and Emerging Technologies Research and Development (PCIEERD), said funding for the project is still available.

David said that the project will be undertaken by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) in 2018.

A DOST source earlier told The STAR that the resource mapping effort on Benham Rise had been taken out of the DOST’s research and development agenda in the next five years.

PCIEERD earlier clinched a commitment from JAMSTEC to do a resource assessment survey over a big expanse of Benham Rise for a very affordable amount of less than P50 million but the undertaking had not been listed as a DOST priority in its 2017-2022 harmonized R&D budget, which allocated a hefty P5.7 billion for R&D in 2017 alone.

“It was decided that it is not a priority,” the source said.

David said that the DOST’s pursuit of the resource exploration has never been taken out as a priority, even before the Chinese interest in Benham Rise. – With Rainier Allan Ronda