Palace: ASEAN may tackle China South China Sea reclamation

MANILA, Philippines - Ticklish issues regarding the South China Sea – particularly China’s massive island building activities – may be discussed in the next meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, Malacañang said yesterday.

The Philippines had successfully lobbied for the exclusion of militarization of land features in disputed waters in the ASEAN communiqué released at the conclusion of the foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila recently.

“The continuing reclamation and militarization of disputed territory in these waters, if the report and photos from a Washington-based think tank are accurate, these can be taken up by the ASEAN in future discussions,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said at a press briefing yesterday.

He stressed there is a need to verify the report and photographs presented by Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (AMTI-CSIS) about the continued reclamation activities in the South China Sea.

“It would be best if this apparent evidence can be vetted for accuracy, if only to preserve the trust and confidence that all disputants over the territory in South China Sea, South China… West Philippine, North Natuna Seas need to have… in each other going forward,” he explained. “So, we defer to ASEAN.”

Early this week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano described the think tank’s report as “false,” saying Beijing is “not reclaiming land anymore.”

“China’s own reclamation work did not end in mid-2015 with the completion of its artificial islands in the Spratlys,” the AMTI-CSIS said.

“Beijing continues to reclaim land farther north, in the Paracel Islands,” it added, referring to the part of the South China Sea being claimed by China and Vietnam.

As proof, the think tank released latest photos to prove China’s ongoing reclamation activities.

The ASEAN statement appears to be softer than the joint communiqué issued last year under the chairmanship of Laos. That communique expressed grave concern over China’s militarization of its artificial islands.

“I didn’t want to include it. It’s not reflective of the present position. They’re not reclaiming land anymore. Why will you put it again this year?” Cayetano said.

Cayetano explained that the final joint communiqué this year was a result of compromise as some ASEAN member-states wanted a “stronger” statement on the South China Sea while the others wanted a “weaker” one.

DFA spokesman Robespierre Bolivar stressed ASEAN did not ignore China’s continued reclamation activities in the South China Sea.

“The position of the Philippines is to always reflect the current situation in the West Philippine Sea and the foreign policy direction of the Philippines – which is not to surrender a single inch of Philippine territory while at the same time working towards good neighborly relations with other claimants– is always based on the latest intelligence we have on the ground,” he said.

Bolivar maintained the Philippines did not receive any official reports of China’s island building or land reclamation in the months prior to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. – Helen Flores