Lorenzana, Locsin sound alarm over China war games

MANILA, Philippines  — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. have expressed alarm over China’s holding of war games in the South China Sea.

In an online forum before the weekend, Lorenzana said China’s move is “highly provocative” and could heighten tensions in the area.

“That is very concerning. We view that with alarm. If they did it in their part of the South China Sea then it’s OK but if they’re doing it in the contested areas, that would sound the alarm bells for all claimants in South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Lorenzana noted the Philippines’ own war exercises – mostly with the United States – were all done within the Philippines’ territorial waters.

He said China remains to be the most aggressive among claimants in the South China Sea, and there has been an increase in incursions and harassment perpetrated by its military and civilian vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Some 20 cases of harassment by Chinese military and commercial vessels targeting Philippine forces and civilian fishermen in the West Philippine Sea have been recorded from August last year to early this year.

Locsin said China issued navigation notice on June 27 concerning the conduct of military exercises by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the South China Sea, particularly in waters off Paracel Islands.

For this period, Locsin said, no vessel shall be allowed to navigate within the prescribed area and all vessels shall have to follow the guidance of the commanding Chinese ship on site.

“My first reaction was to check the coordinates in the Navigation Notice. My standing instruction to the Department of Foreign Affairs is that countries, which for now lack the puissance to respond appropriately to challenges to their territorial integrity, must aim for accuracy in law and in geography,” the DFA chief said in a video statement released by the DFA.

“The Chinese naval military exercises, if they stick to their coordinates, do not impinge on Philippine territory. These exercises are taking place in waters off Xisha Islands – the Paracels – over which Vietnam claims sovereignty,” he said.

“Should the exercises spill over to Philippine territory, then China is forewarned that it will be met with the severest response, diplomatic and whatever else is appropriate,” Locsin said.

Locsin said as of this time the Philippines would like to think that the simulated military exercises would be more in keeping with the spirit of friendly cooperation that China has encouraged everyone to take.

“On the practical side, there are the open seas. Unless again the purpose is to establish a perennial and unchallenged presence that may in time congeal into right. To be sure China is just as entitled, as any other power, to invoke freedom of navigation in its military exercises,” he said.

He said the Philippines would continue to look at China as its nearest and biggest trading partner.

Locsin, however, ended his statement with a call on the “erring parties to refrain from escalating tension and abide by the responsibilities under international law, notably UNCLOS or United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

“We urge them to adhere to the rule of law and their commitments to international instruments such as the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea, particularly the exercise of self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability especially in this pandemic,” he said.

The DFA had protested China’s establishment of two new districts in the South China Sea.

“We have previously protested the establishment of districts Xisha and Nansha under the administrative jurisdiction of Sansha City, noting that the creation of Sansha City is null and void ab initio for being devoid of basis in international law,” Locsin said.