A threat, then a bribe?

While everyone’s attention is on the campaigns of candidates in various positions as well as the war in Ukraine, China seems to have stepped up bullying of our ships in our waters. An incident last March 2 occurred where a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship came too close to a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship near Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. The approach of the CCG ship was dangerous and seemed to intimidate our coast guard. According to the PCG, this is a violation of the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS). But when did rules stop China?

In the northwestern part of the country in the waters near Vigan, Ilocos Sur, a CCG ship seemed to shadow R/V Legend surveying the undersea fault lines from March 25 to 30. Filipino and Taiwanese scientists are on board the R/V Legend. The CCG ship seemed to be closely monitoring what the research vessel was doing. The scientists were operating well within our exclusive economic zone which China does not respect.

Recently, President Xi Jinping said regional security would not be achieved through military alliances with other countries. This is referring to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the country and the US. American warships have recently increased their freedom of navigation activities. In the same phone call, Jinping said China would increase investments as well as the purchase of Filipino products. Is this a threat, then a bribe?

President Rodrigo Duterte's term will end in less than two months. It remains to be seen who the country’s next president will be and how that administration will deal with China after Duterte embraced it. China’s illegal entries into our waters and intimidation of ships, be it military or civilian as well as our fishermen, continues to this day despite numerous diplomatic protests China seems to treat as garbage. The US declared China's militarization of three artificial islands in the South China Sea as well as its claim to almost the entire ocean is unacceptable and presents problems in security. Only when a new president has been elected will we know what direction its administration will take regarding relations with China as well as territorial issues. What is clear is China's stand on the sovereignty and ownership of more than 90% of the South China Sea is non-negotiable. This makes the MDT more relevant to our national security as well as our claims. Scrapping the MDT just to please China is not in the best interest of the country.