Philippines vs. Chinese expansionism

The tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is caused by Beijing’s military and naval presence in the waters which are part of Philippine territory. Early this month, a Chinese Coast Guard ship directed a laser at the Philippine vessel BRP Malapascua. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, this incident caused “temporary blindness to the crew at the bridge.” This incident happened at the Ayungin Shoal which is partially Philippine controlled.

Australia and Canada have in the past accused Chinese naval vessels of directing a laser at their military aircraft. According to military and coast guard officials, targeting ships with laser can undermine safety.

This latest confrontation between the Philippine and Chinese naval vessels shows such confrontation has increased in frequency. According to the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative, a research group, China’s Coast Guard patrolled the Ayungin Shoal for 279 days last year, which is an increase from the 232 days of patrolling in 2021.

The China Coast Guard has become more assertive after Beijing authorized it to fire on all foreign ships in these disputed waters. Again, I should point out that the Ayungin Shoal is not considered disputed waters by the Philippines. In the 2016 arbitration ruling, the Philippine claim was upheld that this is part of the Philippines’ sovereign territory. In spite of this, the Chinese vessels have repeatedly been shadowing or blocking Philippine Coast Guard vessels near the Ayungin Shoal.

The Philippines has a naval outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre which was deliberately run aground on the Ayungin Shoal in 1999.  This has become the Philippine naval outpost in that area. The BRP Malapascua was supporting a rotation of sailors and resupply for the BRP Sierra Madre when it was targeted by Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

In a public statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said, “The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships is a blatant disregard for and a clear violation of Philippine sovereign rights.”

The Philippines is not the only country that is experiencing Chinese aggression. The Chinese patrols have also been seen around the Vanguard Bank where Vietnam is exploring for oil. China has asked that the confrontations and maritime tensions should be handled with friendly consultations. The problem with this approach is that China has occupied Philippine territory and considers Philippine vessels and fishermen as intruders in these occupied areas which are actually part of Philippine territory.

The Philippine government has stated that it wants to maintain stable relations with China without inflaming tensions in the West Philippine Sea more than its present level. Unfortunately, it seems that the only way China will accept reducing tensions is if the Philippines surrenders its sovereign rights to this area, which is considered Philippine territory by international law.

The Philippine government is choosing whether to surrender these territories to Chinese invasion or seek the help of other countries which are also concerned about China’s expansionism. This is the reason for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States.

Recently, Japan has agreed to provide ships and training to the Philippine Coast Guard.  It is also seeking a reciprocal military access agreement with the Philippines. This will enable the two countries to participate in each other’s naval and military exercises.

The Philippine government must face hard choices. In order to reduce tensions, it must surrender its sovereignty over these contested territories. If it wants to protect the country’s waters and allow its fishermen the freedom to make a living in these waters, it must seek allies that will assist in containing Chinese aggression and expansionism in the West Philippine Sea.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has shown that the possibility of a non-nuclear war has dramatically increased. There was a time when people thought that there would be very limited threats to an all-out war because of the fear of a nuclear war. This has now been proven to be baseless.

The possibility therefore of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan without the risk of a nuclear war has now increased. In the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, it is clear that the Chinese bases in the Philippine sea will be used to assist in this invasion. Unless we are prepared to surrender sovereignty, we will see the prospect of Philippine territory being used as part of the effort to conquer Taiwan.

In this struggle against Chinese aggression, there is no clear path for the Philippines that will assure Philippine neutrality.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]