The Philippines wants to be transparent with China after a series of maritime incidents between the two countries. On the sidelines of the 50th anniversary summit of relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo defended his government’s policy of public Chinese maneuvers in these contested waters of the South China Sea, like the recent passage of warships near the Scarborough Atoll.
“It’s simply a matter of trying to inform people of what is happening,” the minister told Agence France-Presse on Monday March 4. “If you stopped harassing us, and perhaps taking other actions, there would be no information to report,” added the head of Philippine diplomacy.
Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes in the South China Sea, through which billions of dollars of goods pass each year. Beijing claims almost the entire expanse of sea, including waters and islands near the coasts of several neighboring countries, and has ignored an international court’s ruling in 2016 rejecting the claim without legal basis.
“Peaceful resolution of disputes”
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim several reefs and islets in this sea, some areas of which could contain rich oil reserves.
Manila has tried to rally foreign countries, particularly in the region, to its cause, with mixed results. “The Philippines is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomatic or peaceful means,” Mr. Manalo said, while insisting that “this will not be to the detriment of our national interest.”
“We are reaching out to partners in countries who share our ideas and face similar issues and concerns,” he added.