Speaking on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia summit in Melbourne, Mr Manalo defended his government’s policy of publicizing China’s maneuvers in disputed maritime territory, including the recent passing of warships near Scarborough Shoal.
“It’s just trying to inform people regarding what’s going on,” Manalo said. “For some countries, or at least one country, this is causing some difficulties.”
“But our simple explanation is that if you stopped hanging around us and maybe did other things, there would be no news to post,” he added.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos showed similar openness when he appeared at an event hosted by an Australian center for strategic studies later Monday night.
“We will never cede even a square inch of our territory and our maritime jurisdiction,” he said.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite claims by a string of other Southeast Asian states.
The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular group of reefs and rocks in the disputed South China Sea, became a “hot spot” in 2012 when China seized it from the Philippines.
“China’s position on the South China Sea issue is consistent and clear,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday in response to Mr. Manal’s comments. “The reason for the recent maritime problems is that the Philippines often takes provocative actions in the South China Sea that violate our rights.”
Focus on the US election
Philippine governments have attempted to rally international and regional support for their position, with mixed results.
“The Philippines is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomatic or peaceful means,” Manalo said. But he added that “this will not be done at the expense of the national interest.”
“We are reaching out to partners in like-minded countries with similar problems and similar concerns,” he said.
Still, Mr. Manalo acknowledged that there is at least a small question mark over the support of Washington, the Philippines’ most important security partner.
The Philippines and the United States are treaty allies, meaning that Washington has officially pledged to defend the Philippines in the event of a military conflict.
When asked regarding the US presidential election in November, in which current Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican ex-President Donald Trump will almost certainly compete, E. Manalo said that it is a topic of frequent debates behind closed doors.
“Of course, every country in the world is probably thinking regarding this. The United States is very important, it is a treaty ally of the Philippines. So obviously any differences or changes in US policy from the current policy would probably have some impact,” he said.
“At this stage, it is quite difficult to assess how it would turn out or what would turn out,” said the Philippine foreign minister.
“All I can say is that we are, of course, closely watching the election season in the United States, but I’ve talked to many of my colleagues in other countries and I think everyone is doing the same,” he said.
“So everyone’s attention will definitely be focused on this year’s elections,” added E. Manalo.
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2024-04-19 08:18:34
