Dispute over sovereign rights
Beijing threatens Manila with “firm response”
December 21, 2023, 12:26 p.m
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China and the Philippines have been fighting over territory in the South China Sea for years. At the beginning of December, the conflict intensified when a Chinese and a Filipino ship collided there. China’s foreign minister is now sending clear words to Manila.
The government in Beijing is tightening its tone in the dispute with the Philippines over sovereign rights in the South China Sea. “Relations between China and the Philippines are at a crossroads,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo, his ministry said. If the Philippines misjudges the situation around the disputed maritime areas or joins forces with “malicious” external forces, China will respond decisively and defend its rights.
Manalo spoke of an open and honest exchange with Wang. The background to the dispute is a conflict over so-called exclusive economic zones that has been going on for years. According to UN agreement, this defines the sea area up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. The respective coastal state has the sole right to economic use, such as fishing or the extraction of gas and oil beneath the seabed. Specifically, it’s about the Spratly Islands, over 100 widely scattered reefs, atolls and small islands. China claims the entire area as part of its national territory, the Philippines sees part of the Spratly Islands as its own territory. Other neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Taiwan are also demanding sovereign rights over the Spratly Islands.
Philippines wants to strengthen relations with the USA
On Wednesday, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro said no country in the world supports Chinese maritime claims. Given the situation, the Philippines is also seeking support in the region. The military leaders of the Philippines and Japan recently held talks on regional security issues, which also included alliances to deter aggression in the South China Sea, among other places. The situation has also worsened because President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has been in office since mid-2022, is seeking solidarity with the USA. Among other things, he expanded the US Army’s access to bases in the Philippines, which was criticized in Beijing.
The United States is also obliged by a 1951 treaty to defend the Philippines if it is attacked, including in the South China Sea. The last time there were confrontations was at the beginning of December, when the Chinese coast guard fired at and rammed Philippine supply ships with water cannons, according to information from Manila. The Filipino ships had the grounded “Sierra Madre” near Second Thomas Reef as their destination.
Filipino military personnel are stationed on the ship to maintain the territorial claim. The Second Thomas Shoal is part of the Spratly Islands. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal invalidated China’s claim in a case brought by the Philippines. However, the government in Beijing does not recognize the verdict. China has greatly expanded its presence throughout the South China Sea. Among other things, the People’s Republic has built artificial islands on reefs on which military bases have been built.