China fears PH may build structures in Ayungin Shoal
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Chinese Ambassador talking about the Ayungin Shoal issue in an informal talk in Camp Aguinaldo.
By Alexis Romero, The Philippine Star
05/30/2013 | 05/30/2013
MANILA, Philippines - China has expressed concern that the Philippines might build structures in Ayungin Shoal, an area well within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
China, which has set up structures in areas it is claiming in the West Philippine Sea, raised the issue during an informal talk between Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City yesterday.
Gazmin assured the ambassador that the government is sending ships to the shoal to deliver supplies to soldiers monitoring the area.
“They were concerned that the Philippines is coming up with structures, additional structures in the Ayungin Shoal,” the defense chief told reporters.
“I told her that the ship that is moving toward Ayungin Shoal is only for provisions of food and water for soldiers who are there,” he added.
In an apparent effort to defuse tensions, the Philippines assured China that it has no plans to build infrastructure on Ayungin Shoal.
“The ships are also for the rotation of troops. We cannot place people there permanently. They’ll go insane,” Gazmin said.
Chinese envoy initiated the talk
Ma evaded questions about West Philippine Sea issues, saying that her talk with Gazmin was mainly about friendly relations between China and the Philippines.
“We also talked about the balanced relations. I think China is ready to develop cooperation and very good exchanges between the two sides because this year is the year of friendly exchanges between our two countries,” she said.
When asked whether they talked about the Philippines’ diplomatic protest against China, Ma said: “Sorry, I really have to go. See you later.”
Ma was the one who initiated the informal talk with Gazmin, which lasted about 10 minutes. She sought an audience with Gazmin on the sidelines of the celebration of the Peacekeepers Day at Camp Aguinaldo.
Gazmin ushered her to a corner of the Armed Forces Commissioned Officers Club.
“I’d like to talk to the secretary. I have a message for him,” Ma was quoted by a source as saying.
Nobody heard the conversation between Gazmin and Ma, who both appeared serious. They, however, were seen smiling at each other as they parted.
Ayungin Shoal is 105.77 nautical miles from Palawan and is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
It is part of the Kalayaan Island Group off Palawan and one of the areas occupied by the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.
On May 10, the Philippines filed a protest against China for its illegal deployment of vessels around Ayungin Shoal.
The protest decried the provocative presence of two Chinese maritime surveillance vessels and one warship in the area, which violated international law.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea while the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the area.
Chinese strategy
China is now employing tactics lifted from “Go,” an ancient Chinese board game, to restrict and isolate all Filipino troops deployed in the disputed Spratlys.
In the board game, two players, using white and black pieces or “stones,” alternately move their respective pieces until their opponent is left with no more room to maneuver as his position has been completely encircled.
“What is happening there now is akin to the Philippines and China employing their respective strategies. A simple analogy to this is that China is playing the game Go to surround the opponent’s pieces until we are deprived of any moves out there,” said a former naval officer who requested anonymity.
Unfortunately, he said while China is employing an ancient strategy to have total domination over South China Sea, the Philippines continues to pursue a different tack.
“Unfortunately for us, we look at it as either a game of chess or checkers. Our strategy is not appropriate to check the Chinese strategy,” he said.
He warned that if China continues its game, it may eventually isolate Filipino troops to the point that the military may find it difficult to conduct troop rotation and resupply operations in the islands occupied by Filipino forces in the area.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano said yesterday that despite the presence of these Chinese vessels, the Philippine Navy is not backing down from its mandate as force provider in the region.
Alano also assured the troops deployed in Ayungin Shoal on board the Navy’s logistic ship BRP Sierra Madre – which ran aground in the area years ago – that they will continue to receive their supplies and other needs.
“We have agreed among ourselves (Spratlys claimant countries) to have a status quo that reprovisioning for all troops who have long been deployed in the region will not be hampered. We need to have the reprovisioning to be able to sustain our people that are deployed in the West Philippine Sea,” Alano said.
Alano also said the mere presence of the Navy ship in Ayungin further bolstered the country’s territorial claim over the area, not to mention that the place is very close to Palawan and well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. – With Jaime Laude, Michelle Zoleta
China fears PH may build structures in Ayungin Shoal | ABS-CBN News
China cannot be trusted. They act like the peacemakers in front of cameras but behind they are traitors and selfish land grabber.
