China said Monday it welcomed Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s order pulling out two ships from a disputed shoal and expressed hope it would calm tensions.
“The Chinese side has been urging the Philippine side to take measures to de-escalate the situation,” Chinese embassy spokesman Zhang Hua said in a statement.
“We have noticed the withdrawal of government vessels by the Philippine side, and hope this action will help ease the tension.”
Philippine Foreign Department spokesman Raul Hernandez said Aquino ordered the vessels to leave the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Friday night as passing tropical storm Gutchol dumped heavy rains across large parts of the Philippines.
Hernandez stressed this did not mean the country was giving up on the shoal but he would not say if any Philippine ships would be returning after the weather improved.
He said both China and the Philippines had agreed to pull its ships out of a lagoon of the shoal, but there was no accord to withdraw from the area permanently.
He added that as of the last count on Thursday, there were still seven Chinese ships at the shoal.
A statement on the Chinese embassy’s website Monday meanwhile said Beijing had deployed a vessel to help its fishermen pull out of the shoal as well due to bad weather and a strong tide.
The Philippine vessels had been posted in Scarborough Shoal, which the Chinese call Huangyan Island, over the past two months amid a tense territorial standoff.
A larger number of Chinese maritime patrol vessels as well as fishing boats were also in the area, according to the Philippines, though both sides imposed unilateral fishing bans in the area during the dispute.
The dispute began after Chinese government vessels blocked Philippine ships from arresting Chinese fishermen near the shoal on April 10.
Since then, both countries have maintained ships there to press their respective claims to the area.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coasts of neighbouring countries. The Philippines says the shoal is well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
The Philippines and Vietnam have in recent years accused China of becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claim.
The shoal sits about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. The nearest major Chinese landmass is 1,200 kilometres northwest of the shoal, according to Philippine navy maps.
‘Pullout Won’t Affect Phl Claim’
The pullout of Philippine ships from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal would not weaken the country’s claim over the disputed area, the Department of National Defense (DND) said yesterday.
“If the concern is looking into the area, there are other ways of monitoring,” DND spokesman Peter Galvez said. “It will not weaken our claim.”
Galvez said the safety of the people aboard the Philippine ships deployed to the shoal “is paramount.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said they would continue to work with the Coast Guard in monitoring the area despite the pullout.
It is not clear if the Philippine ships will return to the area when typhoon “Butchoy” is out of the country.
President Aquino on Friday directed two Philippine ships to pull out of Panatag due to the deteriorating weather.
Malacañang said the pullout of Philippine vessels from the disputed shoal was not upon China’s request, but was only aimed at keeping them out of harm’s way.
“The reason why there was a pullout was to ensure the safety of the BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) personnel and the Coast Guard,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
Valte though hinted improved weather conditions in the Panatag Shoal will make the government reassess the situation if Philippine vessels would be redeployed.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced the pullout following reports that typhoon “Butchoy” was gaining strength.
Philippine ships have been facing off with Chinese vessels since April 10, when Chinese maritime surveillance ships barred the Philippine Navy from arresting Chinese fishermen who had engaged in illegal fishing and harvesting of endangered marine species in the area.
The Philippines had protested the Chinese vessels’ action but China insisted it has sovereignty over the area. The DFA said China pulled out two of its maritime vessels while a BFAR vessel also left the shoal last June 5.
But about 20 Chinese fishing vessels remain. Eight Chinese maritime vessels were seen outside the shoal’s lagoon.
It is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone as provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to which China is a signatory.
Both China and the Philippines have supported peaceful means to resolve the standoff despite reports of bullying by Chinese ships of Filipino vessels and fishermen.
‘Undue Advantage’
Security officials who requested anonymity earlier expressed concerns that the pullout of Philippine ships would give “undue advantage” to China.
While there have been territorial issues over the West Philippine Sea, both countries can live peacefully by agreeing to disagree, P-Noy said.
“What we must do right now is to continue strengthening cooperation in the several areas that are proven to be mutually beneficial. And to continue working tirelessly to find the peaceful, diplomatic solution in the area in which we disagree,” Aquino said.
“The Chinese side values its traditional friendship with the Philippines and stands ready to work with the Philippine side to focus on the present while facing a long-term perspective, overcome difficulties and remove disturbances,” Ma said.
Quoting Hu Jintao, Beijing also extended its congratulations over the Philippines’ celebration of its 114th independence, and wanted a “lasting, sound development” of the diplomatic ties “on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.”
“We must continue this partnership. After all, while we do enjoy the success we have worked for, we are still confronted by a number of challenges. We need to stand together as we look toward the future,” Aquino said in his speech.
It was FFCCCII’s joint celebration of Independence Day, 37th anniversary of China-Philippines diplomatic relations, and the 11th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day.
Aquino reiterated his stand on the Spratlys row, noting that while there needs to be a diplomatic way of resolving the issue, the Philippines’ claim to the territory is backed by solid evidence, and that he has a mandate to protect the country’s interests.
“I know many here are concerned about the situation in the West Philippine Sea. Both the Philippines and China are exerting efforts to resolve the situation peacefully through diplomatic means,” he said.
“However, I must emphasize that I have taken an oath to defend the Constitution and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic,” Aquino said, justifying the country’s stand in protecting its territory.
“The extent of our territory and maritime zones are clearly defined by Philippine laws and international law, specifically the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said.
“As a member of the international community, we owe each other mutual respect of our respective sovereignty under international law,” Aquino said, calling on Beijing not to make moves that would increase tension in the region.
“Recently, we have gained momentum toward resolving this dispute and I think that China agrees that we must maintain this momentum,” he said.
“After all, our countries both recognize that peace and stability in the region will redound to benefits not only to us, but (also) to the rest of world. Consequently, tensions within it affect the entire global community,” Aquino said. – by Alexis Romero /MP
