The offices of Japan and China in Manila engaged in a possibly extraordinary linguistic fight over the most recent developments in the South China Sea as evidence of the Philippines’ growing value as an important tactical front range for big powers.
Koshikawa Kazuhiko, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, raised red flags over reports that Chinese forces had caused significant economic harm across disputed waters.
Numerous Chinese militia ships, according to Spanish authorities, caused” extensive” and” serious damage” to coral reefs and the marine environment in the ocean of the Rozul and Escoda dunes on the Spratly group of islands.
The accusations were made just days after the Philippines accused China of” dangerous tactics” against its supplies expeditions to the Second Thomas Shoal, where a Filipino marine detachment is stationed on the Sierra Madre, which is grounded. & nbsp,
The Chinese minister to Manila said: On the software then renamed X( previously known as Twitter )
alarming reports all around. Our planet’s essence is our oceans, and coral reefs are its vibrant breaths. This protect and safeguard these essential communities for future generations.
The Chinese Embassy quickly responded, accusing Tokyo of” disinformation” while focusing on the author’s recent launch of contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear plant. In addition, & nbsp,
But, Manila and its supporters are looking into more drastic steps in the South China Sea in addition to verbal conflicts with Beijing. The Philippines, building on its earlier mediation success against the Eastern powerhouse, is on the verge of bringing legal action against China before relevant international organizations. & nbsp,
potential US implementation
While this is going on, some American authorities are pushing for even more drastic measures, such as sending US troops to Thitu Island, which is occupied by the Philippines, and setting up joint Philippine-US ahead operating bases over contentious terrain like the Second Thomas Shoal. & nbsp,
The South China Sea sea tensions have only gotten worse since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘ s state visit to Beijing in January, with both factors adopting an exceedingly unyielding position. & nbsp,
Manila has aggressively scaled back its defense cooperation with Western allies, while Beijing has tightened the noose around Philippine vessels and Philippine-held land features in the disputed areas, most recently releasing a new” 10 – dash-line” map. & nbsp,
Importantly, Manila even adopted a forceful people politics strategy by, among other things, actively exposing alleged Chinese forces harassment and violations of international law in Philippine waters. & nbsp,
The Philippine Coast Guard ( PCG ), which has diligently made footage of its most recent encounters with Chinese counterparts public, reported on Monday that 33 ( August 9 ) and 15 ( September 11 ) Chinese Maritime Militia vessels had been spotted during patrols to the area near Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. In addition, & nbsp,
Following guards to the disputed places by the Coast Guard’s BRP Sindangan and CRP Cabra, PCG official Commodore Jay Tarriela stated in a speech that” the surveys conducted in Escoda Shoal revealed visible color of its ocean, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to change its natural geography.”
The maintenance of the maritime ecosystem in the area showed little to no signs of life, he continued, adding that the presence of crushed corals clearly suggests a possible action of dumping, perhaps involving the same dead coral that were recently processed and cleaned before being returned to the seafloor.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the UP Marine Science Institute, and other pertinent organizations gathered in response to integrate the Philippines’ response, along with the Department of National Defense and the departments of Environment and Natural Resources. & nbsp,
The first to announce the news was the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command, under the command of Vice-Admiral Albert Carlos, who issued a warning that” we saw that there were no more coral.” In the & nbsp, there was debris and damaged corals.
Legitimate action is taken into account
The prospects of international arbitration against China were seriously discussed by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General ( OSG ) in a significant move. & nbsp,
According to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra,” The OSG is currently conducting a thorough investigation into our lawful options with regard to the West Philippine Sea, including the registration of new complaints with the Permanent Court of Arbitration.” In addition, & nbsp,
In response to widespread public anger over China’s activities in Spanish waters, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla adopted an even more forceful position. & nbsp,
” We are advocating the processing of such lawsuits against those responsible for this heinous act, which is environmental death.” We think it’s possible. These situations against China will be pursued because it is no longer appropriate. We have a ton of facts, Remulla said, calling the actions of the Chinese army forces” a evil against humanity” and promising to bring the matter up as soon as possible with the presidential palace.
When Beijing’s expansive” nine-dash-line” claims in nearby waters were rejected by an arbitral tribunal at The Hague established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea( UNCLOS ), the Philippines defeated China in court in 2016. The Asian power was even criticized for its environmentally harmful reclamation efforts in the South China Sea. & nbsp,
Three years later, top Chinese leaders were accused of routinely violating the fundamental rights and livelihoods of Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea in a communication before the International Criminal Court ( ICC) by two former top officials, former Department of Foreign Affairs ( DFA ) secretary Albert del Rosario and former ombudsman and Supreme Court justice Conchita Carpio-Morales. & nbsp,
The two former officials described the” crimes against humanity” China allegedly committed against the Spanish people through” environmentally harmful and improper reclamations and artificial island creating activities” in their 17-page communication.
Authorities in Manila are once again considering new constitutional measures to denounce China’s activities, despite the ICC withdrawing from the situation and its ongoing dispute with the Marcos management over drug-related extrajudicial murders in the Philippines. & nbsp,
However, a number of American watchers have pushed for more drastic action under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. & nbsp,
In order to stop further Chinese assertiveness, Ray Powell, the director of a recently established maritime transparency imitative at Stanford University, proposed combined Philippine-US operations in disputed land features, apparently” civic actions.” & nbsp,
According to Blake Herzinger, another American defense analyst, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement ( EDCA) calls for the Philippines to create a new” permanent structure” over the contentious Second Thomas Shoal and, more importantly, to have it” manned by combined rotational forces from both the Philippine Navy and the US Marine Corps.” & nbsp,
Powell told this author that” the US was caught flat-footed by China’s aggression against its treaty ally [ Philippines ] at Scarborough Shoal in 2012, and then again by the audacious South China Sea artificial-island-building campaign that followed.” Powell agreed that the two allies should seriously consider making significant moves in the disputed areas, particularly over the Second Thomas Schoal. & nbsp,
Before the clock on the Sierra Madre ticks down to zero, Washington and Manila may be heavy in discussions to build their own strategy to raise or circumvent China’s blockade, he continued, alluding to the continuous decline of the based ship. & nbsp,
Philippine officials appear to be ambivalent about like proposals so much. On the one hand, China may have more justification for using more aggressive tactics with untold unintended consequences if there is a risk of & nbsp, unwelcome escalation. Others, on the other hand, are wary of ideas that might give the impression of a” lord advanced” or tactical paternalism. & nbsp,
Greg Poling, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies( CSIS ), advised this author that we should respect the Philippines’ strategic agency as well.
He said, referring to potential refurbishment and manning of new structures in features it already controls across the South China Sea,” Sure, allies should be helpful, but let’s not forget that Manila is more than capable of taking care of[ many of ] its own needs.” & nbsp,