By Adrian H. Halili and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporters
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrolled near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Sunday, where it spotted Chinese vessels and ordered them to leave amid what it described as China’s “excessive maritime claims” in the waterway.
In a statement, Manila’s coast guard said that its patrol ship BRP Cabra shadowed two Chinese coast guard vessels about 26 nautical miles (48.15 kilometers) east of Scarborough, a vast fishing lagoon that lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and was seized by China in 2012 following a standoff with Philippine forces.
The 44-meter Philippine ship followed and repeatedly issued radio challenges to 134-meter and 111-meter Chinese patrol vessels, citing violations against the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the 2016 arbitral ruling by a United Nations-backed court that PCG said “invalidated China’s excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.
The PCG “will continue routine and legitimate patrols to protect national sovereignty and prevent the normalization of unlawful Chinese presence,” it said, adding that its patrols are aimed at asserting Philippine sovereignty peacefully without raising tensions.
Scarborough, named Panatag by Manila and called Huangyan Dao by China, has been at the center of renewed tensions between the countries that lay competing claims over features in the South China Sea, where trillions of dollars’ worth of trade passes through annually.
In September, China approved the creation of a 3,500-hectare reserve at the northeast rim of Scarborough Shoal, which it said is intended to preserve the ecological diversity of one of the most contested areas in the strategic waterway.
This followed the Philippines’ fresh push for the South China Sea code of conduct (CoC), with the Department of Foreign Affairs saying the country will pursue the code once the country assumes chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.
SEA CODEThe Philippines’ goal of completing the CoC could be achievable if it strengthens consensus among ASEAN member states, analysts said.
“The goal is achievable for as long as the parties involved will be satisfied enough with the provisions of the proposed agreement,” Josue Raphael J. Cortez, diplomacy lecturer at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, said in a Messenger chat.
The lack of political will and consensus continues to hamper progress in finalizing the binding agreement between the regional bloc and Beijing, Mr. Cortez said.
“Both aforementioned challenges can be effectively dealt with through constructive dialogue and continuous negotiations,” he added.
He added that if the regional bloc is still keen on maintaining economic ties with China, then it should view the agreement not as a political maneuver, “but as key to lasting peace and order.”
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at Ateneo de Manila University, said that the CoC should ensure that it would create the foundation for future stability in the Philippines and the region
“The current challenge of its achievement is ensuring all ASEAN stakeholders are interested in doing so,” he said in a Messenger chat.
“Whether we like it or not ASEAN remains intractable due to the hedging tendencies of our neighbors, not to mention mainland SEA’s vulnerability to Chinese economic influence,” he said.
The ASEAN and China agreed to craft a binding code of conduct in 2002, however, progress toward a binding framework has been repeatedly delayed by legal, political and strategic differences.
“Pushing for the CoC seems to be as much as a norm-building approach as much as it is a pragmatic stopgap to China’s unwillingness to abide regional and global governance structures it does not control,” Mr. Juliano said
Manila hopes to finalize the agreement amid increasing tensions in the South China Sea due to Beijing’s repeated confrontations with Philippine vessels in the area.
Benilde’s Mr. Cortez said that the code is an important safeguard to avoid future skirmishes that would impede bilateral ties and regional order.
“The very reason why the Philippines clamor for it is that its nature sets it apart from the preceding agreements which lacked the ‘teeth’ in terms of implementation,” he added.
He said that the agreement should also include provisions to ensure compliance and adherence of the signatories, “which are vital in ascertaining that the agreement will function the way it is envisioned,” Mr. Cortez said.
The Philippines is scheduled to host ASEAN’s annual summit in 2026, a year earlier than scheduled, after Myanmar gave up its turn due to political unrest. Manila is expected to put the South China Sea disputes high on the agenda.
