Philippines warns China of undermining regional peace in South China Sea, West Philippine Sea

Following the strong opposition from China over the recently held trilateral summit between Japan, US and the Philippines, Manila warned China for the excessive maritime claims and aggressive behaviour, including its militarization of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines Foreign Ministry said in an official statement on Thursday said that participating in the summit was its ‘sovereign choice’ and was aimed at strengthening and promoting peace, stability and economic propsperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

“It is the sovereign choice and decision of the Philippines to strengthen its alliance with the United States and strategic partnership with Japan, in accordance with our national interests and in line with our independent foreign policy. Our actions are in line with international law and complement our commitments in other regional and multilateral forums,” the Philippines Foreign Ministry said in an official statement on Thursday.

“Trilateral cooperation is a partnership and a cooperative framework for the promotion of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. It is an admirable aspiration that should not be considered a threat by any peace-loving country,” the statement said.

The statement underscored that the summit, which was held on April 11, provided all three nations the opportunity to build upon their robust bilateral relations, expand their economic cooperation and support for Philippine development goals.

“The trilateral initiative responds to the Philippines’ development needs, in line with President Marcos’ socioeconomic agenda and economic diplomacy objectives. It will deliver valuable capacity-building support for priority economic sectors, including infrastructure, and critical and emerging technologies,” the statement added.

The Philippines also warned China to reflect on its actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea and blamed Beijing for tensions in the region.

“The source of tension in our region is well known to all. China should reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea. It is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behaviour, including its militarization of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability and raising tensions,” it said.

The United States’ defence commitments to Japan and the Philippines are “ironclad,” US President Joe Biden said on April 11 as he hosted the first-ever trilateral summit between the three countries, welcoming Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House a day after the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, CNN reported.

The US-Japan-Philippines trilateral comes after the creation of groupings in the Indo-Pacific, starting with the Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS, consisting of Australia, the US and the UK, amid increasing concerns over China’s military muscle-flexing in the region.