Phl seeks win-win situation in shoal row with China
By Louella Desiderio and Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated May 18, 2012 12:00 AM
By Louella Desiderio and Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated May 18, 2012 12:00 AM
Phl seeks win-win situation in shoal row with China - The Philippine Star » News » HeadlinesMANILA, Philippines - The country will pursue a win-win situation with China amid claims of both countries on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, President Aquino said.
"We have not stopped having communication with them in trying to look for a win-win situation," Aquino told the business forum of the Joint Alumni Clubs of US Universities late Wednesday.
While the country intends to find a win-win scenario for both parties, Aquino said he would still pursue upholding and enforcement of laws.
"If it's clear that we have a 200-mile exclusive economic zone designated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and both of us are parties to it, is it too much to ask that our rights are respected by our neighbors, in the same token that we respect their rights?" he asked.
Aquino also said that he is not going to give up areas that belong to the country.
"I am not empowered to give up any of our territory," he said.
Aquino added the government intends to handle the matter diplomatically.
"We do not want to present a threat to them in any shape, manner, or form in terms of military action," he said.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, on the other hand, revealed the Philippines has more investments in China than China has in the Philippines
He said Philippine investments in China amount to nearly $3 billion as against China's investments in the Philippines amounting to less than $1.5 billion.
"We benefit from our relations with China just as China benefits from its relationships with us," Del Rosario told the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines on Wednesday.
Del Rosario said China, the Philippines' third largest trading partner, signed an agreement during President Aquino's state visit last year that both countries would work towards achieving $60 billion in two-way trade within a five-year period and 2 million inward visitors within five years.
"It was also agreed upon that the bilateral agenda would be moved forward in the most positive way, while the areas of contention such as the West Philippine Sea would be abstracted and dealt with separately," he added.
With Chinese investments in the country only half of Philippine investments in China, Del Rosario said Filipino businessmen will not be discouraged from investing there despite recent actions taken by the Chinese travel agencies suspending tour packages to the Philippines as tensions over the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) escalated.
China also impounded Philippine fruit exports suspected of carrying pests amid a tense standoff between the two countries over Panatag Shoal.
"I don't think that we should be discouraging our businessmen from investing in China. It's a good thing if they see how we do it here but what we're trying to do is at least equalize the amount of investments that go out and we're hoping that more Chinese investors will take an interest in the Philippines," Del Rosario said.
When asked if the suspension of tour packages to the Philippines, the reduction in flights, and the impounding of Philippine bananas are forms of pressure by China amid the maritime dispute, Del Rosario replied, "We'd like to believe it's not."
"We'd like to believe it's a technical issue," he said.
Economic pressure
Lawmakers warned the country's economy would be in danger if China continues to exert economic pressure on the Philippines, such as blocking banana imports and canceling tour packages.
Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco and Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas said the suspension of tour packages and the controls on fruit importations is "China's subtle warning versus Philippine on its vast economic arsenal."
They also urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to step up efforts to pave the way for the creation of a joint Philippine-China study commission, which would focus on finding mutually acceptable solutions to end the dispute in the Spratlys.
"The decision of Chinese travel agencies to suspend travel to the Philippines could be China's subtle warning that it does not even need its military to bring widespread economic destruction in the country," Haresco said.
He warned the suspension of tour packages to the country by Chinese travel agencies "could be the beginning of a larger and more sustained campaign to remind the Philippines and even the US that its economic arsenal is as devastating as its three-million strong People's Liberation Army."
He said the effect of the travel suspension would already deny the economy millions of dollars in potential tourism revenues and warned that Beijing might even go further by imposing a ban on Filipino overseas workers, including those working in Hong Kong and Macau.
Haresco said the only way to solve the problem in the Spratlys is through direct bilateral dialogue with China without discounting the possibility of entering into a joint exploration arrangement in the areas claimed by the Philippines.
While the US will always remain a valuable ally to the Philippines, dragging Washington into the Spratlys dispute "will do more harm than good" as this is being viewed as an indirect provocation by Beijing.
Tactical support
Malacañang, on the other hand, reiterated the presence of a US submarine in Subic had nothing to do with the Philippines' rift with China over the disputed Panatag shoal.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the US government made a request last April 3 – way before the April 10 standoff – that they be allowed to dock their submarine in the area.
"And so it (US request) was addressed to the Department of National Defense and the DND gave its approval on April 24. So, I don't need to answer or respond to the statements made by the Left," Lacierda explained.
Security officials earlier revealed the visit of submarine USS North Carolina (SSN-777) in Subic was a routine port call scheduled on April 3, before the standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels in Panatag shoal started. The US attack submarine surfaced last Sunday in Subic Bay.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said the visit of a US submarine in Subic violated the country's sovereignty.
in a statement, the CPP said the US is using the entire Philippines as a vast military base where it could dock its ships, land its fighter jets, fly its drones, conduct repairs and replenish supplies.
Filipino protesters led by former military rebel Nicanor Faeldon said they are planning to sail to Panatag as a show of support.
"They want to protest against the aggression being committed by China against our country, Faeldon's spokesman kit guerrero said.
He said at least two fishing vessels carrying faeldon's group were expected to arrive at the shoal later on Friday.
"They are intending to stay there at least three days and fish, if they are not prevented from doing so, Guerrero said, adding that planting a Philippine flag on the rock was also an option.
Fishermen from Batanes, Faeldon's home province, along with fishermen from Masinloc, Zambales would be joining Faeldon to fish in Panatag that China has included in its declared fishing holiday.
The Philippines has reminded China that the West Philippine Sea is not the sum total of their bilateral relations.
The Philippines remains a safe and a welcoming country even as tensions over the disputed islands escalated.
Last year, the Philippines experienced several intimidating Chinese incursions in the Recto Bank, an integral part of the country, which is 84 nautical miles and within the 200 exclusive economic zone (eez) and continental shelf of Palawan, and nearly 600 nautical miles from the nearest coastline of China.
When the Philippines protested the incursions, the Chinese government's response was that there could not be incursions since China had indisputable sovereignty over the entire South China Sea on the basis of their nine-dash line concept.
"The nine-dash concept of China, which we believe has no basis, has been protested in the un by Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Additionally, Singapore has publicly asked that China explain and clarify its nine-dash position," he said.
The dispute has shifted from the north of Recto Bank to Panatag Shoal, which is 124 nautical miles from Zambales and over 450 nautical miles from the nearest coastline of China.
"Chinese fishermen had been blatantly destroying bio-diversity there by harvesting large volumes of endangered species. this is a gross violation of our fisheries code and of the international convention governing the trading of endangered species," Del Rosario said.
Chinese maritime surveillance vessels prevented the Philippines from enforcing its laws and had demanded that the Philippines Exit from its EEZ.
"Your government had no choice except to take a stand to protect our sovereignty and sovereign rights. at the same time, since the West Philippine Sea is a main thoroughfare for international trade with as many as 50,000 ships traversing the area annually, it is our belief that other nations should be concerned over the potential threats to freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce," he stressed.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, the European Union (EU) and the United States have taken the position that China and the Philippines should validate their respective claims in accordance with international law, including unclos.
"The stand-off which ensued remains until this time. It is our belief that through continuing consultations, the crisis there could be defused peacefully," Del Rosario said.
"As the President has stated, we welcome China's emergence as a stable, peaceful, prosperous, and responsible nation. We would like to put the stand-off behind us and look forward to a positive relationship with China."
Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said the Philippines is gaining international respect and support for its unyielding stand against China in claiming Panatag.
Golez, a former national security adviser and vice chairman of the house committee on national defense and security, said the stand-off "is being watched by the whole world and is demonstrating the country's strong and steadfast rules-based foreign policy that does not cave in the face of economic pressures and veiled military threats."
"This extended stand-off, with the Philippines not buckling down against the world's second most powerful country, is gaining for us international respectability and moral support," Golez said.
He warned Filipinos espousing contrary views "to keep their opinions to themselves and not air them publicly, as the propagandists of the other side could exploit or are now exploiting them to their advantage and against our national interest."
"If they feel they have a good opinion on the legal and geopolitical aspects of this stand-off, they should convey it to the President or his state diplomacy team and not make their contrary views public," Golez said.
Golez said this temporary adversity, however long it takes, has an upside.
"It (stand-off) is a unifying and rallying force. even Filipino groups outside the country have mobilized themselves in support of our cause," he said.
"It's also a wake up call, that the economy is linked to security and vice versa," Golez said.
Stay on the line
China has demanded manila not take measures in the political and legal aspects, saying it will escalate and complicate the situation.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in a press conference in Beijing on Monday that the Philippines should adhere to "diplomatic negotiations" to resolve the standoff.
"In particular, diplomatic negotiations should be adhered to in resolving the current situation, rather than continuing to incite public opinion and send contradictory messages," Hong said. – Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla, Mayen Jaymalin, Jaime Laude, Czeriza Valencia, Alexis Romero, Celso Amo