After maritime exercise with Allies and Partners, Philippines seeks South China Sea talks with PRC
Reuters
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for talks with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to prevent more incidents of Beijing’s vessels ramming and firing water cannons at Philippine boats in the South China Sea.
Manila is exhausting all options for discussions with the Chinese leadership to ease tensions in the waterway, Marcos said. He said he hoped his nation’s recent maritime exercise with Australia, Japan and the United States will reduce such incidents.
The large-scale exercise in the South China Sea came just days ahead of a trilateral summit in Washington, D.C., where Marcos, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden were expected to discuss security cooperation.
The inaugural four-nation maritime cooperative activity was conducted in early April in the West Philippine Sea, the portion of the South China Sea within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Six naval ships and four aircraft conducted a communication exercise, maneuvers and other drills, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“These activities were designed to enhance the different forces’ abilities to work together effectively in maritime scenarios,” the AFP stated.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said two Chinese naval ships were sighted during the exercise but did not attempt to block or otherwise prevent the activities.
Manila has accused PRC coast guard vessels of blocking and harassing Philippine resupply missions to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, within the Philippines’ EEZ.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the exercise demonstrated “our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. “uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law,” Kihara said in a statement by the nations’ defense ministers.
“Every country should be free to conduct lawful air and maritime operations,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated.
Information from Radio Free Asia was included in this report.
