Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, has debunked a statement from a Chinese institute claiming that the US-led militarization in the West Philippine Sea “will intensify in the coming years.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, December 24, Tarriela belied the claim, stating that escalating tensions in the West Philippines Sea are caused by the People’s Republic of China, not the United States.
Tarriela cited specific incidents placing blame on China for the ongoing tensions.
He mentioned the harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and a military-grade laser directed at a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, both of which violate international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“At the beginning of this year, President Marcos met with President Xi in Beijing. During their meeting, they agreed to resolve their differences through peaceful means and to promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. They also reached a consensus on peacefully resolving disputes based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” clarified Tarriela.
He continued, “However, in the same month, Filipino fishermen who were fishing in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) were harassed and driven away by the China Coast Guard, which violated international law. In February, the China Coast Guard directed a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard vessel inside the Philippine EEZ, also in violation of UNCLOS.”
The Chinese state media Global Times on X featured Wu Shicun, the president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), discussing the US-led militarization in the West Philippine Sea.
NISCSS serves as China’s propaganda arm for South China Sea issues.
Wu Shicun claimed that the US-led militarization would intensify, citing the construction and utilization of military bases in the Philippines and Southeast Asian countries.
“The US-led militarization in the South China Sea will intensify in then coming years. Since the beginning of this year, the situation in the South China Sea has become increasingly tense. Why? Firstly, look at the construction and utilization by the US in the South China Sea. In addition to the current five military bases in the Philippines, the US has recently added four more,” Shicun said.
Shicun asserted the possibility of additional bases in the future, highlighting that the US also deploys bases in other Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam.
Moreover, he claimed, “The US conducted over 30 open military operations and unaccountable covert operations in the South China Sea.”
Backing his statements with intelligence gathered by China, Shicun stated, “There were more than 1,000 sorties and seven instances of aircraft carrier strike groups entering the South China Sea last year. Furthermore, multilateral military security mechanisms, like the US-Philippines-Japan and the US-Philippines-Australia security mechanisms, have been established specifically to counter China’s influence in the South China Sea.”
In response, Tarriela asserted, “While the United States is an ally of the Philippines, it is not the root cause of the tensions.”
“The Chinese government should avoid confusion and learn to recognize that if they were only sincere in their words and chose not to bully other countries in the South China Sea, tensions would not be as high,” added Tarriela.
“Unless, of course, what China means by lowering tension is being submissive or not reacting to their bullying and aggressive actions.”
In a separate development, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a recent summit in California, delivered a stark message to President Joe Biden regarding the future of Taiwan.
Xi clarified China’s intention to reunify Taiwan with the mainland, emphasizing that the timing had not yet been decided.
Despite the strong language, Xi clarified China’s preference for a peaceful reunification rather than resorting to force, revealed three current and former U.S. officials. This revelation sheds light on the complex dynamics at play between the two global powers.
Xi also debunked speculations made by U.S. military leaders predicting a specific timeline for taking Taiwan, stating that such assumptions were erroneous as he had not set a timeframe.
The Daily Netizen 