Philippine and Chinese diplomats have agreed to resume talks this month amid a series of “confrontations” in the West Philippine Sea.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo confirmed that China will host the next round of Bilateral Consultations Mechanism (BCM) in Beijing.
The talks will allow the two countries to tackle the thorny territorial issues related to the WPS/South China Sea. China and the Philippines alternately host the BCM talks which started in 2017. The last BCM was held in Manila on July 2.
Manalo did not provide other details but when asked if the BCM talks in Beijing would include the recent Chinese Coast Guard ramming of the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua in Sabina (Escoda) Shoal, he replied, “Hopefully.”
Sabina has emerged as a new site of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the tension-filled waters.
The Philippine Coast Guard deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua to Sabina on April 15 after Philippine authorities found crushed corals and other piled debris in the shallows of the uninhabited shoal that they said could be a sign of a Chinese plan to start the construction of a structure in the shoal.
Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad meanwhile said that the Philippines remains “undeterred” by the growing presence of Chinese ships in Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
“We should look at it as our intent to ensure that we will not be deterred by whatever challenges we face in the West Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said.
“It’s not just a list of numbers. It’s the messaging we send out,” he emphasized, citing the stark reality of a lone Philippine vessel standing strong amid 203 Chinese ships in the face of continued aggression from the China Coast Guard in Sabina Shoal.
Earlier, the Philippine Navy reported a significant increase in Chinese vessels in Sabina Shoal from August 20 to 26, with the number rising to 203.
Among those spotted were 71 vessels in Sabina (Escoda) Shoal, consisting of 53 Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels (CMMVs), nine China Coast Guard Vessels (CCGVs), and nine People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships.
Despite China’s provocations and escalation in the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad expressed optimism that the rules-based order will ultimately prevail, citing the “convergence of interests of like-minded navies and like-minded nations.”
Furthermore, Trinidad reaffirmed the Philippine Navy’s commitment to fully support the government’s efforts in addressing the ongoing issues in the West Philippine Sea.
This includes backing potential actions such as filing a new case against China, which Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo previously mentioned when asked about possible further steps the country may take after China vessel rammed BRP Teresa Magbanua in Sabina Shoal.
“The Philippine Navy will support all the moves of the government to ensure that our territory will remain intact, our sovereignty will remain, and the welfare of the Philippines will be protected,” Trinidad said.
“If there’s any support that the Navy or the AFP will give for whatever actions other agencies of government will do, we are prepared to support,” he added.
