Alleged Chinese presence on reef a thorn in Sino-ASEAN ties
Alleged Chinese presence on reef a thorn in Sino-ASEAN ties
By Martin Abbugao
MANILA (AFP): The alleged presence of Chinese troops on a reef claimed by Manila in the disputed Spratlys islands could have "very serious implications" for relations between Beijing and ASEAN nations, an analyst said Wednesday.
Noel Morada, of the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, said the move might also indicate the ascendancy of the military in China's internal power struggle, sparked by rumors of paramount leader Deng Xiaoping's ill health.
Philippines President Fidel Ramos said in a news conference Wednesday that he had photographs proving the presence of Chinese vessels and structures on the Panganiban Reef, which is claimed by Manila, but did not show the evidence.
He said the vessels appeared to be warships "because of what looked like armaments on the decks," adding that he would be lodging a formal diplomatic protest with Beijing soon.
In a statement, Chinese Embassy spokesman Deng Xijun admitted the existence of the buildings but said they were being used for shelter by Chinese fishermen.
China claims the entire Spratlys, a chain of islands in the South China Sea also claimed in whole or in part by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Ramos said Manila "views these actions taken by elements identified with the People's Republic of China as inconsistent with international law and the spirit and intent of the 1992 Manila ASEAN declaration on the South China Sea."
Under the declaration, all claimants vowed to refrain from destabilizing the region, although every one except Brunei has troops on the islands.
Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. Vietnam is a prospective member.
Morada said China's move had "very serious implications" not only on Philippine-China ties but also on ASEAN-Beijing relations and suggested that Manila should raise the issue in the ASEAN Regional Forum.
"ASEAN should interpret this as a serious violation of the Manila declaration," Morada said.
He told AFP that "ASEAN countries should begin to be wary of China's intentions in the region" because "this indicates how serious China is in its determination to have a hold on this part of the South China Sea."
Morada also pointed out that the Chinese moves come amid a warming of ties between ASEAN and Vietnam, whose foreign minister had just visited the Philippines last week and discussed possible joint marine research in the Spratlys.
Morada said that the move could indicate that the military was gaining ground in Beijing's complex internal power-plays.
"We are not certain about whether this has the official backing of the government in Beijing. It could be an independent action by the military," he added.
He suggested that while Manila should file a diplomatic protest, since it cannot confront Beijing militarily, it should also marshall support from the rest of ASEAN to support its stand.
"The Chinese might just be testing the reaction of the Philippines and of ASEAN," he said, adding that China may have picked the Philippines because it has the weakest air force and navy among all the claimants.
It took Manila several days to confirm the presence of the Chinese ships and structures through air and sea reconnaissance because of its dilapidated fleet. Ramos said this should encourage the Philippine congress to pass a long-pending bill aimed at modernizing the armed forces.