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.