RP scrambles jets over Chinese Spratly intrusion

RP scrambles jets over Chinese Spratly intrusion

MANILA (Agencies): The Philippines scrambled its aging jets
for patrol missions to the disputed Spratlys and demanded an
explanation from Beijing yesterday after armed Chinese ships were
seen near two Filipino-held islands, officials said.

Air Force F-5 jets have been flying sorties to the South China
Sea chain from their base in the western city of Puerto Princesa
since the three ships were spotted by reconnaissance aircraft
near the Kota and Panata islands Friday, the officials said.

The Philippine Foreign Department said it expected to hand a
diplomatic note to the Chinese embassy here later yesterday to
"call their attention to the reported intrusion" and to "seek an
explanation for what happened," spokesman Oscar Valenzuela told
AFP.

The armed forces reported to President Fidel Ramos Tuesday
that three "frigate-type" vessels, armed with deck guns, were
seen Friday "in the immediate vicinity" of the two islands which
are occupied by Philippine troops.

Ramos' chief aide, Executive Secretary Ruben Torres, told
reporters yesterday the president convened his Cabinet late
Tuesday and decided "to really file that protest with China."
"That's the strongest action we can make. We expect China's
response to such a protest," he said.

Torres said if the Chinese "can prove innocent passage, then
it's all right. If they are there to put up new structures,
that's a problem."

The military report had also cited the presence of a hut-like
structure on a previously unmanned Philippine-claimed reef "six
miles northeast of Kota," but Valenzuela said he was unsure if
this would be mentioned in the diplomatic note.

The Spratlys, which lie beside major sea lanes and are
believed to hold vast oil and mineral deposits, are claimed in
whole or in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Taiwan and Vietnam.

The palace released photographs of the ships taken by Air
Force reconnaissance aircraft late Tuesday.

Description

However, the military's description of the vessels, along with
the aerial photographs, indicated the craft were research and
survey vessels, and not frigates, according to the authoritative
Jane's Fighting Ships journal.

Manila's diplomatic note will also remind China of a code of
conduct in the Spratlys treaty, in which "both sides agreed not
to undertake any move in the area without notifying the other
side," Valenzuela said.

The two countries agreed on the code after an incident in 1995
when the Philippine side discovered China had erected manned
permanent structures on Mischief Reef, which is claimed by
Manila.

Meanwhile, Vietnam called for calm amid concern in the
Philippines over reports that Chinese warships had been spotted
near disputed islands.

A foreign ministry statement, issued in response to media
queries, said Vietnam had no new information on reports of an
apparent increase in Chinese military surveillance around the
Spratly islands.

But it called on regional claimants to the area not to
complicate matters by resorting to force. "Our basic standpoint
on this issue has been made clear," it said.

"During negotiations to reach a basic and long-term solution
it's necessary to maintain the status quo, not to make the
situation more complicated, and especially not to use force or
threaten to use force."