PH Embassy rejects China accusation vs Amb. Romualdez

The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC on Monday belied China’s remarks calling Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez a mouthpiece for “another country” and for spreading false information against Beijing on its claims in the disputed South China Sea.

In a statement sent to GMA News Online, the Philippine embassy maintained that Romualdez’s remarks last week at a diplomatic forum on the developments in the South China Sea “have been consistent with the position expressed by the Philippine Government’s highest officials, particularly regarding the threat posed by unlawful, aggressive and provocative actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia against Philippine vessels and personnel and Filipino fishermen.”

“The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. rejects the recent remarks made by the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez,” it said.

“Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez is not a mouthpiece for ‘another country’ nor is he spreading erroneous ‘ China threat’ and ‘Sinophobia’ remarks.”

Romualdez, who spoke before Filipino and foreign diplomats, said the long-raging disputes in the South China Sea is Asia’s “real flashpoint” for a major armed conflict, adding it is the “most difficult challenge” Manila has faced since World War II.

While there were global concerns raised on a possible invasion of Taiwan by China, the volatile situation in the waters — where a series of tense confrontations in recent months have occurred between Philippine and Chinese government vessels — is considered more alarming and could have disastrous consequences to the world, he said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila accused Romualdez of stirring up trouble in the South China Sea and called on the envoy to “stop spreading erroneous information.” 

China claims the waters nearly in its entirety and has ignored a 2016 international arbitral ruling that denigrated its massive ownership to the resource-rich sea.

A vital trading and shipping lane, the South China Sea, dotted with rocks, shoals and reefs where rich oil and mineral deposits were found, are claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Parts of the waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone have been renamed West Philippine Sea by Manila.

“As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China plays a major role in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world. China has always been committed to properly handling the South China Sea disputes with relevant parties through dialogue and consultation, while firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” the Chinese Embassy said on Sunday.

Heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, considered by Beijing as its renegade province and which separated from the mainland since 1949, is a key concern, Romualdez had said at the forum hosted by the Consular Corps of the Philippines.

However, he said he believes that a Chinese takeover is a calculated risk and that President Xi Jinping “is not going to make a move unless he is absolutely sure that he can militarily take over Taiwan.”

“Deterrence is the only way to stop them from going into that kind of situation. So we’re hoping that every morning when President Xi wakes up he’s going to say – today’s not the day,” the envoy said at a forum.

On the other hand, several near-collisions with Chinese ships and other dangerous maneuvers, including a laser-pointing incident, by its coast guard against Filipino vessels have frequently occurred during routine resupply missions and patrols to Philippine-claimed features in the resource-rich waters, sparking concerns among several Asian and Western states, such as the US, European Union, Australia and Japan.

“Conflating Philippine efforts to defend its territorial and maritime entitlements with serving the interests of another country negates the Philippines’ legitimate rights and interests to protect and defend our nation’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, and the Philippine Government will not stand for it,” the Philippine Embassy said.

China has repeatedly said its ownership of nearly the entire South China Sea is “indisputable” despite a 2016 international ruling that invalidated its claims.

The Philippines, the Philippine embassy said, “is consistently committed to an international rules-based order, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award.”

Manila, it added, “will continue to work closely with likeminded partners in this regard.” —KBK, GMA Integrated News