China urges Philippines against US ‘manipulation' as Manila reiterates maritime claims

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – A day after a collision between two vessels at sea, China on Wednesday urged the Philippines against “manipulation” by the US as Manila doubled down on its maritime claims in the disputed South China Sea.

China “advises the US not to use the Philippines as a pawn to disrupt the situation in the South China Sea, and the Philippines should not allow itself to be manipulated by the US,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

“History teaches the lesson that countries acting as a pawn will ultimately become abandoned pieces,” Mao told reporters in Beijing.

However, Manila blamed Beijing for the maritime incident on Tuesday which damaged a Philippines Coast Guard ship and caused minor injuries to some of the Filipino crew.

China Coast Guard blocked Filipino supply missions to its grounded warship BRP Sierra Madre in the disputed waters on Tuesday.

“We have not added anything to our normal and routine … missions,” said the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides have lodged reciprocal diplomatic protests while Manila reiterated its claims over Ayungin Shoal as “part” of its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The two maritime neighbors have conflicting claims over the Second Thomas Shoal -- also known as Ayungin Shoal, Bai Co May, and Ren'ai Jiao -- which is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims vast maritime territory in the South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line, which The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration said in 2016, has no legal basis under international law.

China says the ruling is not valid and has been in negotiations with ASEAN since 2002 for a code of conduct for the disputed sea.

“Ayungin Shoal can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor is it capable of appropriation under international law,” said Manila.

In the wider Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines is the oldest ally of the US, which also condemned China over “provocative actions against lawful Philippine maritime operations.”

Washington extended support to Manila, saying the US “reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”

"The Ren’ai Jiao issue is a matter between China and the Philippines. The US or any third party has no right to intervene or use the issue to sow discord," said Mao in Beijing.

Mao said the US State Department's "statement on the South China Sea is a clear misrepresentation of facts."

"The responsibility for the recent incident in waters of Ren’ai Jiao lies completely with the Philippines," she added.

Speaking to reporters in Australia, the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., however, said he “does not” think China’s recent actions would be a reason to invoke the MDT with the US.

“However, we continue to view with great alarm these continuing dangerous maneuvers and dangerous actions that are being done against our seamen, our Coast Guard.

"And this time, they damaged cargo ship and caused some injury to some of our seamen and I think that we cannot view this anyway but in the most serious way,” Marcos told reporters before flying back to Manila from Melbourne, where he attended a special summit of ASEAN and Australia.