China to PH: Provocations have consequences

By: Nestor Corrales - 11 years ago

The BRP Sierra Madre, a fleet marine detachment in Ayungin Shoal. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines—China on Monday warned the Philippines that it would face consequences for its provocative actions over the disputed Ayungin Shoal in the Spratly Island.

China was commenting on the 4,000-page written pleading of the Philippines before an international tribunal against China’s expansive claims over the West Philippine Sea and the trip by Filipino journalists Saturday over the disputed gas-rich shoal.

“The Philippine side will have to take the consequences caused by its provocative actions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told Chinese reporters in a press briefing.

China said the trip by Filipino journalists is further hyping up the maritime dispute between the two countries.

“The Philippines’ arrangement of the reporting trip to the waters off the Ren’ai Reef (Ayungin Shoal) just a day before its submission of the Memorial to the arbitral tribunal is a deliberately schemed activity with the purpose of further hyping up the issue of the Ren’ai Reef, building momentum for its promotion of the international arbitration and serving its attempt to illegally snatch the Ren’ai Reef which is China’s territory,” Hong said.

According to China, the Philippines’ willful pursuit of the international arbitration is to “cover up its illegal occupation of China’s territory and trouble-making in the South China Sea.”

“It is a political provocation by abusing international legal means,” he said adding China will by no means allow the Philippine side to seize the Ayungin Shoal in any form.

China also warned the United States (US), an ally of the Philippines, not to intervene on the maritime dispute.

“The US is not a party-concerned in the South China Sea disputes. It has on many occasions stated that it takes no position on issues concerning territorial sovereignty. We urge the US to honor its commitment and do more to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, rather than the opposite,” he said.

President Aquino on Monday said the government’s decision to pursue the arbitration case in a United Nations tribunal was not intended to provoke China but to defend Philippine territory peacefully.

The civilian ship was bringing supplies to Philippine soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre that has been grounded at the Ayungin Shoal, an area within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, but which China claims as its own.