The Philippine government does not feel threatened by the release of a video showing off China’s military assets and its preparations to go to war, nor does it see a connection of the video to Manila’s release of a three-part documentary where the Philippines staked its claim in the West Philippine Sea.
While the Philippines has no plans of producing more videos on the sea dispute, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is set to release this month a comic book on the West Philippine Sea as part of its campaign to educate Filipinos about the issue.
“We’re not threatened. We did not do anything to provoke them. In fact, we are committed to peaceful resolution and settlement of the dispute and one that is in accordance with international law,” DFA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said on Monday.
Jose said there was no need to be alarmed about the Chinese video because the Philippines does “recognize that China has the largest standing army in the world” as he reiterated the country’s commitment to the peaceful settlement of the dispute.
Statement enough
He said it was enough that the DFA came out with a statement on the almost five-minute Chinese video released recently on YouTube, which was meant to entice Chinese citizens to enlist in the People’s Liberation Army.
Asked if the video would raise tensions or violated the agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Declaration of Conduct (DOC) in the South China Sea, he said the purpose of the video was to recruit Chinese citizens to China’s military.
But he noted that if the sense was for China to go to war in relation to the South China Sea dispute, “that could escalate tensions.”
“So again we are calling on all parties and claimant countries to observe the provisions of the DOC, particularly the exercise of self-restraint and not do anything to raise tensions,” the DFA spokesman said.
Jose said he did not think the Chinese recruitment video had anything to do with the Philippine documentary on the West Philippine Sea because the latter showed nothing inflammatory about Manila and Beijing’s dispute.
No plans
“I think nothing about the (Philippine) documentary should face any concern,” he said.
The government also has no plans to produce more documentaries on the West Philippine Sea issue, according to Jose, who added that the DFA will release this month a Filipino version of a comic book on the issue.
“We are just finalizing it,” he said.
The DFA is also going around the country and educating students on the West Philippine Sea issue, having so far gone to eight of the 18 regions.