Palace ‘bothered’ by Chinese tourists in disputed areas

In this Jan. 6 photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, a China Southern Airlines jetliner lands at the airfield on Fiery Cross Reef, known as Yongshu Reef in Chinese, in the Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in Chinese, of the South China Sea. AP

Malacañang Palace on Tuesday expressed worry over the reported presence of Chinese tourists in the disputed areas of the resource-rich West Philippine Sea.

But Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said Philippine authorities, particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs, were monitoring recent developments in the region.

Chinese news media Shanghaiist reported on Sunday that the first batch of Chinese tourists arrived at the Fiery Cross Reef at the South China Sea after the Chinese government allowed two civil airlines to land on the island “to test if the runway complied with civil aviation standard.”

“Hindi lang naman Pilipinas, kundi ang maraming bansa ang nagpahayag na ng kanilang pagkabahala sa mga kaganapang iyan … Hindi lamang ang Pilipinas ang nagbabantay sa sitwasyon,” Coloma said in a press briefing when asked if the Philippine government was alarmed with such activities.

“Ang pinakamahalaga pa rin ay ’yung pagtaguyod natin sa mga batayang prinsipyo na nakasaad doon sa Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, na nilagdaan mismo ng China at ng mga ng miyembro ng Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) at ‘yung Code of Conduct on the South China Sea o West Philippine Sea; at ‘yung patuloy nating pagtataguyod sa mga prinsipyo ng freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight,” he added.

Coloma said he was holding on to the commitment of China to US President Barack Obama during the Asean meet in Malaysia that it would not conduct militarization in the reclaimed areas.

“So iyan ang pinagbabatayan ng posisyon ng ating bansa at ‘yung ating patuloy na pagtataguyod sa mapayapang at madiplomatikong resolusyon ng mga disputes regarding maritime entitlements in the West Philippines Sea,” he said.

The Shanghaiist report added that photos of flight attendants posing for pictures at one of the newly built airstrips on the artificial island made the rounds on social media. RC