MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday rejected calls to assign a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) attaché in Beijing.
In a tweet, Manila’s top diplomat said placing a Coast Guard attaché in China is tantamount to conceding sovereignty over Philippine coastal waters.
“PH Coast Guard wants [its] own attaché in Beijing Embassy. Flat NO,” Locsin said.
PH Coast Guard wants own attaché in Beijing Embassy. Flat NO. We have a Defense attaché for national defense issues. A separate Coast Guard attaché means we concede exclusive sovereignty over our coastal waters so they are now subject to discussion instead of automatic protest.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) August 25, 2020
“We have a Defense attaché for national defense issues. A separate Coast Guard attaché means we concede exclusive sovereignty over our coastal waters so they are now subject to discussion instead of automatic protest,” he added.
During a high-level meeting last January, both the PCG and the Chinese Coast Guard underscored the importance of designating a coast guard attaché to each other’s countries.
The two coast guards also agreed on an information exchange protocol, which will initially focus on combating maritime crime, as well as search and rescue.
A “hotline communication mechanism” and “communication protocol for engagement at sea between coast guards” will serve as a provisional operational arrangement between the two coast guards.
Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been practically occupying Scarborough Shoal to enforce its claims. They are also being used to provide protection for Chinese militia boats in the West Philippine Sea.
In 2019, it was reported that a Chinese Coast Guard ship blocked three Philippine civilian vessels on a resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
Just last week, the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest against China over its Coast Guard’s “illegal confiscation” of fish aggregating devices installed by Filipino fishermen in a Philippine-claimed shoal off Zambales.