Philippine solons Spratly trip may hurt ties—China

MANILA, Philippines—China’s embassy in the Philippines warned Tuesday that plans by five Filipino lawmakers to visit the disputed Spratly archipelago in the West Philippine Sea could damage bilateral ties.

The one-day trip scheduled for Wednesday goes against Philippine commitments to avoid raising tensions in the area, the Chinese embassy said.

“It… serves no purpose but to undermine peace and stability in the region and sabotage the China-Philippines relationship,” it said in a statement.

The visit comes amid increased tensions in the West Philippine Sea chain, wholly or partially claimed by China and the Philippines as well as Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

House of Representatives member Walden Bello told Agence France-Presse the five lawmakers would proceed with the trip.

“There is no reason for the Chinese embassy to worry. They seem to be over-reacting to a very small, peaceful mission,” he said.

“We have every right as Filipino citizens to visit Philippine territory.”

The lawmakers, including two members of President Benigno Aquino’s Liberal Party, are to take a private plane to Thitu island and meet with soldiers and civilian residents based there during the four-hour visit.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda and the Department of Foreign Affairs stressed the legislators did not need government consent for the visit.

“They are separate from us…. They didn’t even bother to inform us about it,” Lacierda told reporters, stressing he did not think the trip would strain relations with China.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the lawmakers were entitled to go without the department’s permission.

“Whatever they do, our hope is they are in support of the peaceful and rules-based approach to the West Philippine Sea issue,” he said in a statement, referring to the area by its Filipino name.

The Philippines and Vietnam have accused China in recent months of taking increasingly aggressive actions to stake their claims, including opening fire on Filipino fishermen.

The Spratlys are believed to sit on vast mineral resources and all claimants except Brunei, have troops posted on some of the islands.