Beijing flaunts Cambodia success

Apparently referring to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s tirades against China during the Asean meeting in Phnom Penh, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi pointed out that “Huangyan Island has always been part of the Chinese territory and is not a disputed island.” AP/Sakchai Lalit

The Philippines should “face facts squarely and not make trouble” over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, China said after successfully blocking Manila’s attempt last week to win regional support in its territorial dispute with Beijing in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

A Chinese newspaper also chided the Philippines for “disgracing” itself with its “high-pitched verbal provocations” for which it had no matching “military or diplomatic influence.”

China is seeking to picture the Philippines as alone in its effort to get the country’s dispute with China over Panatag Shoal mentioned in a joint statement at the close of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last week.

But Malacañang insisted Monday that the Philippines had the support of the majority of the 10 Asean nations on the dispute. The bloc, however, failed to issue a joint communiqué because Cambodia, an ally of China and this year’s host, blocked the mention of the conflict in the statement.

Cambodia’s actions caused acrimony that led to the group’s failure to issue a joint statement, the first time in 45 years that the bloc’s annual meeting ended without such a statement.

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said the Philippines wanted to see Cambodia “to be more supportive” in the Asean leaders’ summit in Phnom Penh in November.

There is little chance of that happening. On Sunday, Cambodia, echoing China’s line, said the Panatag Shoal dispute was not a regional issue.

Panatag dispute

Returning to Beijing from the  failed Asean talks on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi spoke “in response to the remarks by some individual country on the Huangyan Island incident” at the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting.

Huangyan Island is how the Chinese call Panatag Shoal, which the Philippines also calls Bajo de Masinloc. The horseshoe-shaped coral and rock formation in the West Philippine Sea is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Although a signatory to the convention, China refuses to recognize the Philippine EEZ and insists the area is its territory.

Apparently referring to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s tirades against China during the Asean meeting in Phnom Penh, Yang pointed out that “Huangyan Island has always been part of the Chinese territory and is not a disputed island.”

The Philippines disputes the Chinese claim. In early April, Philippine authorities caught Chinese fishermen poaching sharks and collecting rare clams and corals at Panatag Shoal, but China prevented the arrest of the fishermen by sending ships to block the path of a Philippine law-enforcement vessel.

What followed was a two-month maritime standoff between the two countries. Two Philippine vessels faced off with seven Chinese ships at the shoal until stormy weather forced an end to the confrontation in mid-June.

Shocked, surprised

According to Yang, “the Chinese people were shocked and surprised by the Huangyan Island incident.”

He had a different account of the standoff. “(On April 8) the Philippine side sent a naval vessel to hurt the Chinese fishermen on China’s territory,” Yang said. “What they did caused wide concern and strong indignation among the Chinese people.”

Pressure on China

The Global Times, one of China’s top newspapers, said in an editorial published Monday that “Manila attempted to exert pressure on China through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the request was rejected by the majority of Asean members.”

Like Japan and Vietnam, the Philippines only humiliated itself, said the paper, which is published by the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party.

“The Philippines has been the most embarrassed by its futile action,” the Global Times said. “Manila didn’t have the military or diplomatic influence to match its high-pitched verbal provocations.”

In an earlier editorial, the Global Times said “the Philippines and Vietnam deserve to be punished.”

“If they go to extremes in their provocations against China, it is likely that they will be punished through means including military strikes,” the paper said.

But China, it added, “definitely will be very cautious in making such decisions.”

Duplicity, intimidation

At the Asean meeting, Del Rosario denounced Chinese “duplicity” and “intimidation” in the West Philippine Sea.

“If Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction can be denigrated by a powerful country through pressure, duplicity, intimidation and the threat of the use of force, the international community should be concerned about the behavior,” Del Rosario said, referring to the Panatag Shoal standoff.

Stressing that Asean needs to “speak with one voice,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Del Rosario in urging Asean to take a common stand on the Panatag Shoal dispute and on other Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Clinton issued the call for a unified Asean stand on the eve of her meeting with Yang on the sidelines of the Asean ministerial meeting.

Economic talks

On Monday, Senator Panfilo Lacson proposed bilateral economic negotiations with China to resolve the Panatag Shoal dispute.

Lacson, chairman of the Senate defense committee, told a news forum that it would be more prudent to “set aside for the meantime the issue of sovereignty” and “talk about joint exploration.”

The issue of sovereignty, he said, is “nonnegotiable” because “Panatag Shoal is ours.”

Lacson advised against confrontational engagement with China. “I think they are reasonable enough to see that what we want is the same thing they want, which is to explore resources,” Lacson said.

But the Philippines, he said, does not have capital. “It would be wise if we talked with them regarding the resources that we cannot harness on our own,” he said. With reports from Christine O. Avendaño and Jeanette I. Andrade