Philippines won’t move an inch on South China Sea, Duterte tells Beijing
- Philippine president has rebuffed a call from China to withdraw vessels from a contested maritime area near a Chinese military installation
- With pressure building on Manila’s relationship with Beijing he warns this could be where ‘our friendship ends’
Duterte’s remarks in a televised address on Friday come as pressure builds on him to abandon his pursuit of close ties with China and stand up to what his defence chiefs say are blatant provocations.
This week Manila announced plans to build a logistics hub in Thitu, called Pag-asa by the Philippines, the second largest island in the Spratlys group. The hub would allow Philippine naval units to refuel and replenish on the island.
01:05
Philippine coast guard confronts Chinese maritime ‘militia’ vessels in South China Sea
The Philippine military and coastguard have also beefed up patrols of the country’s maritime waters, and announced plans to set up surveillance cameras in certain areas.
China last month said Manila must “stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes”.
In his recorded talk, Duterte said: “We have a stand here. And I want to state it here and now again, that our ships that are on Pag-asa and elsewhere, we will not move an inch backward.”
“You can kill me but here I stay, this is where our friendship will end.”
He was apparently reacting to criticism that his administration’s closeness to China had allowed Beijing to repeatedly encroach on the Philippines’ EEZ.
Philippines plans hub in South China Sea as Chinese boats ‘increase’
When he assumed office in 2016 Duterte announced he planned a “separation from the United States” – the Philippines’ traditional ally – in favour of China. He said he was “setting aside” a Philippine victory in an arbitration case it had filed about the South China Sea before an international court in exchange for trade and investment with China.
He drew flak last week for saying the landmark award in 2016 was just a “piece of paper” he could throw in the trash. But in his televised address, he said he “believes in the entirety” of that ruling.
A high ranking government official, who asked not to be identified, described the policy as: “Develop friendly relations with China while asserting Philippine sovereignty. It’s a combination of cooperation as much as possible and pushback whenever necessary.”
01:02
Philippine Coast Guard fends off Chinese boats in disputed South China Sea
The president has on several occasions said it was folly to oppose China’s claims on the South China Sea because it would mean a war; recently he asserted that China was in control of the West Philippine Sea, which is how Manila refers to its EEZ.
In his television address, Duterte said: “Above all, I don’t want to fight China, we have a deep debt of gratitude.”
Critics said the president’s statements needed to be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism. This week, Duterte said that a campaign promise he made – to jet ski to the contested area with a Philippine flag – was actually a “joke” and people who believed it were “stupid”.
Could Manila lose another South China Sea feature to Beijing?
His spokesman, Harry Roque, said that Whitsun Reef, another contested feature, was not part of the country’s EEZ.
In a statement on Friday, Senator Risa Hontiveros criticised the president’s office for its “defeatist statements.”
“Why is it that the palace speaks as if it’s a defeated party? They should stop it, because China is the only one enjoying this and benefiting from it. Maybe the reason why they won’t pull out the 200 ships they have in the West Philippine Sea is that they hear what the palace has been saying.”
