Philippines Bolsters Maritime Claims Despite China Pressure

“The Philippines now not only has a PRC [People’s Republic of China] military base at Mischief Reef, deep within its lawful exclusive economic zone, China now controls access to several key features, such as Scarborough, Sabina and Second Thomas Shoals. With Beijing now behaving as an imperial occupation force, Manila needs a comprehensive, long-term strategy of resistance to raise the costs of that occupation. Lawfare will be a key component to that campaign,” he said.

China has already opposed the Philippines new maritime laws, calling them a serious infringement. Beijing summoned the Philippines’ ambassador to protest last week, while China’s embassy has warned Manila of its “unilateral” actions.

“China will continue to take necessary measures in accordance with the law to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights,” the embassy said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Jay Batongbacal, a maritime expert, told VOA’s Mandarin Service that China opposes resistance from the Philippines to serve its own interests.

“The fundamental source of insecurity really is that China’s interests in the South China Sea have always been defined and driven by its military and strategic objectives of establishing and gaining dominance and control in the first and second island chains,” he said.

Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, says the laws help Manila challenge China’s claims.

“The laws do not fundamentally change things on the ground, but they do have their purposes. The law allows the Philippines to assert their own effective control and create a legal basis to challenge China’s claims,” he told VOA.

But China will push back aggressively, he added.

“We should expect more aggressive behavior,” he said. “We just saw them draw baselines around Scarborough Shoal, a low tide elevation, which is totally illegal in international law. China just hates it when states move to advance their legal claims. It is still stinging from 2016 when the Permanent Court of Arbitration tossed out each of their legal clams of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea.”

China has responded by publishing on Sunday new baselines outlining its claims over Scarborough Shoal, and on Wednesday, Beijing conducted air and naval combat drives at the disputed shoal.

Since Marcos became president in 2022, Manila has reinvigorated its relations with the U.S., which had been distanced under previous Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, despite the U.S., and the Philippines being long-time mutual defense partners.

Under Marcos, the Philippines has given U.S. troops more access to its military bases and conducted joint naval exercises. Manila is also aiming to buy midrange missiles from Washington to bolster its defense, while China claims the action will undermine peace in the region.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to the Philippines later this month as part of a series of Asia-Pacific meetings in the region.

But with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January, questions remain about Washington’s role between the two countries.

“The Philippines needs to be able to convince President-elect Trump of its continued value as U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific,” Vincent Kyle Parada, a former defense analyst in the Philippines Navy, told VOA’s Mandarin Service. “While bipartisan consensus against China remains strong, Marcos Jr. should anticipate a more quid pro quo or a transactional relationship with Washington and work to rely on his foreign policy initiatives with the U.S.,” he added.

Tommy Walker is reporting on Asia-Pacific for VOA News. This article is published courtesy of the Voice of America(VOA).