THE quarrel between the Philippines and China over the disputed territories in the South China Sea turned into a war of words on Tuesday, with the Philippines calling China “a big-time squatter” as a result of its reclamation in the area and a Chinese mouthpiece calling the Philippines a “cute little submissive” of the United States.
Armed Forces spokesman Joselito Kakilala said China was not only stealing territory but also eliminating the maritime food chain systems of the present and next generations of Filipinos.
“These artificial walls of sand that China is building eliminates centuries-old pristine coral reefs in our exclusive economic zone,” Kakilala said.
“It spells not only environmental disaster in relation to climate change but also denies the livelihood of the next generation of Filipinos.”
Kakilala said the most hard hit by the maritime destruction caused by China were the tens of millions of Filipino fishermen who depend on fishing.
“Our fishing industry will be adversely affected because we’ve no more coral reefs and fishing grounds to depend on,” Kakilala said.
On Monday, Armed Forces Chief chief Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. urged China to stop its aggressive reclamation on the Spratly Islands, saying it was violating the Declaration of Conduct that Manila and Beijing—including Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia—had signed.
“China’s massive reclamation activities are causing irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the West Philippine Sea,” Catapang said.
“China’s claim that its activities have not caused damage to the ecological environment in this area is not acceptable.
“For example, the destruction of 300 acres of coral reef systems resulting from the reclamation is estimated to lead to economic losses to coastal states valued at $100 million annually.”
But a Chinese tabloid with close ties to the ruling Communist Party said the Philippines was nothing more than the “cute little submissive” of the United States, criticizing Manila for its military exercises with Washington.
The English-language editorial came a day after the Philippines launched giant 10-day war games with the US and Australia, partly aimed as a warning shot to Beijing amid competing claims in the South China Sea, home to vital shipping routes.
“Of all the countries involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the Philippines is the one with the most tricks up its sleeves, but none of its tricks work,” the Global Times said.
“Can anyone believe that China can be bluffed to make compromises when others show off their military muscle?” added the paper, affiliated with the Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily.
“We will simply find it laughable while imagining Philippine personnel stumbling after US forces.”
Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the resource-rich and strategically important South China Sea, including areas close to other Asian nations, using vague demarcation lines that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.
China has expanded its presence in disputed parts of the sea in recent years by embarking on giant reclamation work on reefs and islets, turning some into islands capable of hosting military aircraft landing strips.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.
In efforts to deter China, the militarily weak Philippines has encouraged longtime ally the US to increase its presence in the country and its coastal waters through expanded and more frequent defense exercises.
But the Global Times editorial dismissed their effectiveness, saying: “After being the ‘cute little submissive’ of the US all these years, Manila has gained only a handful of second-hand weapons and an empty sense of security, let alone any real enhancement of its army’s combat capability.”
The insulting tone came after a commentary on China’s official news agency Xinhua earlier this year likened the Philippines to a “crying baby” for seeking international support against Beijing’s island-building, denouncing its efforts as “pathetic”.
Meanwhile the United States, which has repeatedly voiced concerns about Chinese actions in the South China Sea, again denounced Beijing’s behavior.
“I think that China is responsible for the rise of tensions and provocations in the South China Sea,” said Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, during a conference in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.