THE Philippine government called on the US government to urgently give more focus to recent developments in the South China Sea and provide substance to its Asia re-balance policy.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario made the appeal at the launch of the US-Philippines Strategic Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. even as President Benigno Aquino III said the UN may resolve the matter by next year.
“The South China Sea dispute is the most important issue today. ” Del Rosario said, citing growing international support to halt infrastructure activities in the South China Sea.
The US-Philippines Strategic Initiative, a joint project by CSIS and the ADR Institute, aims to highlight the enduring alliance “through sustainable and strategic engagement on high-impact global and regional issues.”
Del Rosario stressed it will continue to pursue peaceful means in defending its rights in maritime disputes even though the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal may not decide on the case Manila filed by against Beijing until the first or second quarter of next year.
Aquino said during an interview over radio station Bombo Radyo Philippines that the Arbitral Tribunal is set to hold a hearing in July to decide if it should handle the Philippines’ protest against China.
In a notice posted on its website, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) said that aside from looking into the admissibility of the claims raised by the Philippines in its protest, the hearing in July will also address the objections raised by China, saying the PCA has no jurisdiction over the case.
“The Arbitral Tribunal will conduct a hearing in July 2015 to address the objections to jurisdiction set out in China’s Position Paper. The Arbitral Tribunal will also consider other matters concerning its jurisdiction and the admissibility of the Philippines’ claims,” the PCA said.
During Bombo Radyo’s interview conducted the other day and aired yesterday, Aquino is confident that the UN Arbitral Tribunal would give a decision backing the Philippines’ stance on the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).
“There are those who say, even if the decision comes out, there is no power of enforcement. That’s correct. But, several of those who are involved in the disputes say they conform to international law. The international tribunal would be the one who decides, ‘this is what the law means and this would clarify who are following the law and who are violating it’,” said Aquino.
Aquino said once the decision of the UN Arbitral Tribunal comes out, this will clarify the obligations and rights of the concerned nations involved in the disputes.
“This would also help in diminishing the tension occurring in the disputed waters,” said Aquino.
On Wednesday, Beijing expressed anger after reports the United States was considering ramping up its military presence in disputed South China Sea waters and confronting Chinese territorial claims with ships and aircraft.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter asked staff to explore sending Navy surveillance aircraft and vessels to islands which Washington believes have been rapidly built up by China in recent months, the Wall Street Journal said Tuesday, citing officials.
“We are severely concerned by relevant remarks made by the American side,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing in Beijing.
“Freedom of navigation does not mean that the military vessels or aircraft of a foreign country can wilfully enter the territorial waters or airspace of another country.”