The Philippines will conduct its own inquiry into a report that China launched anti-ship ballistic missiles off the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday.
“We have no first-hand knowledge about this missile launch except this news report. We will conduct our own inquiry and will decide later what to do if [the report is] proven correct,” Lorenzana said in a message to reporters.
The tests took place last weekend with China warning ships not to approach the test area, and at least one missile was reportedly fired into the sea, the report said.
US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim reiterated Washington’s position on the South China Sea dispute.
“We urge all countries to refrain from provocative and unilateral actions that [are] inconsistent with international norms and practices,” Kim said during the July 4th US Independence Day celebration at Makati Shangri-La.
“We have stated our position very clearly for some time now, and I believe our friends in the Philippines agree that countries, including China, should refrain from such actions,” Kim added.
The US envoy called China’s recent missile launch in the disputed South China “provocative” and a violation of international law.
“We have long been concerned and it’s not just the US but I think countries in the region have been concerned about aggressive unilateral actions in the disputed areas including militarization in the area,” he said.
Kim said China continues to renege on its commitment that it will not militarize the waters, where it has installed surface to air missiles in several contested features it recently transformed into artificial islands.
“China itself has committed that it would stop militarization but obviously that has not happened,” he said.
“It’s clear that countries should behave according to international practices and laws,” Kim added.
Reports indicated that China tested multiple anti-ship ballistic missiles over the weekend while the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, which was attended by US President Donald Trump and other world leaders, was taking place.
An expert on maritime law, meanwhile, said the missile tests are aimed at showing off China’s military capability to other countries, but were not targeted specifically at nations with competing claims in the South China Sea.
“It could also be seen as kind of signal to other countries that they can do this. The countries, therefore, would act more carefully,” said Jay Batongbacal, director at the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn earlier revealed that a recent Chinese missile launch was done in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, calling it “disturbing.”
But Batongbacal played down the missiles tests, saying it did not mean that China was threatening other countries with war. With PNA
