“There must be a rethink of strategy either by us alone or in consultation with our allies that now include Australia and Japan”
HOW does a small country like us with practically no Air Force and Navy solve a goliath problem like China and convince that country to play by accepted international norms of conduct?
The new problem now is Sabina Shoal.
From all indications, we have decided to station one Coast Guard ship in the area on a more or less permanent basis after concluding that China will or is preparing to create another artificial island there and start militarizing it like it has done to so many Shoals in the WPS.
Sabina Shoal is just about 97 nautical miles from Palawan and is well within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines.
Yet, once again, China is insisting it has sovereignty over the shoal due to its nine dash line proclamation of 1947 and so-called bogus historical Chinese records which has been debunked by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016.
No other country in the world recognizes China’s proclamation except perhaps North Korea or The Russian Federation.
And since China has the largest Navy in the world, it can always do what it wants to do.
The Chinese Coast Guard in its latest bulletin told us to stop our so-called provocative acts and remove our Coast Guard Ship in the Shoal because that is Chinese territory.
Its ships rammed our supply ship and prevented it from completing its supply mission to BRP Magbanua. The resupply mission had to be completed by the use of helicopters.
All these happened while the United States CinCPac Admiral Samuel Paparo Jr. was on a visit to the country.
While here, he was quoted as saying that the US is willing to provide escorts to resupply missions to our outposts in the WPS.
AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner, however, said the offer was appreciated but, for the time being, the Philippines would prefer to be doing the resupply missions.
General Brawner’s statement must be interpreted as an attempt to show China we have no desire to further escalate an already tense situation.
But shouldn’t it be about time we accept the American offer or at least discuss the details in case this becomes necessary in the future?
For one thing, how much longer can we keep the BRP Magbanua where it is?
At some point, it would need maintenance and personnel rotation unless the government will decide to scuttle a brand ship just like the BRP Sierra Madre and leave it there as another outpost.
It does not look, however, that China appreciates our efforts to lessen the WPS tensions.
Just look at what the Chinese Coast Guard did a few days ago, they rammed the stationary BRP Magbanua three times and blamed it on us.
The CCG did not even bother to think how preposterous their accusation was considering the Magbanua is stationary.
Yes, the international community are always condemning China’s irrational behavior but this does not seem to bother that country one bit.
There must be a rethink of strategy either by us alone or in consultation with our allies that now include Australia and Japan.
What is becoming clearer as shown and exhibited by China’s behavior is that it wants all the smaller countries in the region to simply accept its declarations with regard to its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
It is safe to say that all the countries in the region would not like to do that.
But, unlike us, they maintain a quiet posture in their dealings with China as far as territorial differences are concerned.
Question now is, should we follow the same route in the hope China will be less belligerent?
Vietnam’s strategy for instance is one good example. By maintaining a subdued stance, it is able to further expand its own artificial building efforts with little or no disturbance from China.
We, on the other hand, are always calling the world’s attention on what China is doing.
The result: continued ramming of our ships.
It is admittedly a complicated situation but since our current strategy does not seem to be working, it is time to look for one that will work.
