The deployment of vessels from foreign countries to the Philippines signals their unwavering support to international rules-based order, a Philippine Navy official said on Tuesday.
“The presence of the ships, whether frigates, cruisers, submarines or aircraft carriers or even aircraft as what recently we had, is only an expression of their support for the international rules-based order. It is a meeting of interest,” Navy Spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in the latest briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
“All the maritime cooperative activities (MCA) are a meeting of mutual interest for countries who would like to uphold international rules-based order,” he added.
The said deployment in MCA and Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) also brings significant change to the aggressive behavior of China assets on WPS, according to Trinidad.
“Suffice it to say, for the previous years each time we have a multilateral maritime activity, there has been a noted change in the aggressive behavior of the PLA Navy, the Chinese Coast Guard, and the maritime militia,” Trinidad said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun defended China’s presence in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), claiming China’s sovereignty in the South China Sea is backed by history, law, and international practice.
He stated that the China Coast Guard’s activities in the area are lawful and justified. Guo urged the Philippines to stop its actions that complicate the situation and jeopardize regional peace.