Nations need to help calm troubled waters
- Beijing, Manila and Washington should ease tensions in the South China Sea amid fears actions could spin out of control
Territorial disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea are nothing new. But with Washington leaning on its allies to push back against Beijing’s rise and campaigning under way for Philippine elections next year, there is bound to be more than the usual rhetoric.
Accompanying the sabre-rattling this time has been a stepped-up American naval presence in the region’s waters and a chorus of disapproval of perceived Chinese wrongdoing by a host of governments, among them Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. There is every need for cool heads to ease tensions and prevent rash actions.
Manila has for weeks been protesting against the presence of Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands by China. Beijing claims they are civilian boats operating in fishing grounds sheltering from rough weather, but the Philippines says they include maritime militia seeking to seize contested territory.
Similar circumstances led to China getting control of Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef in 2012 and 1995 respectively.
The Philippines sent fighter jets and naval ships and the defence and foreign ministries have made repeated calls for China to withdraw its ships. But Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made no comment, having had a largely antagonistic approach towards long-time ally and former colonial power, the United States.