Philippine defence chief accuses Beijing of ‘bullying’ over claims in the South China Sea
- Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana made the remark a day after expressing hope for closer military ties with China
- Although the two sentiments seem at odds, analysts say they are consistent with the Beijing-friendly stance of President Rodrigo Duterte
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Tuesday that Beijing’s actions in the West Philippine Sea, including its seizure and occupation of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012, flew in the face of its claims of wanting peace in the region.
Asked during a briefing with reporters if China’s behaviour constituted “bullying,” Lorenzana was quoted by Rappler as saying: “Well, the way they took over Scarborough Shoal, to me that was bullying.”
China took control of the shoal, which lies 200km off the Philippine coast, in 2012 following a weeks-long stand-off between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the surrounding waters, which are home to rich fishing stocks. Beijing has flatly rejected a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that found its actions violated Manila’s sovereign rights.
Lorenzana’s broadside on Tuesday followed a laudatory speech on Philippine-China relations the day before in which the defence chief expressed hope for greater military cooperation with Beijing, even as the Southeast Asian country pursues a constitutionally mandated “independent” foreign policy.