South China Sea: Philippines blames Chinese coastguard for tensions, calls for ‘higher level’ talks
- Action is needed ‘from the Chinese side’ to resolve tensions in the South China Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr told reporters
- ‘They shadow our fishing boats’, he said of the Chinese coastguard as he called for talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers on the dispute
There was no immediate reaction from Chinese officials.
The Philippine coastguard said it deployed more patrol ships to protect the Filipino fishermen after the incident.
Marcos said he proposed to Xi in their meeting in Beijing that their top diplomats lead the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism, which is currently handled by mid-level diplomats, to allow a more rapid response to future conflicts in the disputed sea.
Philippines’ Marcos Jnr says South China Sea ‘keeps him up at night’
“My proposal is that we bring that bilateral group to a higher level,” Marcos said, adding that he would also ask the Philippine ambassador to China to be part of the higher-level talks.
“I guarantee you that if there is any decision that needs to be made, either of those gentlemen can pick up the telephone and talk to me and within five minutes we will have a decision.”
Marcos said Xi agreed to his proposal and asked the Chinese foreign minister to discuss the new arrangement with Philippine officials.
“I think that if the president, President Xi, puts out an order that ‘we will not do that any more, we will do something else,’ then I think it will be. I think the chain of command is fairly solid,” Marcos said. “We will be able to report any violation of whatever agreement we come to.”
US, Philippines boost security, prepare for ‘flashpoints’
Marcos suggested that China needs to change its actions to prevent future conflicts. “I think the actions that are needed are really from the Chinese side because we do not send coastguard boats into what we consider their waters or international waters. They stay within Philippine waters.”
“What they do is they shadow our fishing boats,” he said. The Philippines, he added, will continue to exercise its right to file diplomatic protests against China despite his proposal for higher-level talks that aim to rapidly address future conflicts at sea.