China’s response to US VP’s Philippines trip not a sign of compromise, analysts say

Beijing reacts with restraint after US vice-president travels to Philippine island of Palawan near disputed South China Sea waters

While Beijing might be trying to stabilise ties with Washington, it will not back down on regional claims, observers say

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US Vice-President Kamala Harris delivers a speech on board a Philippine Coast Guard ship during a visit to the island of Palawan on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:00am, 26 Nov 2022Updated: 3:45pm, 26 Nov 2022

China reacted with restraint after US Vice-President Kamala Harris visited an island that lies near contested waters in the South China Sea but Beijing will not compromise on its sovereignty claims in the region, according to observers.

Harris visited Palawan on Tuesday, making her the highest-ranking US official to visit the Philippine island near the disputed Spratly Islands, also known as the Nanshas, an archipelago claimed by both Beijing and Manila.

Asked about Harris’ visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that China did not oppose normal communication between the United States and the Philippines but it should not harm the “interests” of other countries.

Harris’ trip – and Beijing’s reaction to it – came a week after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden at the G20 summit appeared to signal warmer ties between the two countries.

But in an address to the Philippine Coast Guard, Harris reaffirmed the US-Philippine alliance and, in an apparent reference to China, denounced “intimidation and coercion” in the South China Sea.

During a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in Manila, Harris pledged that the US would defend the Philippines if its forces were attacked in the South China Sea.

Her statement came after an encounter between Philippine and Chinese vessels near the Spratly Islands over the weekend. Manila accused China of “forcefully” seizing rocket debris from its navy during the incident.

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