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The Philippines
This Week in AsiaPolitics

South China Sea: Philippines defence chief calls for new alliances, navy revamp to counter Beijing

  • ‘We will carry it out’, National Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro told reporters, as he denounced Beijing’s ‘egregious’ violation of maritime laws
  • Resupply missions to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre warship at Second Thomas Shoal would also continue despite the ‘harassment’, he added

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A Philippine supply boat avoids one of the Chinese coast guard ships that tried to block its way off Second Thomas Shoal. Photo: AP
SCMP’s Asia desk
The Philippines’ defence chief is pushing for a swift and sweeping modernisation of his country’s navy and coastguard to tackle Beijing’s aggressive tactics in the disputed South China Sea.

National Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said new defence partnerships were needed and security personnel’s skills had to be improved to maintain a reliable deterrent posture.

“We will carry it out through a comprehensive restrategisation, along with forging alliances,” he told reporters in Manila on Monday during the commissioning of two coastal patrol ships donated by the United States. “It’s natural. Alliances are normal, even China has alliances. So we have to consider this.”
A Philippine supply boat manoeuvres around Chinese coastguard ships attempting to block access to Second Thomas Shoal, more than 1,000km south of mainland China and about 300km west of the Philippines’ Palawan province. Photo: AP
A Philippine supply boat manoeuvres around Chinese coastguard ships attempting to block access to Second Thomas Shoal, more than 1,000km south of mainland China and about 300km west of the Philippines’ Palawan province. Photo: AP
Teodoro also denounced the Chinese coastguard’s “egregious” violation of maritime laws after it last week attempted to stop Philippine boats carrying supplies for Filipino troops stationed on a rusty old warship in Second Thomas Shoal.
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The Philippines grounded the BRP Sierra Madre in 1999 to reinforce its claim to Second Thomas Shoal, which Manila calls Ayungin.

“I’m not a ship captain but you can clearly tell they were dangerously close. And if something bad happened, who gets the blame? We’re moving straight, escorting our vessels. So who’s being irresponsible? The answer is obvious,” Teodoro said.

He added that resupply missions will continue despite the “harassment” and the country’s naval assets need to be nimble to defend its territorial waters, The Philippine Star reported.

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