Philippine envoy says South China Sea is the ‘real flashpoint’ in Asia, not Taiwan

The ‘aggression’ the Philippines faces from China in the disputed sea is unprecedented, says the country’s ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel Romualdez

While there is a US-Philippine mutual defence treaty, invoking the pact will mean ‘all hell breaks loose’ in the region

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China Coast Guard personnel onboard a rigid-hulled inflatable boat, right, are seen shadowing a Philippine fishing boat near the Scarborough Shoal on February 22. Photo: PCG/AFP

Published: 5:23pm, 29 Feb 2024Updated: 5:26pm, 29 Feb 2024

The Philippines’ top envoy in the United States has said the South China Sea, not Taiwan, is the “real flashpoint” for an armed conflict in the region, warning “all hell would break loose” if Washington decides to invoke a mutual security treaty to defend Manila in the disputed waterway.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said the threat of growing maritime tension between his country and China turning into a military campaign was more alarming than the prospect of Beijing invading the island.

“The real problem and the real flashpoint, which is why I’m telling you how critical it is for us. The real flashpoint is in the West Philippine Sea,” Romualdez said.

The West Philippine Sea is the term Manila uses to describe the eastern parts of the South China Sea that are within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial waters.

The diplomat also said Chinese President Xi Jinping was “not going to make a move unless he is absolutely sure that he can militarily take over Taiwan”.

Beijing sees Taiwan a breakaway province to be eventually reunited, by force if necessary. While many nations, including the US, do not officially acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state, they oppose any use of force to alter the existing status quo.

The Philippines has in the past accused the Chinese coastguard of confronting its ships in the hotly-contested sea, including firing water cannons at them.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship, left, uses its water cannons on a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel near the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on December 9, 2023. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard via AP

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