South China Sea: Philippine admiral’s scandal sparks concerns about Chinese military exchanges, security threats

Nearly 40 officers from the Philippine armed forces took part in a military exchange programme with China that started from 2008

Chinese embassy’s recent actions show it is used to ‘influence’ Philippine military, could damage goodwill and trust of Filipino diplomats, analysts say

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Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines take cover beside a wall during an assault exercise at Fort Magsaysay military camp north of Manila. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:30am, 15 May 2024Updated: 8:33pm, 22 May 2024

High-profile accusations against a top Philippine navy officer who was once part of a military exchange programme with China have put the spotlight on other officials who had joined the same initiative, raising questions about the potential for broader diplomatic fallout and threats to national security.

Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos is currently at the centre of a geopolitical scandal after the Chinese embassy in Manila claimed to have an audio recording of him agreeing to a controversial “new model” to manage conflict over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea that would constrain the Philippine military’s ability to act.

While the accusations remain unsubstantiated, Carlos’ ties to Beijing have been scrutinised in light of his attendance at a Chinese naval college, where he was the first Filipino military officer to have completed a course there as part of an intergovernmental programme.

Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos, head of the Philippine military’s Western Command. Photo: Philippine Navy

This Week in Asia has learned from interviews with military insiders that 38 officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines took part in the programme, which began in 2008.

Following a request from senators to abort the programme – which was raised after a lawmaker noted “with alarm” that some military officers up for promotion had studied in China – the armed forces’ Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jnr said in August the military was no longer sending officers to China.

However, he revealed that the discontinued programme was the product of a memorandum of understanding signed between Beijing and Manila in 2004 and noted that many other countries had similar initiatives with China, including other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He also said the point of the programme was to learn best practices from other countries’ militaries to see what could be applied to theirs.

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