China told its citizens on Thursday they were not safe in the Philippines and its state media warned of war, as a month-long row over rival claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) threatened to spill out of control.
Chinese travel agencies announced they had suspended tours to the Philippines, under government orders, and the embassy in Manila advised its nationals already in the country to stay indoors ahead of planned protests.
“Avoid going out at all if possible, and if not, to avoid going out alone. If you come across any demonstrations, leave the area, do not stay to watch,” the embassy’s advisory said.
The safety alerts came as government-controlled media in China warned the country was prepared to go to war to end the stand-off over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal—small islands in the South China Sea that both nations claim as their own.
“No matter how willing we are to discuss the issue, the current Philippine leadership is intent on pressing us into a corner where there is no other option left but the use of arms,” the China Daily said in an editorial.
“Since ancient times, our nation has deemed war the last resort in handling state-to-state relations. But Manila is living in a fantasy world if it mistakes our forbearance for timidity.”
The editorial echoed other warnings in recent weeks in the state-run media that China was prepared to use its massive military advantage to crush the Philippines’ challenge for the shoal.
The two nations have had non-military vessels stationed at the shoal since April 8 in an effort to assert their sovereignty to the area.
The dispute began when Philippine authorities detected Chinese ships fishing there. They attempted to arrest the crew, but were blocked by Chinese surveillance vessels that were quickly deployed to the area.
The shoal sits about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. The nearest major Chinese landmass is 1,200 kilometres northwest of the shoal, according to Filipino navy maps.
The Philippines insists its claims to the area are backed by international law, as the shoal is well within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
But China claims virtually all of the South China Sea as its territory, even waters close to the coasts of the Philippines and other Asian countries.
Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia also claim parts of the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas resources. The rival claims have for decades made the waters one of Asia’s potential military flashpoints.
More than 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed in 1988 when China and Vietnam battled for control of the Spratlys, an archipelago south of Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippines, which admits to having an extremely weak and poorly resourced military, has repeatedly said it wants to solve the stand-off over the shoal through diplomatic means.
But it has also said it secured a pledge from the United States, its main military ally, to protect the Philippines from attacks in the South China Sea.
A coalition of Filipino activist groups is planning to hold rallies at Chinese embassies around the world on Friday to support the Philippines in the dispute.
Organizers are hoping thousands of people will attend what they expect to be the biggest of the rallies, in Manila, and the Chinese embassy’s safety alert was circulated chiefly to warn its nationals about that protest.
But Jackson Gan, a Filipino-Chinese businessman who is one the rally’s organizers, said there was no need for such a warning because the protest would not target individuals and there had been no inciting of violence.
“This is going to be peaceful. No burning of Chinese flags, just singing of patriotic songs and making our presence felt,” Gan told AFP.
No aggression
A Chinese official however gave assurances that Beijing will “never seek hegemony” or engage in aggression or expansion.
Zhang Xuyi, during a meeting with Asian reporters invited to Beijing hosted by China’s People’s Daily, said that China’s foreign policy “will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development.”
Zhang is the deputy director general for Asian affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’s International Department.
“We stand for settlement of disputes and conflicts through dialogue and negotiation and by seeking common ground while shelving differences,” he said.
Zhang said that China has been in constant communication with other countries on “important overarching and long-term issues concerning the world situation and bilateral relations.”
“These discussions have helped to enhance mutual understanding and trust, seek strategic consensus, expand common interests and reduce troubles and setbacks,” he added.
Zhang, however, maintained that China will not let anyone interfere in its own affairs, the same way that Beijing has not interfered in the affairs of other states.
“Do not impose on others what you don’t want others to impose on you,” he said of China’s policy.
In dealing with neighbors, including those whom it has disputes with, Zhang said that China will apply the principle of actively pushing a harmonious world.
Meanwhile, You Jianhua, director general of the coordination bureau of the CPC international department, said that media reporting of the incidents at the Scarborough Shoal should be objective and based on historical facts.
Beijing’s claims on the Scarborough Shoal, which the Philippines calls Panatag Shoal, are founded on a centuries-old Chinese map, which shows a nine-dash line covering the entire South China Sea.
Since last year when tensions with China arose, the Philippines has referred to the region as the West Philippine Sea.
Manila, on the other hand, has claims based on the geographical location of the Scarborough Shoal.
The shoal, believed to hold vast oil reserves, sits just 124 nautical miles from Zambales province in Luzon.
It is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf provided for by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
When asked how the media could possibly diffuse the tensions between the two countries, he said that reporting of the issue should be objective, timely and tolerant.
He noted an opinion article published by the Manila Standard Today wherein a supposed Filipino investor agreed that China has sovereignty over the disputed shoal, owing to the fact that Philippine maps showing that it has rights over the shoal were drawn almost five centuries later than that of China.
The People’s Daily Online published the article on its site.
You, however, said that the issue must be “approached from bigger interests from these two countries [Philippines and China].”
He maintained that the friendly relations and future development of the two countries must be given credence.
Palace mum
Malacañang on Thursday declined to comment on reports that China has issued a travel ban against the Philippines.
“No comment,” Strategic Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang told reporters who sought a reaction from the Palace.
A Palace official also belittled reports that China had imposed stricter procedures in the importation of Philippine fruits.
Deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said that it was merely a sanitary issue which had been promptly looked into.
She said that the Department of Agriculture has tasked the Bureau of Plant Industry to resolve the issue.
The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) expressed hopes that Beijing and Manila would soon settle the shoal so that tourism would not be affected.
The agency admitted that Chinese tourist arrivals have grown by double digits but the country’s top three markets are Korea, United States of America and Japan.
The PTAA said there is increasing interest from Australia, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
With reports from Bernice Camille V. Bauzon, Jaime R. Pilapil And Raadee S. Sausa
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