West Philippine Sea on Marcos agenda with visiting Japan PM

MANILA, Philippines — China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea is expected to highlight President Marcos’ discussions today with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Malacañang said.

Kishida’s official visit, which ends tomorrow, comes in the wake of incidents wherein China Coast Guard ships harassed Philippine Navy vessels on patrol near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, and attempted to stop Philippine resupply missions for troops on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

Tokyo’s ties with Manila were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2011.

“Among the specific issues to be discussed are the West Philippine Sea, trade and investment, and Japan’s official development assistance (ODA),” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) yesterday.

“They will also exchange views on major regional, international and United Nations issues affecting the region and the world,” the PCO added.

China has been showing more aggressiveness in asserting its sweeping claims in the South China Sea, despite getting rebuffed by an international arbitral court based in The Hague, which invalidated Beijing’s claim and reaffirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements in a ruling in July 2016.

The latest incident of Chinese harassment took place on Oct. 22 when CCG and maritime militia vessels hit Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Cabra and Unaiza May 2, while in the process of stopping the Filipino vessels from reaching the Sierra Madre to unload provisions.

The Department of National Defense described the incident as “a serious escalation of the illegal activities conducted by the Chinese government in the West Philippine Sea,” noting that it happened within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Last Monday, the Chinese military claimed that a Philippine frigate “trespassed” into the waters near Panatag Shoal, a traditional fishing ground off Zambales. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the CCG shadowed the movement of the BRP Yap then on patrol.

Like the Philippines, Japan also has a territorial dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Last