NAN-F-14
Dispute
Manila, Oct. 5, 17 (dpa/NAN) Philippines should not be alarmed by the presence of Chinese ships in the disputed South China Sea, Beijing’s envoy Amb. Zhao Jianhua said on Thursday.
The envoy added that this was quite natural because of overlapping claims.
Jianhua said that China had no intention of settling the dispute by force and was confident that other claimants were also seeking a peaceful settlement.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a key shipping lane that is believed to be rich in mineral and marine resources.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have overlapping claims to the area.
“It’s quite natural for you to see some of the boats, fishing boats there,” Jianhua told reporters, after handing over China’s donation of 3,000 M4 rifles and three million rounds of ammunition to the Defence Department.
“They are carrying out their daily fishing. You don’t have to be alarmed,” he said.
It was the second time that China donated weapons to the Philippines.
In June, Beijing also transferred 3,000 M4 rifles and six million rounds of ammunition to the military.
“The donation highlights “friendly and cooperative relations” between China and the Philippines,” Zhao said.
Ties between the two countries soured when the Philippines filed an arbitration case challenging Beijing’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea in 2013.
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China’s nine-dash line, which demarcates its claims to almost the entire South China Sea.
On Wednesday, a Filipino lawmaker alleged that Chinese ships harassed a Philippine vessel patrolling around Pagasa Island two weeks ago, in an apparent bid to prevent it from reaching nearby sandbars.
“This is an indication that China intends to claim these sand bars as part of the territorial waters of (nearby) Subi Reef that they have reclaimed,” Representative Gary Alejano said.
Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who thanked Zhao for China’s donations, said it was “not uncommon” for Chinese ships to be seen in the disputed areas.
“It doesn’t mean that the ships are doing illegal things or harassing other people.
“They are just there, maybe to pursue their missions according to the claims of the Chinese.”
“We are managing the conflict there and there is no violent conflict between us.”
Lorenzana said the donated rifles would help boost the capability of the military and police in addressing security and peace and order concerns.
“We are lucky that the Chinese government provided the firearms,” he said.
The rifles, worth more than three million dollars, will be given to the national police force to fill a shortage in firearms after a sale by a U.S. contractor was blocked by U.S. legislators in 2016,’’ Lorenzana said. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Grace Yussuf