Major Gen. Luo Yuan, a retired senior military officer, on Tuesday warned the Philippines that continued “provocations” on the disputed West Philippine Sea (also known as South China Sea) “will come at a price.”
In his column published by Global Times, Luo Yuan writes: “The Philippines needs to be informed that these provocations will come at a price, which could be much larger than the benefits it can get through the tricks.”
“The Philippines is misleading the international community by confusing a sovereign and territorial issue into an issue of sea rights. The nature of the South China Sea disputes lies in which side owns the jurisdiction and sovereignty over certain islands and reefs, but Manila sticks to an arbitration by the international tribunal, which has been clearly stated to have no jurisdiction over territorial disputes,” Yuan added.
The ex-military general said both countries are currently engaged in the discussion on maritime disputes as opposed to sovereign disputes, and therefore the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) cannot apply to the situation at Ayungin Shoal.
Yuan said the situation at Ayungin Shoal (also known as Second Thomas Shoal) is different from the other disputed islands and reefs, saying that sovereignty and jurisdiction belong to China without doubt.
“The Philippines stole the reef shamelessly by deliberately stranding the warship and refusing to drag it away. As a sovereign state which refuses to remedy its mistakes, the Philippines is risking its own international reputation,” Yuan added. Read Yuan’s full article here.
Lou said if the Philippines refuses to remove the stranded ship from where it lies, China can move it out but the Philippines must shoulder the cost.
If the Philippines declines China’s “generous” offer, Lou said “China should drive away the ship and reclaim the reef by force,” adding that its execution would be “beyond the Philippines’ imagination.”
Meanwhile in the Philippines, the West Philippine Sea Coalition headed by former DILG Secretary Rafael Alunan is holding its 3rd Annual Day of Protest in Manila Bay fronting the West Philippine Sea on Saturday to protest China’s continuing reclamation and expansion in the disputed territories.
Among others, the coalition supports the legal steps taken by the country before the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations, It also condemns China’s illegal acts including the invasion of Scarborough Shoal and the continued reclamation of the islands in the disputed territories.
