The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has conducted a combat air patrol with long range bombers in the South China Sea recently, which will become “a regular practice” in the future, a military spokesperson said.
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China says if its interests in the South China Sea are threatened, it could declare an air defense identification zone in the area.
“When has freedom of navigation in the SCS ever been affected?” De Borja said, “The threat or the use of force in resolving conflict will not going to, will not resolve, in fact it will even contribute to the deterioration of peace and security, and we can not afford that because it is a major Sealane and all the other countries, developed and developing, they have their trade and commerce and aviation pass through that”.
It is feared that China will use the new islands to extend its military reach.
With the Philippines’ anemic military dwarfed by China’s forces, Aquino bolstered relations with the United States and other allies to deter China’s increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters and modernize its air force and naval fleets, further straining ties with Beijing. He is also scheduled to visit the navy’s submarine academy, tour China’s first aircraft carrier and discuss ongoing Rim of the Pacific military drills. “Not just to Philippine national security, but also to the economy, and of course the overall peace and stability of the region”, said De Borja.
Wu was quoted as saying that any attempt to intimidate China by flexing military muscle “will only backfire”. Last week, Phillippines lodged the suit against Beijing.
“I think that you can visit China this time at our invitation, that shows both sides attach great concern to maritime security”, Admiral Wu told Admiral Richardson in brief comments in front of reporters. “Given the responsibilities that our navies have, we must work together and speak candidly – when we agree as well as when we have differing opinions”.
In a statement, China’s maritime administration said a part of the sea near the Chinese island of Hainan is going to be closed from Tuesday to Thursday for military exercises, EFE news reported. Civil vessels are prohibited from entering the area during the drills.
China issued the warning for the exercises on Monday.
Nansha is China’s name for the Spratly Islands.
In response to the ruling, the US said that while it is not commenting directly on the dispute, it supports the rule of law.
“Even their strategists would know, I think, that the Scarborough Shoal would be a tipping point for the US and Japan, given how the situation has radically changed”, he says. Beijing defends the decision as aiming to speed up the commercial development of the region, but the move is expected to worsen the tension in the area.
Roughly $5 trillion in shipping trade passes through the waterway annually.
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Yasay’s account of the meeting highlights the challenge ahead for the Philippines, a US ally, in getting China to comply with the decision which has ramped up tensions in the vital trade route.
