China’s reported military buildup in the disputed South China Sea is no longer new but a diplomatic protest against Beijing may be the “proper remedy” to the situation, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque maintained the government opposes any militarization of the contested territory since it threatens the peace and security in the region.
“Of course, that’s the proper remedy but that’s something that the Department of Foreign Affairs will have to address,” Roque said during a Palace news conference, when asked about Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s move to file an official protest if China’s military buildup in the Kagitingan Reef is proven.
Lorenzana’s remarks came after a state-run Chinese television released a video of the runway built on the contested island. Hospital and military facilities were also reportedly installed on Kagitingan Reef.
The government however apparently does not see China’s reported military activity in Kagitingan Reef as a breach of good faith. Roque explained that China only committed not to conduct new reclamation activities in the South China Sea.
“The point is, has there been a breach of Chinese commitment not to reclaim any new islands or shoals in the area? For as long as there is none, then we continue to respect that they are true to their commitment not to do so,” he said.
He insisted that China’s militarization of some disputed islands was “not news” since it was already known from the start.
“From the very beginning China, we knew, was militarizing the area by reclaiming these areas and by using them as military bases,” he said.
“So the fact that they are actually using it now as military bases, as far as I’m concerned, is not new, new. It’s not news because we’ve always been against the militarization of the area,” he added.
Roque affirmed that the government continues to rely on China’s word not to build more artificial islands in the region.
“All I’m saying is that there is still no breach of the good faith obligation for as long as China has not embarked on new reclamations,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
