Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano says Manila will “fight back” against coercion in the South China Sea.
The Philippines will “maintain its stance” in its dispute with China in the South China Sea, a senior security official said.
Manila and Beijing have been engaged in a series of escalating standoffs over the strategic waterway, with each side accusing the other's ships of carrying out dangerous maneuvers near the disputed Second Thomas sandbank.
“We will continue to stand our ground and fight against coercion, interference, malign influence and other tactics that seek to endanger our security and stability,” Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano said Friday at an event marking the anniversary of an international ruling on the dispute that sided with China.
Ano said Manila rejects any use of force that seeks to “coerce and subordinate the national interests of the Philippines,” but is “committed to the cause of peace.”
“We are committed to addressing and managing difficult issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” Ano said.
China claims more than 90 percent of the South China Sea, including waters that fall within the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines and four other Southeast Asian countries.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague found that China’s claims had “no legal basis.”
Beijing has rejected the ruling, calling it “illegal, null and void.”
The coast guards and navies of China and the Philippines have been involved in numerous confrontations in the disputed waters, including an incident last month during which Chinese coast guard personnel brandishing knives, clubs and an axe surrounded and boarded three Philippine Navy ships during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
The Philippines has been pushing for military cooperation with the United States and its allies to counter China's growing power and influence in the region.
On Monday, Manila signed a defense pact that will allow Japan to deploy its troops on its territory.
The Philippines will continue to “foster closer ties with like-minded countries,” Ano said, and remains open to “frank discussion based on mutual respect and sincerity.”
