Remote tiny Spratly Islands could be conflct locale between U.S. and China

The Spratly islands are claimed by many countries including China (and Taiwan), Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia. See this article for more about the islands.

Although there are no indigenous inhabitants countries who claim the island at times send military personnel to assert their territorial claims. There are rich fishing grounds in the area and at times there have been confrontations between fisherman from one nation and military patrols of another nation that claims the islands. This has happened between Vietnamese fishermen and Chinese military vessels and more recently Chinese fishermen and Philippine military. NOTE: The fishing is damaging the environment.. Explosives are sometimes used damaging the reefs and other illegal methods are used as well including poisoning.

As well as the fish there is evidence of rich gas and oil deposits under the sea in the area. This ramps up the race to claim possession of the islands. The U.S. comes into the picture as a country that wants to extend its domain and project its power into the region. The U.S. also wants to confront and contain the expanding Chinese influence in the region.

Historically the U.S. has projected its power through defense agreements with allies in the region. After the second world war the U.S. had great influence in the Philippines after liberating the islands from the Japanese--along with Filipinos themselves of course. In 1951 the U.S. signed a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.

The treaty states: “Each Party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific Area on either of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes.” The U.S.supports the claim of the Philippines to the Spratly islands. Should there be a confrontation between the Philippines and China over the issue as there very well could be then the U.S. would be obliged to intervene on the side of the Philippines.

Recently the Philippines Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin claimed that the U.S. had an obligation to protect militarily Philippine territorial claims in the South China Sea. This would include the Spratly's. Gazmin pointed out that the U.S. Secretary of Defens Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton secretary of state had both renewed their pledge that the U.S. will honor the 1951 military pact. China naturally has recently objected to the U.S. backing the Philippines and also military presence in the area.

This U.S. Philippine relationship could spark serious confrontations between the U.S. and China. For example Philippine warships recently tried to capture Chinese fishing vessels in the region but were driven off by Chinese fighting vessels. China is increasing its military presence in the area to counter Philippine actions. For its part the U.S. has increased its military presence and cooperation with the Philippine government. For more see this article.

U.S. marine presence in Philippines to increase

An article in a U.S. marines publication notes that more marines will be visiting the Philippines. At present the U.S. is involved in Joint Special Operations Task Force--Philippines. The paper describes this as a clandestine unit although it is hardly a secret that they are there!

The units work with the Philippine Armed Forces training them in counter-terrorism against Islamic militants mostly in Mindanao but also against the NPA Maoist rebels who have been operating in various rural parts of the Philippines for decades. They also carry out joint humanitarian operations.

However operations are to be expanded with more troops, aircraft, and ships visiting say U.S. and Philippines officials. U.S. General Joseph Dunford said that in coming years hundreds of marines will deploy to the islands as Obama emphasizes a focus on Asia.

Neither the American nor Philippine government have given much detail about the deployments. There are no U.S. permanent bases any longer.as the government demanded closure of the Subic Bay base in 1992.

Some groups in the Philippines are opposed to the U.S. military presence. There have been several incidents where U.S. soldiers have been charged with rape. The accused are taken into U.S. custody under the status of forces agreement. Some want changes to the agreement.

However the Philippine foreign affairs secretary said to Reuters:“We would like the Americans to come more often,. “Let’s have these joint training exercises more frequently and on a bigger scale — as many times as we can, in different places if we can.” A joint exercise called Balikatan runs from April 16--27 every year. This year will see disaster-relief training in Palawan and Luzon. About 4,500 U.S. and 2,300 Filipino soldiers will take part.

The Philippine government wants the U.S. on side to press for the Philippine claim to the Spratly Islands that are also claimed by China. There are undersea oil resources in the region.

China sees the renewed U.S. activity in south-east Asia as a provocation. One can imagine if China carried on similar activity in Cuba. For more see the full article. The U.S. will.also send more troops to Australia as well.

Philippines, US to hold naval exercises near Spratlys

This is from AFP.
I guess that this is meant to show those Chinese, Malaysians, and Vietnamese who is boss. The Americans! The Philippine sparrow, maya maya, can tag along flying under the American Eagle.


Philippines, US to hold naval exercises near Spratlys: report
1 day ago

MANILA (AFP) — US and Philippine forces will carry out joint naval exercises off Palawan, the closest major Philippine island to the disputed Spratlys chain in the South China Sea, a report said Saturday.

The joint exercises will begin Monday, Vice Admiral William Douglas Crowder, commander of the US seventh fleet flagship the USS Blue Ridge, told the Philippine Star newspaper.

About four US ships will sail to Palawan, southwest of Manila, for the combined naval war games involving about a thousand US and Filipino sailors, the newspaper said.

The Spratlys, a chain of islands and atolls believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits, are claimed in full or in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. All but Brunei have troops posted on some of the islands.

Naval officials told the paper the exercises would be held within the territorial waters of Palawan, away from the Spratlys, which are located off the island's western coast.

Military spokesmen in Manila would not confirm the report.

Philippines to upgrade facilities at disputed Spratlys chain

Vietnam, China, and the Philippines have some joint exploration agreement. I wonder where this leaves Malaysia and Brunei. Does China hold that Taiwan's claim is actually a claim of its own!! This is from ABC (Australian Broadcasting)

Philippines to upgrade facilities at disputed Spratlys
Air force chief, Lieutenant General Pedrito Cadungog says the airstrip at Kalayaan island will be lengthened and repaired to ensure air force transport aircrafts can continue to land there.

General Cadungog says the improvements which includes an upgrade of troops quarters should not be seen as a military buildup.

The Spratlys believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits -- are claimed in full or in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

All but Brunei have troops posted on some of the islands.

Diplomat: Philippine Ties with China in serious jeopardy.

This is from abs-cbnnews. On the other hand if the Philippines makes a good deal with China and Vietnam on oil exploration and development in the Spratlys the U.S. may not be happy. If Arroyo gets in trouble maybe the U.S. will not let her and her hubby run off to some undisclosed properties in the U.S. one destination for Filipino politicians under distress or investigation at home. This is from bulatlat.
"Two cause-oriented groups disclosed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Mike Arroyo, did not include in their joint Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) from 1992 to 2002 a multi-million dollar real estate properties acquired in the United States since 1992.

Based on documents obtained by the fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya, or National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines) and the peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines), the latest property acquired by the Arroyos was a real estate property located at 1510 Austin St, San Francisco, California on Sept. 1, 1999 from Jerry Benjamin and Karen M."




RP ties with China in 'serious jeopardy', diplomat warns


By Estrella Torres
Business Mirror

A SENIOR diplomat has warned that the Philippines’ diplomatic relations with China “is in serious jeopardy” owing to the controversy surrounding the National Broadband Network deal (NBN) with ZTE Co. that has dragged other bilateral agreements with that country.

The official said the NBN-ZTE controversy is not in anyway linked with the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) and even the Spratly issue that has been subject to diplomatic reviews for almost 10 years.

“We are putting our diplomatic relations with China, in serious jeopardy because the ZTE investigation is being linked with the JMSU. The Chinese government is now protesting the way we [Philippine government] handle the matter,” said a senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), who spoke on condition of anonymity.

She believes that the US government, a major economic rival of China, is “fueling” the opposition to the JMSU.

“The US has been wanting to be involved in the oil exploration in the South China sea but the Philippines has already agreed to undertake this with China,” said the diplomat.

Also, the US Embassy in Manila also expressed concern over the award of the NBN project with China’s ZTE because a US telecommunications company lost in the bidding.

The eroding trust in the Arroyo administration is compounding the problem, she said. “The problem is, the Arroyo administration has lost its credibility to govern and anything it does now is being viewed with distrust.”

DIPLOMATS GUIDED PNOC ON JMSU

Another DFA official privy to the negotiations on JMSU, meanwhile, said the agreement with China and Vietnam was separately negotiated from the economic agreements with China, which include Northrail and the NBN project with ZTE.

The official explained the JMSU was internally discussed by an inter-agency team that includes officials from the DFA, National Security Council, Department of Energy and the Department of Justice. It was the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) that negotiated the JMSU as a commercial agreement with its Chinese and Vietnamese counterparts.

“Although the JMSU is a commercial agreement by nature, the PNOC was provided with policy guidance by the inter-agency team that includes the DFA, because the seismic activity would have implications on the respective claims to the Spratly Islands by the Philippines, China and Vietnam,” the official said.

The JMSU was signed by the Philippines, China and Vietnam in September 2005 as part of the confidence-building measures of claimant countries to the Spratly Islands, she said.

The diplomat recalled that the interagency team conducted strings of meetings at the DFA to discuss the JMSU, “because not only were we going to break new ground in regional diplomacy but we also had to make sure it was above board.”

She said the JMSU is guided by the Constitution and the Declaration of Conduct on the South China Sea, a Philippine-initiated agreement signed by China, and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on November 2, 2002.

China: Accord with Philippines, Vietnam conducive to peace.

This is from mb.com.ph.
It seems that some in the Philippines think that the joint Vietnamese, Philippines, China deal was signed in exchange for some payments to persons in the Philippines associated with the broadband and other deals. Since there may be oil and gas reserves in the Spratly Islands area there is bound to be some degree of conflict as to who owns what. An agreement between the three concerned countries though does seem a positive development in principle at least.


Accord with RP, Vietnam conducive to peace – China



Charissa M. Luci

The Chinese government stood firm yesterday that the tripartite cooperation agreement it forged with the Philippines and Vietnam is "conducive" to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.


Peng Xiubin, Chinese embassy spokesman, said his government’s position on the issue is "consistent and explicit."

"China stands for peaceful resolution of disputes over the South China Sea through friendly consultation. In order to maintain stability in the South China Sea and to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, China has put forward the proposition of shelving disputes and going in for joint development, which serves the common interest of all sides concerned," he said in a statement.

The Chinese official said the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU), an agreement signed in 2004 by China and the Philippines and with Vietnam the following year, complies with the principles of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

It is "conducive to maintenance of peace and stability in South China Sea and the region at large," he said.

Peng also expressed China’s concern over claims that such deal impinged on the Philippines’ sovereignty and territorial integrity on the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea and has something to do with the Chinese loans.

"China is worried about some recently emerged tendencies in the Philippines, which may impose negative influence on China-Philippine friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.

Various camps claimed that the agreement was inked in exchange for Chinese loans on the infamous broadband, cyber education, North Rail and South Rail projects.

"We hope to make joint efforts with the Philippines to properly handle the problems related to our bilateral cooperation, so as to maintain healthy development of China-Philippine relations and to safeguard peace and stability in South China Sea and the region at large," Peng said.

He said the bilateral relations have been growing over the years, adding that China considers the Philippines as an important and strategic partner in Southeast Asia.

"With the common efforts of China and the Philippines, China-Philippines relations have been developing smoothly over the recent years. The increasingly expanded mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between the two countries has brought about tangible benefits to the two peoples," he said.

Peng said the Chinese government has established the policy of developing strategic partnership and all-round friendly cooperation with member- countries of the ASEAN.

"As the Philippines is a important member of ASEAN, China attaches great importance and makes relentless efforts to developing good-neighborly friendly relations with the Philippines," he said.

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador Song Tao cited said the three-decades old diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines has moved into "a new period of comprehensive development."

* * * *

Congress urged to pass archipelagic baselines law

David Cagahastian

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol urged Congress yesterday to pass the bill that would update the Philippines’ archipelagic baselines, including its territorial claims on the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Apostol said Congress should pass the bill or the Philippines will lose its claims to some parts of the disputed Spratly islands which are believed to have untapped oil and gas reserves.

"Dapat ituloy ng Congress ang amendments of the existing law on the continental shelf, otherwise we will no longer claim what is ours within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) granted to us by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," Apostol said.

If Congress does not pass the bill, he said, other claimant countries like China and Vietnam might claim ownership of even established Philippine territory, like the so-called Scarborough Shoals, which is not claimed by any other country.

The Philippine baselines were set by Republic Act 3046 and amended by RA 5446, but Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the Philippines’ baselines, as defined by the two laws, still do not abide by some provisions of the UNCLOS defining new archipelagic baselines which the Philippines, being an archipelago, should formally claim through legislation.

The passage of the bill that would update the baselines was postponed at the House of Representatives after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) submitted to the House an unsigned document supposedly signifying China’s opposition to the passage of the bill.

Apostol said the Chinese should bring to the United Nations their objections to the passage of the bill that will update the Philippines’ baselines if they indeed have objections to it.

The updating of the archipelagic baselines would also update the 200-nautical mile EEZ of the Philippines and allow the Philippines to come up with a formal claim before the UN over the extended continental shelf in the seas surrounding the country.

The Philippines only has until May 13, 2009 to file a formal claim before the UNCLOS on the extent of its extended continental shelf. The claim cannot be completed until the archipelagic baselines are updated by legislation.