Marcos: EU support gives PH, ASEAN 'strong position' to negotiate South China Sea issues

Having the strategic support of the European Union places the ASEAN and the Philippines in "a very strong position" to negotiate issues as regards the South China Sea, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.

At the press conference of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit, Marcos was asked what concrete steps both regional groups could take to ensure the rule of law in disputed areas.

He said objections to violations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea would be stronger if raised by a group of nations such as the ASEAN and the EU.

"Every action that might be taken that objects or brings light to a possible violation of the UNCLOS is much stronger when it is brought about by a group of nations such as ASEAN and if the EU, now with our strategic partnership, is able to also join their voices to that, then that will be much stronger in the terms of actually being able to enforce what UNCLOS is all about," Marcos said.

Marcos said the EU's commitment found in the joint declaration to "the doctrine of behaviors in the South China Sea is already a very, very big step for us in the Philippines, for example, and all the countries around the South China Sea."

"That we now have the strategic support from not only the member-countries of EU but of EU itself, because EU and ASEAN together comprise the largest, most well-organized regional aggrupations, then that will be a very strong position to be able to negotiate even individually for the Philippines or jointly with ASEAN or even with the EU as perhaps a third party for us to take action and to negotiate further these difficulties that we are all having to face with the problems in terms of territoriality in the  South China Sea," Marcos said.

China, invoking its historical nine-dash line, is claiming most of the South China Sea.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China's claims and upheld the Philippines exclusive economic zone as provided under the UNCLOS.

China has repeatedly said that it did not recognize the arbitration ruling and continued to claim areas in the region well within the Philippines' EEZ.

Marcos in September asserted the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, saying Philippines and China had no “territorial conflict.” He said Beijing is claiming what is part of the country’s territory.

“The position that the Philippines takes is that we have no territorial conflict with China. What we have [is] China claiming territory that belongs to the Philippines,” Marcos said in an interview with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who hosted the President’s meeting with the Asia Society in New York.  

“This is the position we take, and with our American partners, we have promoted that position. We have also made it clear to our friends in Beijing that this is the way we feel about it,” he said. 

The President, meanwhile, urged for a closer maritime cooperation to address the sea row and geo-political rivalry in the Indo-Pacific.

“Beyond declaring respect and support for UNCLOS as a legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and seas, we need to see an effective application of the UNCLOS to address the maritime disputes and geo-political rivalry in the Indo-Pacific to truly realize the still distant aspiration for the Indo-Pacific to become a sea of peace and prosperity for us all,” he said during his speech at the Commemorative Summit between the ASEAN and the EU.

The Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recently confirmed the “swarming” of several Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The Wescom, which guards the Kalayaan Islands, said these vessels went near Palawan despite the note verbale sent by the Philippines.—NB/AOL, GMA Integrated News