China's new model claim 'nothing more than a new invention,' says Año

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Monday branded as ''nothing more than a new invention'' China’s so-called “new model” of conduct in the Ayungin Shoal. 

''Now, this new model announced by the Chinese Embassy is nothing more than a new invention. As the President has clearly stated, there is no agreement whatsoever about Ayungin Shoal and that we shall continue to do all activities within the bounds of international law and we shall brook no interference in our lawful actions,''  Año said in a seminar conducted by the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) for the Malacañang Press Corps.

''To make matters worse, the corrosive narratives are also parroted and amplified by local apologists, propagandists, trolls, and fearmongers who are promoting a 'defeatist' attitude reminiscent of collaborators in our history,'' he added.

Amid the proliferation of Chinese narratives when it comes to the West Philippine Sea,  Año called on members of the media and the public to "stand their ground and push back against these malign pieces of information that seek to undermine the national interest."

''The media, most especially, should never fall into a trap which clearly seeks to sow division in our country and weaken our resolve in asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the WPS,'' he said. 

''In the future, these tactics will escalate as tensions are expected to boil in the contested waters. It is very concerning for us—for in this era of digital connectivity, people easily fall into these traps,'' he added.

According to a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy, the reported agreement on BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal — which China calls Ren’ai Jiao — is “about managing the situation on the ground, maintaining peace and preventing conflicts” and is unrelated to the countries’ sovereign rights over the resource-rich waters. 

The spokesperson also said the Envoy of the President to China for Special Concerns of the Philippines was invited to Beijing in September last year, wherein they had an  “internal understanding” of the situation and later resulted to a “new model” for the management of the Ayungin Shoal after a series of discussions with the Philippine military.

No further details on the supposed “new model” was given.—LDF, GMA Integrated News