China: PH risks 'greater insecurity' after US military aid

China has warned the Philippines of “greater insecurity” after the United States made a pledge of $500 million in military assistance to Manila amid the tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China’s position that the US is not a party to the South China Sea (SCS) issue and has no right to meddle in the maritime issues between Beijing and Manila.

“The Philippines needs to see that ganging up with countries outside the region to engage in confrontation in the South China Sea will only destabilize the region and create more tensions,” Lin said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“To seek security assurance from external forces will only lead to greater insecurity and turn oneself into someone else’s chess piece,” he added.

For the Chinese official, any actions to resort to “bloc politics” and “military confrontation” will not be popular among the people and will not succeed. 

“Our message for relevant country is that the only proven way to protect one’s own security and keep the region peaceful and stable is to commit oneself to good-neighborliness, return to dialogue and consultation and maintain strategic independence,” he added.

The US announced $500 million in funding for the Philippines' military and coast guard on Tuesday during the 4th Philippines-US Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue held in Manila.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the military aid will be used for "hardening" the country's capabilities to deter unlawful aggression.

“The priorities will be laid down in the security sector assistance roadmap. Naturally, a lot of our inherent hardening capabilities are included, like cyber capabilities and the like. These and all the EDCA investments will serve to secure the Philippines' credible deterrent posture,” Teodoro said.

“Every peso or dollar spent on hardening Philippine capabilities to defend itself and to deter unlawful aggression will be a plus against any threat actor, whether it be China or anyone,” he added.

Enhancing maritime and air defenses 

For maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal, the military aid from the US could improve the maritime and air defense capabilities of the Philippines.

“Para sa akin, sa ngayon, siguro yung ating maritime and air capabilities ang talagang nangangailangan ng mga enhancement. Kasi pagdating doon sa ating Army, ay mayroon na silang sapat na mga capabilities,” he told Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on state-run PTV.

(For me, I think our maritime and air capabilities need enhancement because our Army already has enough capabilities.) 

“Yun din ating Philippine Marines, sa ngayon ay parte ng Navy, dapat din silang mabigyan ng atensyon dito dahil yung ating archipelago, siyempre kailangan niya ang ganitong klaseng external defense capabilities na talagang magiging frontline mo ay yung nasa air, yung Air Force, tapos yung Navy and Marines,” Batongbacal added. 

(Also, our Philippine Marines, which are part of the Navy, should be given attention because our archipelago needs this kind of external defense capability wherein the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marines are on the frontlines.) 

US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Wednesday visited a Philippine Navy facility and other defense industrial sites in Subic Bay as he concluded his multi-day visit to the Indo-Pacific region.

"Yesterday you heard us talk about the $500 million in [foreign military financing] opportunity here that we're going to provide to the Philippines. We're excited about that, and that's going to help them modernize their military a bit further,” Austin told reporters.

“Today we saw some of our industrial base companies out here working together to create additional capability, and that's also very, very exciting,” he added.

The Philippines and China recently reached an understanding on an arrangement on rotation and resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea to avoid further altercations.

EXPLAINER: What is the Ayungin Shoal and why is it important?

Unlike in the previous missions, no untoward incident was reported in the Philippines' first resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal under the new deal with China.

During the 2+2 meeting in Manila, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the agreement between China and the Philippines. He said the US was pleased that there was no untoward incident in the latest mission.

China pushes a massive claim in the South China Sea, including the portion the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." —with Vince Angelo Ferreras/KBK/VBL, GMA Integrated News