(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte said that China had informed him they were not building anything on a disputed shoal in the South China Sea out of their new friendship, and he is confident that China will “not touch” the disputed shoal.
Duterte’s remark came amid a comment by a mayor in charge of China-controlled disputed islands and reefs last week that preparatory work was being planned to build several monitoring stations, including on the Scarborough shoal.
“I was informed that they are not going to do anything at Panatag out of respect for our friendship. They will stop it, they will not touch it. China said we should not worry, we are friends,” President Duterte said.
China’s activities in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which at least 5 trillion dollars of goods passes annually, have been closely watched by the Philippines, which has seen Beijing build and arm artificial islands in its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
The Scarborough shoal is symbolic of the Philippines’ long struggle to assert itself against China’s maritime ambitions.
Located 124 miles off the Philippine coast, the rocky outcrop was a rich fishing ground for Filipinos until China’s Coastguard blockaded the area in 2012 during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, who had aggressively criticized China and supported war games with the United States.
The Philippines has subsequently filed a case at an international court in The Hague challenging China’s claim on the shoal, in which it had received a favorable ruling in 2016.
Duterte, however, agreed to set aside the ruling for the meantime, stressing the country’s need to trade with China.
“As I said, I want to trade with you because you are a very prosperous country, so I need the money, so in the meantime I set it (arbitral ruling) aside, but I said remember my caveat, I will bring it at some point,” Duterte said.
China denies reports of building on disputed shoal
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry denied reports that China will begin preparatory work this year for an environmental monitoring station on disputed Scarborough shoal in the South China Sea.
“I want to say, China places great importance on the preservation of the South China Sea’s ocean ecology, this is certain. According to the relevant bodies in China, the reports you mention that touch upon building environmental monitoring stations on Scarborough Shoal are mistaken, these things are not true. I also want to say, with regards to Scarborough Shoal, China’s position is consistent and clear,” said China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying
“Meanwhile, we place great importance on China-Philippines relations, cherish the current good momentum of development in China-Philippine relations, and will continue to be devoted to promoting healthy, stable and rapid development of China-Philippines relations,” she said.
Earlier this month, Xiao Jie, the mayor of what China calls Sansha City, said that China planned to begin preparatory work this year to build environmental monitoring stations on a number of islands, including Scarborough shoal. (with a Reuters report)
