The recently organized meetings in the third Belt and Road Forum by China, the absence of the Philippines have once again turned worrying in a short time. Amidst the recent tensions between Beijing and Manila, the absence of the Philippines from the bilaterally signed ties on BRI gives a signal of worsening the situation further.
Both countries have to improve their communication channels to down the further escalation of the tensions. While Manila’s absence is not in a good light and a strong indication to Beijing that Manila is not going to accept any sort of aggressive and unprofessional activities across the South China Sea region, there is a need to seek practical possible cooperation ground.
Maritime and island-related territorial disputes should not be the ground for reducing diplomatic and dialogue-based communication, but with regard to the South China Sea row between the Philippines and China, the situation is going in a bad light. The Philippines is abstaining its presence from high-level dialogue while maintaining the high-level security discussion is the key to reducing the tensions and geopolitical volatility in the region.
Before the recent tension, both countries had agreed to make efforts to boost ties despite having disputes over the claim. Three high-level Beijing officials visited Manila last year. As the South China Morning Post reported, a Chinese journalist and analyst Jaime FlorCruz was appointed as Manila’s ambassador to Beijing, and the high-level dialogue between the two countries started to make their place on priority over and above the disputes.
Source: South China Morning Post
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his Chinese counterpart Xi met on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bangkok. However, the recent escalation seems to have the negotiation distant dream.
Recent tensions between the Philippines and China
Manila has accused Beijing of ignoring the disputed claims over the South China Sea. In 1999, the Philippines deliberately stalled BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, which is a submerged reef situated in the Spratly Islands. This was the counter initiative by Manila, to check the expansion of China and eventually, this ship became a growing flashpoint in the disputed water. Beijing’s claims over the warship’s removal have also been ignored.
Source: Forbes
In recent months Beijing’s attempted to block Philippine boats from delivering supplies to smooth patrolling forces abroad. The claim of Beijing over the Spratly Islands and other islands in the South China Sea has no legal basis, the Philippines repeatedly argues. China has previously said that its coast guard has acted in a professional and restrained manner in blocking Philippine boats from reaching the Sierre Madre.
Contrary, to Manila’s official sources China is not willing to negotiate, rather its growing assertiveness became a cause of concern for all the countries in the region. While global community repeatedly appeal to Beijing to adopt a pacific means to resolve the maritime disputes with the Southeast Asian countries. Beijing and Manila, on the recent escalation, both the countries have not started to negotiate yet for making a consensus to safeguard the marine resources over the disputed regions.
Significance of the South China Sea
The South China Sea is a rich waterbody in marine biodiversity. Over 30% of coral reefs can be found in the region. With the presence of the Strait of Malacca and Taiwan Strait on the Southwestern side, the sea became an important chokepoint for international trade. 80% of the sea-lane communication and international trade traffic passes through the region. Moreover, the region has some large reserves of oil and natural gas, which also fuelled the geopolitical competition for having a significant dominance in the region. Several key players started to assert their influence over the region. The US has a long-standing presence in the region, but the European countries and Canada recently asserted their active role in the region.
