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‘The aggressiveness of China has been a number of years within the making,’ says Protection Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
MANILA, Philippines – China’s aggressiveness within the Indo-Pacific is rooted in long-standing strategic ambitions impartial of any US coverage, and the area’s challenges stem from Beijing’s personal expansionist agenda, the Philippines’ high protection official mentioned on Wednesday, July 9.
The Philippines and China have had a collection of run-ins and heated exchanges within the busy waterway of the South China Sea over the previous two years, together with an incident in June final 12 months when a Philippine sailor misplaced a finger.
“The aggressiveness of China has been a number of years within the making,” Protection Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. mentioned in an interview on the Reuters NEXT Asia summit in Singapore.
“China’s design for the area doesn’t depend upon any American chief,” Teodoro mentioned, replying to a question whether or not US President Donald Trump’s model and stance had served as a catalyst for China’s actions.
“It relies upon by itself plan of motion within the area, its personal expansionist actions, its personal want to regulate the realm.”
Whereas acknowledging that US insurance policies affect regional dynamics, Teodoro mentioned China’s actions have been “pre-determined” by its management, no matter who was in energy in Washington.
Regardless of rising stress within the main regional flashpoint of the South China Sea, Teodoro dismissed fears that battle was on the horizon.
“The prospect of warfare just isn’t imminent,” he added. “I imagine it’s distant, however that may completely rely on the interior situations of China.”
China’s embassy in Manila didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
China claims nearly the whole South China Sea, regardless of overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Teodoro mentioned Manila was centered on deterrence, backed by diplomacy.
“You may’t have diplomacy with no credible deterrent power, and what we’re doing is merely placing a cease, as finest as we are able to, to the unlawful incursions of China, which I don’t suppose any nation on this planet helps,” he mentioned.
To spice up its exterior protection capabilities, the Philippines is investing billions of {dollars} to modernize its army, and a part of that plan is to amass multi-role fighter jets.
Whereas submarines have been on the wishlist, Teodoro mentioned they weren’t a precedence in the mean time, with the deal with weaponising and constructing infrastructure to keep up present platforms.
Teodoro rejected the notion that ASEAN had failed to answer China’s actions, on condition that the 10-nation Southeast Asian bloc has been engaged on a code of conduct with Beijing to avert confrontations within the South China Sea.
“It’s apparent that ASEAN international locations are cautious and frightened about China’s actions. If not, there could be no name for a code of conduct within the South China Sea.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to be very involved about what is occurring.”
Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took workplace in 2022, Manila has grown more and more vocal in its opposition to China’s actions within the South China Sea, whereas considerably strengthening ties with conventional ally america, and like-minded companions, reminiscent of Australia and Japan.
Teodoro believed it will be tough for any future chief to reverse present coverage as a result of it has sturdy public backing. Marcos’ single-six 12 months time period ends in 2028.
“I really feel that any chief sooner or later, within the face of what China is doing, and within the face of public opinion… and there’s a mistrust, not of China, however of the Chinese language authorities in what they’re doing. So it will be laborious for any chief to reshape that narrative,” he mentioned. – Rappler.com
