Duterte to assert PHL rights in talks with China’s Xi

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday vowed to be frank with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Danang, Vietnam later this week.

In a speech before the Philippine Marines on occasion of its 67th anniversary, Duterte indicated that he would insist on the country's rights amid China's apparent construction spree in the Paracels, a group of islands claimed by both China and Vietnam.

The Department of National Defense has also said that it would be concerned if China would send its largest dredging vessel to the South China Sea.

"I am tempted to tell you something of my theory but I’m going to APEC tomorrow. And we have the bilaterals," Duterte said at the 67th anniversary of the Philippine Marine Corps in Fort Bonifacio.

"It would be at the time that I will be frank with China also. I know where Xi's going, the direction, and laro ito ng geopolitics. Sabi ko, it would change the entire landscape of Southeast Asia if something goes wrong," he added.

"But you will have to trust me na pupunta ako doon but I will assert something, and that is our inherent right one day, really put at stake to what we think is ours. It is not the time to do it," Duterte said.

Duterte said he was holding on to Xi's promise not to build structures on maritime areas claimed by both the Philippines and China.

"Ang sinabi ko lang naman kay Mr. Xi Jinping, 'Do not do… We will not reclaim sa Pag-asa pati ‘yung the nearby islands that we have occupied already. Small islands.' Sinabi niya, 'We will not.' And this is the assurance he gave to the Foreign Secretary na hindi niya gagalawin. He will not build something sa Scarborough Shoal," Duterte said.

"I just hope that he would honor it because it will change the entire geography of the world. And war starts. I don’t know what to be the next geographical division of Asia," he added.

Duterte warned that insisting and asserting the Philippines' arbitral claim "as demanded by some justices" could spark a war in the region as other claimants such as Vietnam and Taiwan could also start pushing for their claims.

"Instead of just facing one, I’d be facing many. Kaya’t kung mag-ka concessions given or conceded, the other countries who are also claimants on the same area will start to assert. Iyan ang problema ko. It’s really the changing geopolitics," he said.

Duterte has repeatedly said that he could not afford to go to war as it would only result in a massacre of Filipino soldiers.

China builds more in Paracels

China appear to have increased its structures in the Paracel Islands, recent satellite images showed.

According to a News to Go report last week, a comparison of images taken on November 11, 2015 October 12, 2017 indicated that additional facilities have been constructed in the area.

Aside from China, the Paracels are also being claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

Prof. Jay Batongbacal, UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Director, said in a recent  interview on Balitanghali that the expansion in the disputed islands showed China's willingness to break agreements to further its interests.

"Dagok rin yan sa Philippine policy dahil kumbaga, similarly situated ang Vietnam and Philippines dun sa concern nila over this Chinese reclamation," Batongbacal said.

"Dahil nga dito sa nangyayari sa Paracel, parang masasabi natin na hindi natin talaga mapapanghawakan 'yan for sure dahil nakita natin, when the opportunity presents itself umaaksyon ang China kahit ano pang sinabi niya before," he added.

Concern over China’s dredger

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the department of National Defense was monitoring the movement of China's new largest dredging vessel, the Tian Kun Hao.

“We have reports that they launched their big dredger but we don’t know where it is going. We are constantly monitoring the movement of this ship,” Lorenzana told reporters after the 78th DND anniversary on Monday.

“Now wala pa masyado siguro because wala pa naman ginagawa yung dredger na yan, where it is going, what will it do, we do not know. But the mere presence is a little bit concerning, yes,” he added.

Lorenzana said that all the islands being claimed and occupied by the Philippines are were now under heightened alert.

The West Philippine Sea is the part of the South China Sea being claimed by the Philippines.

“We have security there in Pagasa (island), meron tayong mga tropa doon and all the islands that we occupy so we will know immediately kung meron silang mga ginagawa sa mga island natin,” Lorenzana said.

He added the military was conducting regular patrols in the area.

“We have our ships going there, we have also our aerial patrol going regularly so we will be able to monitor the movement of this so-called very big dredger ship,” Lorenzana said.

Tian Kun Hao, measuring 140 meters long and 28 meters wide, has begun its water tests at the coastal province of Jiangsu.

It was reported to have a deck the size of nine basketball courts capable of dredging up to 6,000 cubic meters an hour and can dig as deep as 35 meters under the sea floor.

It replaces Tian Jing Hao as Asia's largest dredging vessel.

Tian Jing Hao was reported to have been extensively used in building artificial islands in the South China Sea.

The Philippines, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan are claiming in part or in whole the Spratly Islands which is believed to be rich in oil and minerals. —NB, GMA News