Palace: Radar stations in South China Sea will not annoy China

The Philippines is confident that its plan to set up radar stations near an area of the South China Sea [also called West Philippine Sea] will not annoy Beijing. At a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said it is the right of the Philippine government to “put up the necessary equipment that we see fit to defend our borders." “I don’t think it should annoy them," Lacierda said. “This is not only meant for military use. We have a long coastline, so that’s part of our modernization. It can be used for other valid purposes." He added that Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie was aware that the Philippines is upgrading its defense equipment. Liang went to the Philippines last May and met with Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. “When the Defense Minister came over, we informed them that we were inquiring Hamilton Class Cutter and several upgrades and the Defense minister said that we understand your situation," Lacierda said. He added that the strengthening of defense on oil and gas assets should not offend anyone. “It’s the inherent and sovereign right of our country to defend itself and to modernize whatever equipment they see fit." The radar stations will be set up east of Palawan island in an area of the South China Sea not claimed by China, but other nearby fields the Philippines wants to develop are in contested areas of the sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims on the sea, which is a key shipping lane and rich in fish, and also sits on potential large oil and gas deposits. Last week, President Benigno Aquino III met his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in Beijing and the two agreed on the need for a binding code of conduct in the sea. - with report from Reuters/KBK, GMA News