NSA Carlos recommends regional fishing agreement with China amid West Philippine Sea issue

National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos on Friday suggested a regional regulatory fishing agreement with China amid its alleged continued activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Carlos pointed out that there should be a fishing agreement for the meantime since the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (SCS) has yet to be finished.

“Sana matapos na yung balangkas na yun na ginagawa ko para hanggang hindi pa natatapos yung Code of Conduct, na susmaryosep sobrang tagal na talaga yung Code of Conduct na yan, ay yung regulatory fishing agreement muna,” she said.

(I hope I will finish my draft since the Code of Conduct, which is already long overdue, is not yet finished. For the meantime, we should have a fishing agreement.)

With the agreement, Carlos said all concerned countries, not only China, will decide when it comes to the declaration of a fishing holiday.

She made the statement following the reported new constructions and reclamations being made China in some unoccupied features in the WPS. The Chinese embassy in Manila has dismissed the report as "fake news."

PH-China ties

Carlos said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian visited her on Thursday. According to her, she brought up to Xilian the “repetitive” concerns of the Philippines about China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Carlos said she told the Xilian that China and the Philippines need to change direction in their relationship especially since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to visit China in January 2023.

"Kahapon, bisita ko si Ambassador Huang Xilian ng Chinese embassy at aking in-emphasize ito. Bakit paulit-ulit na ito at ilang hundreds na yung note verbale, I could not keep count na kung ilan na yang hundreds na note verbal ang naibigay natin, letters of protest at talagang kailangan na talagang magkaroon ng ibang direksyon ang ating relationship lalo na pupunta ang Presidente natin sa January 3 sa China,” she said.

(Yesterday, Ambassador Huang Xilian ng Chinese embassy  was my guest and I emphasized to him, why is it happening over and over again? We already sent hundreds of note verbal and letters of protest that I already could not keep count. We really need to change the direction of the relationship between the Philippines and China since our President will go to China on January 3.)

New constructions

Bloomberg earlier reported that China is building new constructions and reclamations in at least four unoccupied features in the Spratlys namely Eldad Reef, Whitsun Reef, Lankiam Cay, and Sandy Cay.

Eldad and Whitsun Reefs are located 48 and 60 nautical miles, respectively, from Pag-asa Island and are within the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

The Chinese embassy in Manila and the South China Sea (SCS) Probing Initiative have denied Bloomberg's report, calling it "fake news."

In a tweet, the SCS Probing Initiative said sandbars and formations of Lankiam Cay, Eldad Reef, and Whitsun Reef "naturally change every year" while Sandy Cay is already occupied by Vietnam.

According to Carlos, the investigation of concerned government agencies on the matter is still ongoing. —KBK, GMA Integrated News