DND dismisses China’s warning vs Balikatan, trade deals with US

The Department of National Defense on Wednesday cited “freedom” as it dismissed China's opposition to the Balikatan joint military exercise and trade deals with the United States.

In an ambush interview, DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. responded to China’s statement against the deployment of the US Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) missile system to the Philippines for this year’s Balikatan military exercise. NMESIS is a highly mobile coastal anti-ship missile system developed to give the U.S. Marine Corps the ability to strike enemy surface vessels from land-based positions.

Teodoro quoted China’s statement warning other countries against making trade deals with the US to Beijing's detriment.

“Ito sabi nila, 'Appeasement cannot bring peace and compromise cannot win respect. For one's own temporary selfish interest sacrificing the interest of others in exchange for support and so on,’” he said.

(This is what China said, 'Appeasement cannot bring peace and compromise cannot win respect. For one's own temporary selfish interest sacrificing the interest of others in exchange for support and so on.’)

“Bakit pagdating naman sa atin, iba naman ang gusto nilang gawin natin. So iba po ang sinasabi nila kapag sila ang naapektuhan kaysa sila po ang agrabyado talaga. Ang ginagawa nila sa atin ay nagtatangkang sumupil sa atin. Tayo ba ay mag-a-appease o magko-compromise e sila nga mismo sinasabi hindi sila nagko-kompromiso. So anong tama doon?” he added.

(Why is it when it comes to [the Philippines], they want us to do something different. So they say something different when they are the ones affected. What they are attempting is to suppress us. Should we appease or compromise when they themselves said they are not compromising. So is that the right thing to do?)

The Defense Secretary pointed out such statements from Beijing are just “propaganda” and that the Philippines has the freedom to make its own decisions.

“Sa ating mga kababayan ay tingnan natin anong klaseng ano ito kasi ang mga statement nila kailangan intindihin natin propaganda iyan. Hindi messaging iyan, propaganda iyan,” he said.

(To our countrymen, let's see what kind of statements they are making, we need to understand that this is propaganda. That's not messaging, that's propaganda.)

“Tayo nagsasabi lang tayo ng katotohanan. May freedoms tayo dito,” he added.

(We're just telling the truth. We have freedoms here.)

On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called out the Philippines for its military drills with US forces.

“The Philippines chose to conduct the large-scale military drills with this country outside the region and brought in strategic and tactical weapons to the detriment of regional strategic stability and regional economic prospects, which puts them on the opposite side of regional countries,” he said.

“China firmly opposes any country using the Taiwan question as an excuse to strengthen military deployment in the region, heighten tensions and confrontation, and disturb regional peace and stability,” Guo added.

The Chinese official also warned that “those who play with fire will perish by it.” —RF, GMA Integrated News