Philippines Seeks Fresh Strategy in Countering China in Sea Feud
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(Bloomberg) -- The Philippines should revamp its approach in dealing with Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea as “traditional methods of diplomacy” are being disregarded and current efforts are heading in a “poor direction,” according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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“We have to come up with a new concept, a new principle, a new idea so that we move, as I say, we move the needle the other way,” Marcos said in a statement on Tuesday. “We’ve gone down the wrong road,” he said, as he rallied allies to come out with a joint position, in remarks first made before the Japanese media on Saturday.
China and the Philippines have been locked in an escalating territorial spat in the South China Sea, a key trade corridor with huge energy potential that both sides want to take advantage of. The Philippines has been filing diplomatic protests, summoning China’s envoy after increasingly tense encounters in contested waters and also calling out China’s coast guard.
The Southeast Asian nation has also floated the idea of filing another case against Beijing, and holding separate talks with neighbors for a sea code. China has maintained its maritime actions are lawful.
Marcos, who discarded his predecessor’s non-confrontational approach in the South China Sea when he took office last year, suggested increased involvement among other stakeholders that will promote peace and also resolve the issue sooner rather than later.
The Philippine leader said the situation in the disputed sea will not improve if his nation continues to deal with China in the same way. The nation must also move quickly in resolving the issue as it’s already affecting the livelihood of its fishermen.
Marcos, on weekend, also said energy exploration in the West Philippine Sea — the portion of the South China Sea that the nation claims — must start before the country’s Malampaya gas field is commercially depleted in the coming years. China for its part said it will conduct sea trials for deepwater drilling vessel, according to a Reuters report.
“It’s time that the countries that feel that they have an involvement in this situation, we have to come up with a paradigm shift,” Marcos said.
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