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Escalating Tensions in Taiwan Strait 'Major Concern' for Philippines - Security Policy
Escalating Tensions in Taiwan Strait 'Major Concern' for Philippines - Security Policy
Sputnik International
The Philippine government says the escalating tensions between China and Taiwan are a "major concern" for the country.
2023-08-15T22:10+0000
2023-08-15T22:10+0000
2023-08-15T22:10+0000
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"The Philippines is concerned about its economic stability, a potential influx of refugees, and the welfare of overseas populations ... Any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would inevitably affect the Philippines given the geographic proximity of Taiwan to the Philippine archipelago and the presence of over 150,000 Filipinos in Taiwan," the Philstar Global news portal quoted the national security policy as saying. The Philippine government added in the paper that territorial disputes with China remain the country's primary national interest. The Philippines also said that the "heightened rivalries among the major powers are contributing to a more tense geopolitical landscape." In early August, the coast guard of the Philippines (PCG) "strongly condemned" the Chinese coast guard's "dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons against the PCG vessels" near Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal. China Coast Guard fired back, saying that two cargo ships and two PCG vessels entered the territorial waters of the Nansha (Spratly) Islands without Chinese permission, adding that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters. In July, the PCG accused China Coast Guard's ships of preventing its vessels from approaching the reef. The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the Philippines' accusation, saying that "the Chinese maritime police ships enforced the law in line with regulations" and "acted professionally and proportionately to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime order." The reef, known as Ren'ai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines, is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, a major archipelago that China and several other Asian nations lay rival claims to. The Philippines grounded a navy transport ship, BRP Sierra Madre, on the reef in 1999 to house a contingent of marines.
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Escalating Tensions in Taiwan Strait 'Major Concern' for Philippines - Security Policy
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Philippine government considers the escalating tensions between China and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait a "major concern" for the country and has the "potential to be the flashpoint in the region," the Philippines' National Security Policy 2023 to 2028 showed on Tuesday.
"The Philippines is concerned about its economic stability, a potential influx of refugees, and the welfare of overseas populations ... Any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would inevitably affect the Philippines given the geographic proximity of Taiwan to the Philippine archipelago and the presence of over 150,000 Filipinos in Taiwan," the Philstar Global news portal quoted the national security policy as saying.
The Philippine government added in the paper that territorial disputes with China remain the country's primary national interest.
"The divergences of claims, as well as the claimants’ methods of asserting their positions, continue to pose strategic challenges, endangering not only the country's territorial integrity, but also the Filipino people's exercise of legitimate rights and their safety and well-being," the document said.
The Philippines also said that the "heightened rivalries among the major powers are contributing to a more tense geopolitical landscape."
In early August, the coast guard of the Philippines (PCG) "strongly condemned" the Chinese coast guard's "dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons against the PCG vessels" near Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal.
China Coast Guard fired back, saying that two cargo ships and two PCG vessels entered the territorial waters of the Nansha (Spratly) Islands without Chinese permission, adding that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters.
In July, the PCG accused China Coast Guard's ships of preventing its vessels from approaching the reef. The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the Philippines' accusation, saying that "the Chinese maritime police ships enforced the law in line with regulations" and "acted professionally and proportionately to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime order."
The reef, known as Ren'ai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines, is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, a major archipelago that China and several other Asian nations lay rival claims to. The Philippines grounded a navy transport ship, BRP Sierra Madre, on the reef in 1999 to house a contingent of marines.
