In 10 paragraphs, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian made known last Sunday, April 16, his government’s anger over the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allowing the United States military to preposition and store defense equipment, supplies and materiel in sites “only a stone’s throw away from Taiwan.”
He warned what China, which boasts of the strongest military in Asia and third in the world, might and can do: “… we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures.”
It’s not only in the disputed waters of South China Sea that China is flexing its muscle. It is also making troubling moves in Taiwan Strait.
But the big difference is, while the Philippine leadership acquiesces with nary a whimper amid China’s militarization of the seven reefs it had transformed into artificial islands in the disputed waters of Spratlys, Taiwan is protesting what it says is China’s violation of a 2015 agreement not to use the flight route that divides them.
A statement from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines states: “On Jan. 4, Taiwan government protested mainland China’s unilateral launch the northbound M503 flight route in the Taiwan Strait and the W121, W122, and W123 east-west extension routes.
The implementation of VISA-FREE entry to the ROC (Taiwan) for Filipinos has been rescheduled to September 2017, and the exact date of the commencement of the implementation of the visa-free treatment will be further announced in September or at other appropriate date this year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has recently announced that the implementation of visa-free entry to the ROC (Taiwan) for Filipinos has been postponed in order to complete relevant administrative procedures and inter-agency coordination. MOFA is expected to release the full details of the implementation of the said visa-free arrangements including the exact date of the commencement of implementing the visa-free treatment and its requirements either in September 2017 or at an appropriate date in due course.
Itu Aba. Photo by AMTI.CSIS.org
Is the water coming from the grounds of Itu Aba (Chinese name: Taiping; Philippine name: Ligaw) suitable for drinking?
The answer to this question is crucial in determining whether Itu Aba is an island or a rock.
The determination of Itu Aba’s feature- whether a rock or an island- is important in establishing the extent of the Philippine’s territory and coverage of its sovereignty.
Itu Aba, occupied by Taiwan, is the biggest feature in the Spratlys in South China Sea which is being claimed wholly by China and Taiwan and partly by Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS defines an island as “a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.”
Site of incidentRemember the Balintang Channel incident two years ago that briefly strained relations between the Philippines and Taiwan?
It was triggered by the shooting by members of the Philippine Coast Guard of a Taiwanese fishing vessel in the overlapping maritime borders between the Philippines and Taiwan in the Balintang Channel off Batanes on May 9, 2013. A Taiwanese fisherman, 65-year-old Hung Shih-cheng, was killed.
The Aquino government took the defensive position right away insisting that the Taiwanese vessel intruded into Philippine waters.
It was established that the incident happened 21.6 nautical miles from Batanes, not within the Philippine 12 nautical miles territorial waters but within the 200 NM economic exclusive zone. But at the same time it is 170 nautical miles from the southernmost point of Taiwan and still considered within its 200 EEZ.
International law provides the rules of engagement in overlapping EEZs. Shooting is never one of them.
Itu Aba, the biggest feature in Spratlys. Occupied by Taiwan.
The Republic of China (ROC) or Taiwan has its issue with mainland China (PROC-People’s Republic of China) but in matters of ownership of almost the whole of South China Sea, they have the same line.
In the statement released by Taiwan Tuesday, it asserted that Nansha islands also known as Spratly Islands; Shisha (Paracel) islands, Chungsha Islands Macclesfield Bank) and Tungsha (Pratas) Islands, as well as their surrounding waters, are an inherent part of ROC territory and waters.
“As the ROC enjoys all rights to these island groups and their surrounding waters in accordance with international law, the ROC government does not recognize any claim to sovereignty over, or occupation of, these areas by other countries, irrespective of the reasons put forward or methods used for such claim or occupation,” the statement said.
Taiwan Representative Gary Song-Huann LinAt the reunion of Filipinos who have been to Taiwan upon the invitation of Taiwan government last week, Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Manila, announced a number of good things that would strengthen relations between the Philippines and the Republic of China.
The one that I was interested in was the information that the famous Taiwanese dimsum restaurant, Din Tai Fung, will soon be in Manila.
The other welcome announcement was the increase of flights between Taiwan and the Philippines.
These developments show that despite institutional diplomacy limitations, relations between the Philippines and Taiwan continues to improve.
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The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines is inviting everyone to Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines is inviting all Filipinos to participate in a nationwide contest that offers three Taiwan Giant mountain bicycle Talon as prizes for the grand winners.
Aside from the grand prizes TECO said there will be six second prizes (Taiwan Acer Laptop), seven third prizes (Taiwan TECO LED 42-inch TV) and 14 special prizes (Taiwan ASUS FonePad 7 cell phone).
Update:
Taiwanese Foreign Minister David Lin just announced the lifting of the ban on hiring of Filipino workers for Taiwan, MECO Representative Antonio Basilio said.
Filipino workers in Taiwan
One lesson from the unfortunate May 9 incident in Balintang Channel that led to a strain in the otherwise robust relations with Taiwan is for government spokespersons to be careful with their statements.
They should learn to moderate their arrogance and avoid words that inflame the public. There’s no room for uncalled- for side remarks in a tense situation with another country. This is particularly true with Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.
Rage in Taiwan.Is President Aquino going to announce at his fourth State of the Nation address what he is going to do with the investigation report of the National Bureau of Investigation on the May 9, 2013 incident in Balintang Channel where a member of the Philippine Coast Guard shot and killed a Taiwanese fisherman?Protest vs Taiwan.
The NBI report, submitted to Aquino June 11, recommended the filing of administrative and criminal charges against the Coast Guard personnel, whose action caused serious diplomatic, political and economic problems for the country.
Although it has not been officially released, leaks to media, which were not denied by the NBI, revealed that the killing of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng, 65, was unwarranted.
Sources said testimonies of personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources belied the claim of PCG that the 15-ton fiberglass made fishing vessel was ramming the 110-ton BFAR owned vessel, to justify the shooting of the fishing boat.
Taiwanese President Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeo, under pressure from an outraged constituency, made four demands from the Philippine government: formal apology, investigate the shooting and punish the guilty, compensation, and fisheries agreement.
Taiwanese meanwhile imposed sanctions: a freeze in the hiring of Filipino workers and a travel alert.
The sanctions translate to a loss of millions, even billions, of pesos. It means thousands of Filipinos remaining jobless because some 2,500 job applications are processed by Taiwan from Filipino applicants monthly. Those new hires join the more than 100,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.
