BBM challenges Chinese premier over intimidation

‘You cannot separate economic cooperation from political security’

- HELEN FLORES

VIENTIANE - President Marcos yesterday challenged Chinese Premier Li Qiang over recent acts of intimidation by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels in the South China Sea as fears mount that encounters at sea could turn deadly.

Marcos voiced his message at the meeting between Li and the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), after a day of discussions dominated by the Myanmar civil war.

Recent months have seen a spate of hostile actions by Chinese ships against Philippine vessels in waters around reefs and islands in the West Philippine Sea, which China claims as its own.

A Southeast Asian diplomat who attended the closed-door meeting told reporters that Marcos argued that "you cannot separate economic cooperation from political security."

The summit with Li was largely focused on trade, and took place on the same day that he met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said Beijing has agreed to lift sanctions on Australia's lucrative lobster industry.

But Marcos reportedly said at the meeting that ASEAN and China cannot pretend that all is well on the economic front when there are tensions on the political front.

Marcos said "it is regrettable" that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains "tense and unchanged."

"We continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation," Marcos said. "Parties must be earnestly open to seriously managing the differences and to reduce tensions."

He reportedly raised at the meeting the issue of aggression and harassment by the China Coast Guard against Philippine vessels on routine maritime patrol in Escoda Shoal in August.

Escoda Shoal is located 75 nautical miles from the coastline of Palawan and is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

On three separate occasions, the CCG harassed Philippine vessels with blaring horns, used water cannons and rammed them, the President said.