Philippines says Asean remains soft on China over maritime row, risks irrelevance

Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro also calls for alignment of Manila’s operations and the Mutual Defence Treaty to counter China

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A Chinese coastguard ship and a Philippine coastguard ship sailing near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:25pm, 28 Aug 2024Updated: 5:34pm, 28 Aug 2024

Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro has warned Asean could risk losing its relevance if it continued to go soft on Beijing’s aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, as he urged the bloc to do more to defuse the long-running maritime tensions.

Teodoro said Manila and its security partners need to move beyond issuing statements condemning China and devise a strategy to counter the Asian giant in the resource-rich waterway.

“We have to tailor our operations to include our [Mutual Defence Treaty] to meet this dynamism,” he told a defence forum in Manila on Tuesday, referring to the pact binding Washington and Manila to come to each other’s aid in times of aggression by an external power.

Chinese and Philippine ships have been involved in a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters in recent months, including a collision last Sunday near Sabina Shoal, an atoll claimed by both sides but controlled by neither.

China said it took “control measures” against two Philippine coastguard ships that had entered waters close to the shoal.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for the coastguard, said the mission was abandoned due to Beijing’s “excessive” deployment of vessels and rough sea conditions.