Photo from the Armed Forces of the Philippines

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) dismissed the warning from China against Philippines naval exercise with the United States and Japan in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said that the AFP holds routine patrols and exercises within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial waters based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Collaboration with allies and other like-minded nations is a matter of national policy, designed to enhance defense capabilities and maritime domain awareness, ensure freedom of navigation, and uphold regional security,” Trinidad said.

These activities are sovereign rights and contribute to regional stability.

He added that pronouncements that deviate from established norms and lawful frameworks hold no weight against this unified stance.

Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela called out China for claiming that the Philippines was provoking and escalating tensions in the WPS.

Tarriela noted that it was China that occupied Panganiban Reef in 1995 claiming it would serve only as a fishermen’s shelter but nearly two decades later, it was transformed into a “heavily fortified military base, complete with defense capabilities, a naval base, and an airfield.”

Aside from this, he said China also turned Zamora Reef into an artificial island equipped with a 3,000-meter runway and military infrastructure. The island is near the edge of the Philippines’ EEZ and Pag-asa Island, which is occupied by the Philippines.

“So, the question arises: who is truly escalating the tension in the West Philippine Sea?” Tarriela said.

“We must also consider their ongoing deployment of maritime forces in the area, their aggressive harassment of ordinary fishermen, and their bullying tactics against smaller PCG vessels,” he added.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post on Saturday, China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) – Southern Theatre Command warned against the joint drills of the Philippines, US, and Japan in the WPS.

“We warn the Philippine side against provoking incidents and engaging in actions that heighten tensions in the South China Sea and seeking external support would prove futile,” PLA – Southern Theatre Command spokesperson Senior Colonel Tian Junli said in the news report.

The PLA – Southern Theatre Command also held a routine patrol as Philippines, US, and Japan conducted a joint sail in the WPS on March 28.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”

China has refused to recognize the decision.