MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines rejects any attempt to undermine its national interests, particularly through the use of force in the disputed South China Sea, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said on Friday.
The Philippines and China have accused each other for months of dangerous maneuvers with their ships near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll in Manila's 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual shipping trade, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
“We reject any attempt to undermine our strategic institutions, especially through the use of force aimed at coercing and subordinating the national interests of the Philippines,” Ano told a forum marking the eighth anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that China’s claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis.
Ano, however, said the Philippines is “committed to the cause of peace.” “We are committed to addressing and managing difficult issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.
China does not recognize the court's 2016 ruling.
On Friday, the European Union (EU) issued a statement marking the anniversary of the ruling, saying all parties must “respect and honour the ruling”, which was “legally binding”.
China criticized the EU for the statement, saying the EU ignores historical and objective facts and “openly agrees” with what it calls the violation of the Philippines' sovereignty.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement marking the anniversary of the ruling that his country remains “deeply concerned” by China's actions in the disputed waters.
“We continue to call on the People's Republic of China to abide by the 2016 arbitration court ruling and end its dangerous and destabilizing behavior,” Blinken said.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair and Michael Perry)
