[Epoch Times, June 28, 2022]Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan will travel to the Philippines as Xi Jinping’s special envoy to attend the inauguration ceremony of new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced on the 28th: At the invitation of the Philippine government, Special Representative Xi Jinping and Wang Qishan will lead a delegation to the Philippines to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Marcos in Manila on June 30 (Thursday).
Earlier, Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Philippine President-elect Marcos. Zhao Lijian said that Wang Qishan’s “special trip to the Philippines to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Marcos” reflects “China attaches great importance to the Philippines and China-Philippines relations” and believes that it will “enhance mutual trust and continue cooperation”.
It is unclear whether or who the U.S. will send to participate in Marcos’ inauguration.
This is Wang Qishan’s second visit recently on behalf of Xi Jinping. He was invited by the South Korean government last month to attend the inauguration ceremony of South Korean President Yoon Sek-yue in Seoul on May 10.
However, for the new South Korean government and President Yoon Seok-wyeh, the trip did not lead to a warmer relationship between South Korea and China. Today (28th) Yin Xiyue went to Spain to attend the NATO summit. Reuters quoted Madrid diplomats as saying that the NATO summit will discuss a firmer confrontation with China’s military rise.
Philippines a focal point of U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry
The son of Philippine dictator Marcos, who won the Philippine presidential election last month, has drawn attention to his attitude toward Beijing and Washington.
Voice of America reported that Marcos said in an interview with several Philippine media on May 26 that he would defend the ruling in favor of the Philippines made by the International Court of Justice in July 2016 in the disputed islands in the South China Sea, and would not let Beijing Erosion of the Philippines’ maritime rights.
Marcos said he will continue to speak with Beijing with a “firm voice” and that the Philippines and China cannot go to war. He also said his government would pursue an independent foreign policy and that international partnerships were essential for a stable region.
Andreyka Natalegawa, an assistant researcher in the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA that the Philippine economic recovery needs China, but it will maintain its alliance with the United States; “too big to fail”, the bilateral alliance is based on mutual core values.
After Marcos was elected, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Marcos and his advisers in Manila on June 9. The two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in all aspects and strengthen long-term alliances.
Manila terminates talks with Beijing on South China Sea oil and gas development cooperation
Just before Marcos took office, the Philippines last week terminated negotiations with Beijing on cooperation in oil and gas development in the South China Sea. Outgoing Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on the 23rd that under the direction of President Rodrigo Duterte, Manila has completely terminated oil and gas development with Beijing in the South China Sea Cooperation and negotiation.
The Philippine “Daily Inquirer” and “Manila Bulletin” reported that in a speech on the 23rd to celebrate the 124th anniversary of the establishment of the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu Xin said that Duterte’s instructions have been implemented, “the discussion of oil and gas has been completely terminated. There is no What’s up in the air; it’s all over.”
“Three years have passed. We have yet to achieve the goal of developing oil and gas resources, which is so important to the Philippines. But (cooperative development) cannot be at the expense of sovereignty; not at all,” Lu Xin said.
The West Philippine Sea is the part of the South China Sea that the Philippines claims to have sovereignty over.
Lu Xin emphasized that during the negotiation with Beijing on oil and gas development cooperation in the South China Sea, Manila adhered to the 2016 South China Sea ruling, “We have not given up any inch of territory or even a tiny bit of our waters.”
In an interview in late May, Marcos said that on the South China Sea issue, the new government will not allow any “square millimeter” of Philippine coastal waters to be trampled on. However, he did not comment on the issue of Philippine-China cooperation in oil and gas development.
Manila has had several maritime disputes with Beijing
The Central News Agency reported that since the end of January, there have been several maritime disputes between Manila and Beijing.
In March, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese coast guard ship was operating at close range in the waters off Huangyan Island, about 19.2 meters away from the Philippine patrol boat, violating international rules for preventing collisions at sea.
It was also reported in May that the Chinese coast guard ship had harassed a Taiwan-based Lijin research ship that was conducting a Taiwan-Philippines joint marine scientific research mission in March.
On May 30, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that it had lodged a diplomatic protest against the 3.5-month fishing ban imposed by the CCP in the South China Sea area north of 12 degrees north latitude on May 1.
On June 3, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted a link to a statement from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and stated that China’s South China Sea fishing ban is not in line with the 2016 South China Sea arbitration results, and it is also in line with the United Nations Ocean. The international law stipulated by the Convention on Law (UNCLOS) is inconsistent and “calls on China to abide by its obligations under international law”.
On June 10, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing, condemning Chinese vessels for “illegal actions” such as illegal fishing and tracking Philippine vessels.
In addition, in March last year, more than 200 Chinese ships stopped at Whitson Reef (called Oxbow Reef in China), 200 nautical miles from the Philippines. The Philippines protested and asked these ships to leave Philippine waters. But Beijing said it was Chinese fishing boats sheltering from bad weather in Chinese waters and refusing to evacuate.
Responsible editor: Sun Yun#