The Philippines remains committed to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (SCS) despite recent developments showing China’s build-up in several artificial islands in the highly volatile waters.
Rear Adm. Caesar Bernard Valencia, acting Flag Officer in Command (AFOIC) of the Philippine Navy (PN), led the Philippine delegation who attended the 18th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) in Yokohama, Japan from Nov. 5 to 10.
“In line with the sub-theme ‘Peace and Stability,’ AFOIC Valencia presented the mechanisms for fostering deeper and more lasting ties among the WPNS members,” Commander Benjo Negranza, PN spokesperson, said Friday, Nov. 11.
Among these mechanisms, Negranza stressed, was the Philippines’ reaffirmation of its commitment to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, a political document signed by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2002 which establishes the basic principles and common norms for all parties to handle the SCS issue.
This, despite the recent revelation of China’s reclamation works on Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef, Calderon (Cuarteron) Reef, Zamora (Sui) Reef, Burgos (Gaven) Reefs, and McKennan (Hughes) Reef in Spratly Islands or Kalayaan Island Group.
Photos showing fully developed airfields, buildings, recreational facilities and other structures in China’s artificial islands were taken and uploaded by Filipino photographer Ezra Acayan last Oct. 25 for media website Getty Images.
According to Valencia, all parties to the SCS should adhere to international law conventions and upholding of an open and rules-based order of the seas and oceans.
He added that they should translate “confidence-building mechanisms into meaningful and practical cooperation.”
Meanwhile, attending Navy leaders and key staff also discussed cooperative initiatives and maritime matters of mutual interest during the six-day symposium. Among the activities during the event were bilateral meetings, International Fleet Review, and strategic-level discussion of chiefs of navies.
The WPNS is a biennial multilateral engagement that began in 1998 to establish a forum where leaders of regional navies could meet to discuss cooperative initiatives.
This year’s symposium was hosted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and carried the theme “Free and Open Oceans: Cooperative Efforts for the Next Generation.”
It was attended by 20 WPNS members namely Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, United States of America, and Vietnam. Representatives from six observer nations also attended namely Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and United Kingdom.