Chinese Coast Guard vessel on 5-day friendly port visit to Manila
Published Jan 12, 2020 12:00 am
By Roy Mabasa, Rizal Obanil and Betheena Kae Unite
A Chinese Coast Guard vessel will conduct a five-day port visit in the Philippines from January 13-17, 2019, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said on Sunday.
Flags of China and the Philippines (Thomas Peter, Reuters / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy said the “friendly visit,” the first time by a China Coast guard vessel, will be a “very good opportunity for both sides to demonstrate goodwill, deepen mutual understanding and trust and cooperation.”
The visit is made possible upon the invitation of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
During the visit, both Philippine and Chinese Coast Guards will conduct various activities such as cross deck visit, search and rescue and fire fighting exercises, as well as friendly sports games.
General Wang Zhongcai, Commandant of China Coast Guard, will lead a delegation to visit the Philippines. Alongside the visit is the Third Meeting of the Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC) between China and the Philippines on January 14 to 16.
The JCGC was founded in 2017 following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between PCG and CCG on the establishment of the JCGC on Maritime Cooperation at the onset of the Duterte administration.
Since October 2016, the Embassy said the two Coast Guards have maintained close contact and frequent high-level exchanges. A hotline between the two sides has been established to facilitate communication in agreed areas.
Under that period, the two Coast Guards have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of combating transnational crime, maritime search and rescue, fishery law enforcement, environmental protection, and emergency response.
“We are fully confident that the high-level visit and the third meeting will further enhance our mutual understanding and inject new impetus into the healthy and steady development of the China-Philippines relations, and contribute to the regional peace and stability,” the Chinese Embassy added.
The Chinese Embassy noted that the scheduled meeting between the Coast Guards of China and the Philippines has recently received negative attention on social media.
“Many netizens were suspicious of the timing of the meeting, especially because of the ongoing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China,” it said.
“Such a meeting, however, is in line with the Duterte administration’s bid to strengthen the country’s ties with China,” the statement said.
Coast Guard diplomacy
Days before the arrival of the CCG in Manila, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian met with Admiral Joel Garcia, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, at the PCG headquarters Friday to discuss the upcoming first-ever maritime exercises of the CCG and PCG.
Both sides exchanged views on the visit of the CCG Vessel 5204 to the country and agreed to enhance pragmatic cooperation in various fields of the Coast Guard.
Ambassador Huang said in a statement that cooperation between CCG and PCG have made positive progress over the past three years. The two sides have established a hotline mechanism, and the areas of cooperation have gradually expanded.
Garcia, on the other hand, stated the same during a press briefing Friday, saying that while the issue between the two countries on the West Philippine Sea may not be discussed, they will push for the crafting of a mechanism for the welfare of the fishermen in a bid to avoid a repeat of the Gem-Ver incident.
The PCG is also looking to improve the line of communication between the two Coast Guard forces when it comes to maritime patrol.
The ambassador also believes the visit and meeting will inject new impetus into the healthy and steady development of China-Philippine relations, and contribute to regional peace and stability.
Garcia stated that the PCG warmly welcomed the first visit of CCG vessel to the Philippines and would like to take the opportunity of the third meeting “to deepen practical cooperation between the two parties in the fields of transnational crime, maritime search and rescue, environmental protection, and emergency response.”
“The Philippines will continue to work with China to actively promote ‘Coast Guard Diplomacy’ in an effort to enhance mutual trust and promote friendship through exchanges and cooperation,” Garcia said.
Flags of China and the Philippines (Thomas Peter, Reuters / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy said the “friendly visit,” the first time by a China Coast guard vessel, will be a “very good opportunity for both sides to demonstrate goodwill, deepen mutual understanding and trust and cooperation.”
The visit is made possible upon the invitation of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
During the visit, both Philippine and Chinese Coast Guards will conduct various activities such as cross deck visit, search and rescue and fire fighting exercises, as well as friendly sports games.
General Wang Zhongcai, Commandant of China Coast Guard, will lead a delegation to visit the Philippines. Alongside the visit is the Third Meeting of the Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC) between China and the Philippines on January 14 to 16.
The JCGC was founded in 2017 following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between PCG and CCG on the establishment of the JCGC on Maritime Cooperation at the onset of the Duterte administration.
Since October 2016, the Embassy said the two Coast Guards have maintained close contact and frequent high-level exchanges. A hotline between the two sides has been established to facilitate communication in agreed areas.
Under that period, the two Coast Guards have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of combating transnational crime, maritime search and rescue, fishery law enforcement, environmental protection, and emergency response.
“We are fully confident that the high-level visit and the third meeting will further enhance our mutual understanding and inject new impetus into the healthy and steady development of the China-Philippines relations, and contribute to the regional peace and stability,” the Chinese Embassy added.
The Chinese Embassy noted that the scheduled meeting between the Coast Guards of China and the Philippines has recently received negative attention on social media.
“Many netizens were suspicious of the timing of the meeting, especially because of the ongoing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China,” it said.
“Such a meeting, however, is in line with the Duterte administration’s bid to strengthen the country’s ties with China,” the statement said.
Coast Guard diplomacy
Days before the arrival of the CCG in Manila, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian met with Admiral Joel Garcia, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, at the PCG headquarters Friday to discuss the upcoming first-ever maritime exercises of the CCG and PCG.
Both sides exchanged views on the visit of the CCG Vessel 5204 to the country and agreed to enhance pragmatic cooperation in various fields of the Coast Guard.
Ambassador Huang said in a statement that cooperation between CCG and PCG have made positive progress over the past three years. The two sides have established a hotline mechanism, and the areas of cooperation have gradually expanded.
Garcia, on the other hand, stated the same during a press briefing Friday, saying that while the issue between the two countries on the West Philippine Sea may not be discussed, they will push for the crafting of a mechanism for the welfare of the fishermen in a bid to avoid a repeat of the Gem-Ver incident.
The PCG is also looking to improve the line of communication between the two Coast Guard forces when it comes to maritime patrol.
The ambassador also believes the visit and meeting will inject new impetus into the healthy and steady development of China-Philippine relations, and contribute to regional peace and stability.
Garcia stated that the PCG warmly welcomed the first visit of CCG vessel to the Philippines and would like to take the opportunity of the third meeting “to deepen practical cooperation between the two parties in the fields of transnational crime, maritime search and rescue, environmental protection, and emergency response.”
“The Philippines will continue to work with China to actively promote ‘Coast Guard Diplomacy’ in an effort to enhance mutual trust and promote friendship through exchanges and cooperation,” Garcia said.