Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose was reacting to the Chinese
military white paper that said it might shift its strategy from defense
to offense. "We are still studying the latest white paper on military strategy.
We hope the Chinese military will use possible factor to contribute in
the maintenance of peace and stability in the region," Jose said in a
press briefing. Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, sent a "gentle
reminder" to the Philippines that it's not going to bully smaller
countries but Manila must not provoke and instigate tensions in the
region. She also said the United States, which is sending its most advanced
military ship to the region, must stop "inflammatory" activities there.This was after a state-owned Global Times editorial said a war is
inevitable between China and the US if Washington doesn't stop demanding
Beijing to halt reclamation activities in the disputed Spratly Islands
in the West Philippine Sea. Jose said Washington's increased presence in the region is still part
of its rebalance to Asia policy, which was announced at the start of US
President Barack Obama's second term."[There's] nothing new with that. The timetable [was] advanced
because of the reclamation work that poses threat to freedom of
navigation and unimpeded flow of commerce and the marine degradation,"
Jose said.He added that the Philippines is committed to its diplomatic and
legal approach, as well as trying to enhance Manila's defense
capabilities. Jose said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(Unclos) remains to be the international law that must be followed to
resolve the disputes in the sea peacefully. The Philippines brought the
sea dispute to the UN Arbitral Tribunal last year.China claims almost 90 percent of the 3.5 million square kilometers West Philippine Sea.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2015/05/28/philippines-china-use-military-peace-409975
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2015/05/28/philippines-china-use-military-peace-409975
