Philippine says armed forces to ensure 'unimpeded and peaceful' exploration in South China Sea

0
3K

 The Philippines armed forces will guarantee the "unimpeded and peaceful" exploration and exploitation of natural resources within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as it shifts its focus to external defence, Manila's defense secretary said.

"We are evolving into a defence concept which projects our power into areas where we must, by constitutional fiat and duty, protect and preserve our resources," Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told the Manila Overseas Press Club on Tuesday night.

Teodoro also said the Philippines will "increase the tempo" of activities with allies and major partners in the West Philippines Sea and other parts of the country and "exercise these partnerships to the full".

Manila calls the portion of the South China Sea that is within its EEZ as the West Philippine Sea, where it has had a series of confrontations with China with both trading accusations of provoking conflict.

In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the South China Sea disputed by China, which claims almost all of the sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.

Plans by a Philippine firm to drill for oil and natural gas on the Reed Bank in the South China Sea have been hampered for years by the territorial dispute.

"We are not the ones encroaching on the EEZ of another country sea. The encroacher has a vast area of sea," Teodoro said. "We do not want a fight, we want peace but it should be based on international law and sustainability."

"We will not bend over backward," Teodoro said.

China and the Philippines agreed last week to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts and differences in the South China Sea through friendly talks.

Sponsor
Zoeken
Sponsor
Categorieën
Read More
Networking
Satta King | Satta King 2024 | Satta King Record | Satta King 786 | Old Taj
The world of Satta King is an intriguing one, where luck and chance intertwine to create an...
By sattaking2024 2024-01-11 10:57:36 0 7K
Other
Biggest Logistics Companies in India
In the realm of logistics and supply chain management in India, TCI Express stands out as a...
By tciexpress96 2023-10-10 06:30:55 0 4K
Health
Colon Hydrotherapy Market Size, Trends & Growth Forecast 2025-2033
Colon Hydrotherapy Market report, published by DataM Intelligence, provides in-depth insights and...
By Anil 2025-02-10 21:04:51 0 2K
Other
Rugs sydney
Luumo Design is Australia’s leading online Scandinavian design store based in Sydney...
By luumodesign 2024-08-14 09:08:45 0 2K
Health
https://www.facebook.com/Get.TotalsportekCBDGummiesUK/
Totalsportek CBD Gummies UK 👇 ❗❗ Shop Now❗❗👇...
By imkrystalcisneros 2025-04-07 16:29:11 0 968
Sponsor
google-site-verification: google037b30823fc02426.html