Philippines rejects 'use of force' to undermine its South China Sea interests

MANILA: The Philippines rejects the "use of force" to undermine its interests in the contested South China Sea but it does not want any conflict and has agreed with China to ease tensions in a contested shoal, officials said on Friday.

"We don't want war," National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano told reporters in Manila.

Ano said efforts were underway to de-escalate tensions in the disputed waterway, where Manila and Beijing have accused each other of aggressive behaviour involving their ships and of damaging the marine environment.

Central to recent standoffs is the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a rusty warship manned by a small crew that it deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims. It regularly sends supply mission to troops stationed there.

Last month, Manila accused the China Coast Guard of intentionally ramming and deliberately puncturing navy vessels and seizing weapons to disrupt a military resupply mission, seriously injuring a Filipino sailor who lost a finger.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Second Thomas shoal, and rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that Beijing's expansive claims had no basis under international law. The case was brought to the court by the Philippines.

"We reject any attempt to deny our strategic agencies, especially by the use of force that seek to coerce and subordinate the national interests of the Philippines," Ano separately told a forum marking the eighth anniversary of the Hague ruling.

Ano said the way forward was to uphold the 2016 award and oppose efforts to undermine its significance.

"It is not and will never be a mere piece of paper," he said, alluding to how the former president Rodrigo Duterte described the award as he sought closer ties with Beijing.

China maintains its actions in the South China Sea have been lawful and professional.

Ano repeated that the Philippines was "committed to the cause of peace". "We are committed to address and manage difficult issues through dialogue and through diplomacy," he said.

On Friday, the European Union (EU) issued a statement to mark the anniversary of the arbitration ruling on the South China Sea, saying all parties must "respect and honour the award" which was "legally binding".

China rebuked the EU for its statement, saying the latter ignored historical and objective facts and "blatantly endorses" what it called the Philippines' violation of its sovereignty.

United States State Secretary Antony Blinken, in a statement on the ruling's anniversary, said his country remains "deeply concerned" about China's actions in the disputed waters.

"We continue to call on the PRC (People's Republic of China) to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling, to cease its dangerous and destabilising conduct," Blinken said.