Philippines: Harris visits island near China-claimed waters
November 22, 2022
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday visited the Philippine island of Palawan in the widely contested South China Sea close to Chinese-claimed waters.
Harris met with local leaders and fishermen of the Palawan coastal community.
"Communities like this have seen the consequences, and people here know the impact when foreign vessels enter Philippine waters and illegally deplete the fishing stock, and when they harass and intimidate local fishers," Harris said in a veiled reference to China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea.
US pledges support to Philippines
Harris's visit comes as the US seeks to build support for its Indo-Pacific allies amid China's increased military clout in the region. Beijing accuses the US of meddling in what it considers to be strictly inter-Asian affairs. Harris is the highest-ranking US official to ever set foot on the Palawan.
On Monday, the vice president vowed that the US would respond to any attack on the Philippines.
The western island of Palawan is the Philippines' closest landmass to the Spratly Islands, an archipelago made of islets and shoals on which China has built military installations on man-made islands.
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, and has rejected a 2016 international arbitrationthat found China's territorial claims were against international law.
On Tuesday, while aboard a Philippine coast guard vessel, Harris stressed the 2016 ruling "is legally binding and must be respected."
She added the US and the broader international community "have a profound stake in the future of this region."
"We must stand up for principles such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, unimpeded lawful commerce, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and throughout the Indo-Pacific," Reuters quoted her as saying.
During her visit to Palawan, Harris announced a new package of US maritime law enforcement assistance worth $7.5 million (€7.3 million) for the South China Sea.
The US Trade and Development Agency is also securing congressional support for a Philippine Coast Guard vessel management system, to expend capabilities to cover major ports and navigation paths.
China opposes US influence in South China Sea
An op-ed in the Chinese state-run English-language tabloid Global Times accused Harris of "fanning the flames of the South China Sea issue" with her visit to Palawan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, commented on Harris's Philippine visit, saying: "We are not against the US interaction with regional countries. But it should be good for regional peace and stability and not damaging to other countries' interests."
The waters of the South China Sea are highly contested, with China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei all having overlapping claims
In recent years, however, Beijing has developed small islands and shoals into military outposts.
The Chinese Navy patrols the waters, often harassing boats its vessels come into contact with, and interfering in oil and gas exploration.
Last Sunday, a Chinese coast guard vessel stopped a Philippine Navy team towing the remains of a Chinese rocket recovered near Pagasa Island. The Chinese vessel forcibly seized the debris, according to Philippine officials.
The Chinese embassy denied it had seized the wreckage, saying the Philippine team handed it over to their coast guard following a "friendly consultation."
On Tuesday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told reporters his country would send Beijing a diplomatic note to inquire about the discrepancies between both versions of events.
"I have complete trust in our navy and if this is what they say happened, I can only believe that that is what happened," he said.
wmr,rmt/dj (AFP, AP, dpa)