US, PHL sending message to China with new defense pact —Palace
(Updated 3:20 p.m.) The Philippines and the United States, two sides of one of the world's most enduring defense alliances, are sending a new joint message to the globe's rising superpower.
Malacañang on Monday said that the two countries are sending a message to China with the impending signing of the framework agreement for the increased rotational presence of American troops in the country.
During a press conference, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said there is no need for the country to send a message to China, but that in this case "the medium is the message."
"Let China interpret that," he said, referring to the framework agreement that the US and the Philippines are set to sign.
The Philippines is locked in a long-running dispute with China over the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims over the waters where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas.
Manila took a bold step last year when it initiated an arbitration process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to try to declare as “illegal” China’s nine-dash claim, which covers nearly the entire resource-rich waters, where some parts are called by the Philippines as West Philippine Sea.
China has resisted the Philippines’ move to let a UN body intervene in the disputes, saying the Philippines’ case was legally infirm and carried unacceptable allegations.
Framework agreement
Lacierda said there is a need for the framework agreement between the US and the Philippinesbecause of the planned technology transfer and knowledge sharing between American and Philippine troops.
"It improves the quality of the Philippines in terms of preparedness," he said, adding part of which will include disaster reduction and preparedness.
Asked whether the country can really expect support from the US despite Washington's own ties with China, Lacierda said all countries have "multi-level exchanges" with each other.
"There are different levels of exchanges between the United States and China. So it cannot be tied to anyone in particular point," he said.
On the need to ratify the agreement, Lacierda said they maintain the view that these are "mainly provisions which implement both treaties which have already been previously ratified by the Senate." — KBK/KG, GMA News
Malacañang on Monday said that the two countries are sending a message to China with the impending signing of the framework agreement for the increased rotational presence of American troops in the country.
During a press conference, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said there is no need for the country to send a message to China, but that in this case "the medium is the message."
"Let China interpret that," he said, referring to the framework agreement that the US and the Philippines are set to sign.
The Philippines is locked in a long-running dispute with China over the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims over the waters where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas.
Manila took a bold step last year when it initiated an arbitration process under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to try to declare as “illegal” China’s nine-dash claim, which covers nearly the entire resource-rich waters, where some parts are called by the Philippines as West Philippine Sea.
China has resisted the Philippines’ move to let a UN body intervene in the disputes, saying the Philippines’ case was legally infirm and carried unacceptable allegations.
Framework agreement
Lacierda said there is a need for the framework agreement between the US and the Philippinesbecause of the planned technology transfer and knowledge sharing between American and Philippine troops.
"It improves the quality of the Philippines in terms of preparedness," he said, adding part of which will include disaster reduction and preparedness.
Asked whether the country can really expect support from the US despite Washington's own ties with China, Lacierda said all countries have "multi-level exchanges" with each other.
"There are different levels of exchanges between the United States and China. So it cannot be tied to anyone in particular point," he said.
On the need to ratify the agreement, Lacierda said they maintain the view that these are "mainly provisions which implement both treaties which have already been previously ratified by the Senate." — KBK/KG, GMA News
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