‘China has been acting more aggressively’ – Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrico Manalo Interview
At this year’s UN General Assembly, the Philippines is once again calling international attention to Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, following months of having Filipino vessels harassed by Chinese ships, around maritime features claimed by both the Philippines and China. The Sabina Shoal – or the Escoda Shoal, as the Philippines refers to it, or Xianbin Jiao, as China calls it – has emerged as a new flashpoint in the territorial dispute. Lying more than 75 nautical miles west of the Philippines and 600 miles from China, both countries claim the feature. Last month, the Philippine government said that a Chinese ship repeatedly rammed the ship that Manila had sent to patrol the shoal. The Teresa Magbanua, the Philippine’s biggest and most advanced Coast Guard ship, was damaged in the attacks, and has since returned to port – raising concerns of the Philippines ability to maintain a presence there if China chooses to block it. That would endanger resupply missions to the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, another feature claimed by China as well. After months of incidents involving Chinese ships engaging in water cannoning, ramming, tear gas and rock throwing at Filipino sailors, analysts say that China is testing the limits of US security commitments in the region as it targets the Philippines, a mutual defense treaty ally of Washington. DW’s Janelle Dumalaon interviews Enrique Manalo, the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs about the challenge of wanting de-escalation with China without giving up the Philippine position, and what support the country actually wants from the United States as it weighs the risks of further diminishing room to negotiate with China if it accepts more help. #Philippines #SouthChinaSea #EnricoManalo