Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    World
    Home / World / Asia-Pacific

    Manila urged not to tow US military moves

    By PRIME SARMIENTO in Hong Kong | China Daily Global | Updated: 2023-05-05 09:22
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden walk up the West Wing colonnade on their way to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2023. [Photo/Agencies]

    Washington-led actions pose threat to peace, stability in region, forum told

    The Philippines needs to resist moves by the United States to militarize the region, noting that it doesn't only hurt peace and stability but also undermines the Southeast Asian country's sovereignty, a forum heard on Thursday.

    The US is making the disputes over the South China Sea as excuses for it to use the Philippines as a launchpad for its military operations in the Asia-Pacific region, according to analysts and activist leaders who participated in a forum on the Philippines-US relations.

    The hybrid forum in Manila was held as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr paid a four-day visit to the US.

    Roland Simbulan, vice-chairperson of the Center for People's Empowerment in Governance, a Manila-based think tank, has warned against the Philippines-US military agreements, including the recent decision to give the US access to four new military facilities under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA.These sites, he said, have made the Philippines a "sitting duck" for a US-instigated conflict in the region.

    "The Philippines is again in the direct line of fire in the US war machine," Simbulan said, noting this has also been the case when the US military had bases in the northern Philippine provinces of Pampanga and Zambales.

    The bases were shut after the Philippine Senate voted against the Philippines-US Bases Treaty in 1991.

    Simbulan said the US has a history of aggression and intervention, and warned that the EDCA could be used to contain China and intervene in its Taiwan island. He said that under such an agreement, the Philippine foreign policy has been "militarized".

    He said the Philippines needs to focus on its priority — which is economic development. But in order to make that possible, it's necessary to have peace in the region. He said conflicts will only weaken the Philippine economy.

    Francisca Castro, deputy minority leader at the Philippine House of Representatives, said instead of de-escalating tensions, the expanded US-Philippines military agreement is only heightening the rivalry between China and the US.She said with the South China Sea as a potential flashpoint, it's the ordinary Filipino citizens and the country's resources that will be caught in the middle of any potential conflict.

    Castro said that instead of relying on the US military, the Philippines can use more diplomatic means to resolve disputes with China over the South China Sea.

    Beijing firmly opposes any countries using bilateral treaties to interfere in the South China Sea issue and undermine China's territorial sovereignty as well as maritime interests and rights, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday.

    She made the remarks when asked about a US move to reaffirm its decades-old security alliance with the Philippines.

    "The South China Sea is a shared home for the countries in the region, and should not be a hunting field for external forces," Mao told reporters at a regular news conference.

    Trust, unity and cooperation among regional countries are the keys to safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea, she said, calling for relevant countries to take the initiative to properly handle differences.

    Liza Maza, general secretary of the International League of Peoples' Struggle and former member of the Philippine House of Representatives, said the US is using military agreements like the EDCA to pursue its own agenda.

    Maza said the Philippines has a strategic location and the US presence in the country will allow it to control the booming regional trade in the region.

    Maza cited last month's US-Philippines joint military exercise — the largest iteration of the annual exercise more known as Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder).

    "Balikatan is a showcase for US military hardware," Maza said, noting that weapons manufacturing is a profitable industry in the US.

    Livelihood disrupted

    Ronnel Arambulo, spokesperson for the Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines, has spoken against Balikatan.

    He said the exercise has disrupted the livelihood of small fisherfolk as they were not allowed to fish when drills were being done. They were only compensated by some bags of rice and canned goods which are not enough.

    Arambulo said that what is worse is that these fishing drills are destroying their fishing grounds, threatening their source of livelihood over the long run.

    Maza said that it's about time for the Philippine government to focus on improving the country's industries. By doing so, the Philippines can have enough funds to finance its own defense and security.

    "Our national position should be based on our interest, which is to promote peace in the Philippines and in the region. We need to protect sovereignty and national independence," she said.

    "We are for true independent foreign policy," said Wilson Lee Flores, chairman of the Anvil Business Club and moderator of the forum. Flores said that the Philippines needs to oppose neocolonialism and any move that will lead to war. He also highlighted the need for an independent mindset.

    Zhou Jin in Beijing contributed to this story.

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    无码日韩精品一区二区免费暖暖| 中文字幕日韩精品无码内射 | 亚洲AV无码成人网站久久精品大 | 中文字幕日本高清| 国产Av激情久久无码天堂| 白嫩少妇激情无码| 日韩欧美群交P片內射中文| 国产精品毛片无码| 水蜜桃av无码一区二区| 精品国产aⅴ无码一区二区| 最近最新免费中文字幕高清| 中文字幕人妻无码一夲道| 日韩精品无码Av一区二区| 国产精品无码成人午夜电影| 亚洲av中文无码乱人伦在线播放 | 无码国产精品一区二区免费式影视 | 中文字幕久久久久人妻| 国产精品无码专区在线观看| 无码137片内射在线影院| 亚洲av无码一区二区三区乱子伦| 中文字幕不卡亚洲| 日本高清免费中文在线看| 中文字幕一区二区精品区| 色综合中文字幕| 中文字幕欧美在线| 日韩亚洲欧美中文高清在线| 国产资源网中文最新版| 中文字幕日韩一区二区三区不卡| 波多野结衣中文在线| 中文字幕无码乱人伦| 国产一区二区中文字幕| 亚洲欧美日韩中文字幕在线不卡| √天堂中文官网8在线| 最近免费中文字幕大全免费| 最近最新中文字幕| 在线观看中文字幕码| 久久久久亚洲AV无码专区首JN| 日韩精品无码一区二区三区AV| 免费无码又爽又刺激高潮软件| 中文字幕丰满伦子无码| 亚洲AV无码成人精品区在线观看|