New Delhi: India has expressed firm support for the Philippines’ efforts to uphold its national sovereignty amid the ongoing territorial tiff between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea.
With his Philippine counterpart by his side, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said Tuesday that the leaders were convinced that the progress and prosperity of Southeast Asia were best served by “staunch adherence to a rules-based order”.
“I take this opportunity to firmly reiterate India’s support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty,” the minister said, adding that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) was particularly important as the “constitution of the seas”. “All parties must adhere to it in its entirety, both in letter and in spirit,” he said.
Jaishankar’s support for the Philippines comes after Beijing lodged a “serious representation” with Manila Monday over the “illegal resupply to Ren’ai Jiao, also known as the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, a disputed territory between China and the Philippines.
The external affairs minister is in the Philippines as a part of his three-nation tour, which includes visits to Singapore and Malaysia between 23 March and 27 March. He also called on Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Honoured to call-on President @bongbongmarcos of the Philippines. Conveyed the personal greetings of President @rashtrapatibhvn and PM @narendramodi.
Valued his warm sentiments towards the 🇮🇳 🇵🇭 partnership. His guidance for taking it to new areas will strengthen collaboration… pic.twitter.com/DbpwcktMeG
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) March 26, 2024
India and the Philippines have seen a push towards deeper defence and security cooperation in the past few years. In January 2022, the two countries signed a $375-million contract for the purchase of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The delivery of this system — the first such export order for India — will begin this year.
Both countries are also in talks for India to extend an enhanced line of credit for the defence and security partnership. Besides BrahMos, the Philippines is also looking at procuring a few more defence systems from New Delhi.
Jaishankar also highlighted the growing trade between the two countries, which crossed $3 billion in the last year.
“My message in the discussions with Secretary Manalo was that India, as the fifth-largest economy currently, growing at about 7 percent annually, is preparing to step up its engagement with the Philippines,” he said.
The minister also announced that India would be undertaking “Quick Impact Projects” — projects that cost no more than $50,000 each and focus on short-gestation, high-visibility tasks such as the development of physical infrastructure — in the sectors of agriculture, health and capacity building.
The situation at Second Thomas Shoal
On Saturday, Chinese coast guard ships attacked a Philippine supply boat with water cannons, damaging the wooden vessel and causing injury to its crew members. The supply boat was approaching the Second Thomas Shoal, in a disputed part of the South China Sea.
The US and Japan were quick to offer their support to Manila.
In 1999, the Philippine Navy deliberately marooned a World War II-era landing ship called the BRP Sierra Madre on the Second Thomas Shoal. Manila operates a small base from the ship to guard against Chinese expansion. The ship has since become the centre of a tense face-off between Beijing and Manila.
In the past year, Chinese ships have aggressively blocked access to the area for the Philippine Navy — including using water cannons, physically blocking ships and causing near collisions, among other strategies.
In response to the latest incident Saturday, the Chinese vice foreign minister Chen Xiaodong called the Philippine undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“Chen Xiaodong noted that without permission from the Chinese government, a civilian ship and two Coast Guard vessels of the Philippines intruded into the adjacent waters of Ren’ai Jiao of China’s Nansha Qundao on March 23, in an attempt to send materials, including construction materials, to the military vessel illegally grounded at Ren’ai Jiao to build a permanent military outpost so as to achieve long-term and illegal occupation,” said the statement published by the Chinese foreign ministry.
The statement added: “Chen Xiaodong emphasised that the relations between China and the Philippines are now at a crossroads where bilateral relations would go from where (sic), and that the Philippine side must act prudently.”
(Edited by Tikli Basu)