Philippine defence chief says deterrence, diplomacy used in South China Sea
MANILA: Despite rising tension in the major regional flashpoint of the South China Sea, the Philippines' top defence official dismissed fears that conflict was on the horizon on Wednesday (July 9).
"The prospect of war is not imminent," said Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in an interview at the Reuters NEXT Asia summit in Singapore. "I believe it is remote, but that would entirely depend upon the internal conditions of China."
The Philippines and China have had a series of run-ins and heated exchanges in the busy waterway of the South China Sea over the past two years, including an incident in June last year when a Philippine sailor lost a finger.
"China's design for the region does not depend on any American leader," Teodoro added, replying to a query whether US President Donald Trump's style and stance had served as a catalyst for China's actions.
While acknowledging that US policies influence regional dynamics, Teodoro said China's actions were "pre-determined" by its leadership, regardless of who was in power in Washington.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Teodoro said Manila was focused on deterrence, backed by diplomacy.
"You can't have diplomacy without a credible deterrent force, and what we are doing is merely putting a stop, as best as we can, to the illegal incursions of China, which I do not think any country in the world supports," he said.
To boost its external defence capabilities, the Philippines is investing billions of dollars to modernise its military, and part of that plan is to acquire multi-role fighter jets.
While submarines were on the wishlist, Teodoro said they were not a priority at the moment, with the focus on weaponising and building infrastructure to maintain current platforms.
Teodoro rejected the notion that Asean had failed to respond to China's actions, given that the ten-nation South-East Asian bloc has been working on a code of conduct with Beijing to avert confrontations in the South China Sea.
"It is obvious that Asean countries are wary and worried about China's activities. If not, there would be no call for a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be very concerned about what is happening."
Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in 2022, Manila has grown increasingly vocal in its opposition to China's actions in the South China Sea, while significantly strengthening ties with traditional ally the United States, and like-minded partners, such as Australia and Japan.
Teodoro believed it would be difficult for any future leader to reverse current policy because it has strong public backing. Marcos' single-six year term ends in 2028.
"I feel that any leader in the future, in the face of what China is doing, and in the face of public opinion... and there is a distrust, not of China, but of the Chinese government in what they are doing. So it would be hard for any leader to reshape that narrative," he said. - Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Caribbean activists celebrate as Saint Lucia strikes down gay sex ban
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia (Reuters) -Caribbean gay rights activists celebrated a landmark court ruling this week striking down colonial-era legislation in the island nation of Saint Lucia that criminalized gay sexual relations and imposed prison terms of up to a decade. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court issued the decision on Tuesday in the case brought by LGBTQ rights alliance ECADE on behalf of a gay couple. The court ruled that sections of the criminal code that outlawed "buggery" and "gross indecency" were unconstitutional. "Our own courts are now recognizing that these colonial-era laws are incompatible with human dignity," Dane Lewis, regional program manager at rights group CariFLAGS, said. Many Caribbean countries still have laws forbidding intimacy between people of the same sex, a legacy of British colonial-era statutes. Though rarely enforced, activists say these cement widespread institutional biases and discrimination. Jessica St. Rose, founder of local rights group 758Pride, said the ruling marked a "momentous legal change." "It sends a clear message that love is not a crime," she said, though Saint Lucia still needs reforms to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination and threats to their safety. Saint Lucian politicians were mostly silent about the decision publicly, including Prime Minister Philip Pierre who made a national address ahead of Friday's Emancipation Day. In nearby Guyana, where "buggery" is a felony subject to a lifetime behind bars, rights group Guyana Together welcomed that another country in the CARICOM regional bloc had "dismantled these archaic laws." More than 60 countries worldwide criminalize gay sex, many former British colonies across Africa and the Caribbean. There was some criticism on social media from Saint Lucia residents of the decision, some citing Christian scripture and calling the ruling a sin. "We do expect the religious society to come out to speak out against the recent ruling," St. Rose said. Bradley Desir, a gay man from Saint Lucia who moved to Canada in 2016, said he was encouraged by signs of change and would feel safer visiting the island though he would still maintain his guard. "I hope they carry on with the discussion and possibly call for the legalization of (gay) marriage," he said, adding he did not expect this in his lifetime. The growing visibility of LGBTQ people through global media was a positive sign, he added: "Kids today are growing up in a different world." (Reporting by Sarah Peter in Castries; Editing by Sarah Morland and Cynthia Osterman)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
US, NATO developing novel funding mechanism for Ukraine weapons transfers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and NATO are working on a novel approach to supply Ukraine with weapons using funds from NATO countries to pay for the purchase or transfer of U.S. arms, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The renewed transatlantic cooperation on Ukraine comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Moscow's ongoing attacks on its neighbor. Trump, who initially took a more conciliatory tone toward Russia as he tried to end the more than three-year war in Ukraine, has threatened to start imposing tariffs and other measures if Moscow shows no progress toward ending the conflict by August 8. The president said last month the U.S. would supply weapons to Ukraine, paid for by European allies, but did not indicate how this would be done. NATO countries, Ukraine, and the United States are developing a new mechanism that will focus on getting U.S. weapons to Ukraine from the Priority Ukraine Requirements List, known under the acronym PURL, the sources said. Ukraine would prioritize the weapons it needs intranches of roughly $500 million, and NATO allies - coordinated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte - would then negotiate among themselves who would donate or pay for items on the list. Through this approach, NATOallies hope to provide $10 billion in arms for Ukraine, said a European official, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was unclear over what timeframe they hope to supply the arms. "That is the starting point, and it's an ambitious target that we're working towards. We're currently on that trajectory. We support the ambition. We need that sort of volume," the European official said. NATO declined to comment. The White House, Pentagon, and Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. Russian forces are gradually advancing against Ukraine, and control one-fifth of Ukraine's territory. FASTER ARMS RESTOCKING If a NATO country decides to donate weapons to Ukraine, the mechanism would allow that country to effectively bypass lengthy U.S. arms sales procedures to replenish its own stocks, said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. But the NATO country would have to pay the U.S. up front for the speedier replenishment. The money would be paid into a U.S.-held account, possibly at the U.S. Treasury Department, or to an escrow fund, although the exact structure remains unclear, the official said. NATO countries also have the option of simply paying the United States to send weapons directly to Ukraine. In that case, the payment could be made via NATO or directly to the U.S. Department of Defense, said a second source, speaking on condition of anonymity. This would be in addition to the United States' own effort to identify arms from U.S. stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the U.S. president to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. At least one tranche of weapons for Ukraine is currently being negotiatedunder the new mechanism, two sources said, though it was unclear if any money has yet been transferred. Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress have introduced legislation, known as the PEACE Act, that aims to create a fund at the U.S. Treasury in which allies can deposit money that would pay to replenish U.S. military equipment donated to Ukraine. Ukraine's needs remain consistent with previous months - air defenses, interceptors, systems, rockets, and artillery. The last statement of need from Ukraine came at the July 21 Ramstein conference led by EU allies, including Britain. (Reporting by Gram Slattery, Mike Stone, Phil Stewart in Washington; additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington and Andrew Gray in Brussels; editing by Michelle Nichols and Rod Nickel)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Colombia ex-president sentenced to 12 years of house arrest, document shows
Colombia's former president Alvaro Uribe speaks during a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, April 18, 2024. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo BOGOTA (Reuters) -Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will be sentenced on Friday to 12 years of house arrest for abuse of process and bribery of a public official, according to a document seen by Reuters and a source with knowledge of the matter. Uribe was convicted of the two charges on Monday by Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia in a witness-tampering case that has run for about 13 years. He has always maintained his innocence. The information, also published by local media, came hours ahead of the hearing where Heredia will read the sentence in court. Uribe will be fined $578,000 in the case, the document showed. The conviction made him the country's first ex-president to ever be found guilty at trial and came less than a year before Colombia's 2026 presidential election, in which several of Uribe's allies and proteges are competing for top office. It could also have implications for Colombia's relationship with the U.S.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week Uribe's conviction is a "weaponization of Colombia's judicial branch by radical judges" and analysts have said there could be cuts to U.S. aid in response. Uribe, 73, and his supporters have always said the process is a persecution, while his detractors have celebrated it as deserved comeuppance for a man who has been accused for decades of close ties with violent right-wing paramilitaries but never convicted of any crime until now. (Reporting by Carlos Vargas and Luis Jaime Acosta, additional reporting by Nelson BocanegraWriting by Julia Symmes Cobb)
