Trung Quốc Issues Strong Warning Over Sensitive Project Targeting Philippines
Published on Business Today
Trung Quốc, also known as China, has raised a serious concern over the direct involvement in a strategically important project by the United States. The US has proposed the construction of a harbor in Batanes, Philippines, located in the strategically vital Luzon Strait.
Batanes, situated less than 200km away from the neighboring island of Taiwan, holds significant political importance for both Washington and Manila, regardless of any potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.
During peacetime, the US-invested harbor would allow Manila to better monitor its northern maritime borders and enhance its capabilities in providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. In the event of a conflict, the harbor could serve as a crucial transit point for transporting supplies.
The project was proposed after months of tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Marilou Cayco, the Governor of Batanes, revealed in an interview at a Philippine Navy event on March 9 that plans for the harbor were being developed and a team of American soldiers would arrive in late April to further discuss the establishment of the new facility.
Felix Chang, a senior member at the US Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), emphasized the political significance of the Batanes harbor, highlighting its capability to provide fuel and services to large vessels.
Chang further explained that due to continuous pressure from Beijing on Manila in the South China Sea, the Philippines only occasionally deploys coast guard forces or naval ships to patrol the waters surrounding Batanes.
In the event of a conflict, Batanes becomes strategically important as it dominates the three main channels of the Luzon Strait: Bashi, Balintang, and Babuyan.
“Chinese [mainland] warships may pass through to encircle Taiwan and block any efforts to provide relief to the island from the west,” stated Chang.
Once completed, the new harbor may become the “nearest anchorage to Taiwan,” allowing it to play a crucial role as a transit point if the Philippines needs to evacuate the approximately 160,000 citizens currently residing on the island.
Furthermore, Chang added that the harbor could facilitate the rapid deployment of anti-ship and air defense missile batteries on land, assisting the US-Philippines alliance in countering the naval and air forces of China’s Southern Theater Command while safeguarding transportation activities to and from Taiwan.
“The harbor could also serve as a refuge for damaged US ships during a battle or simply as a point for receiving casualties,” Chang explained.
Trung Quốc’s strong warning
Responding to the Batanes harbor project, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told Newsweek on March 11, “As neighboring countries, China and the Philippines should get along with each other based on the principles of good neighborliness, friendship, respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.”
He emphasized, “The Taiwan issue… is a red line and a boundary that should not be crossed. Relevant parties, such as the Philippines, need to be mindful, act with caution, avoid being manipulated, and eventually suffer from this issue.”
China’s ambassador to Manila, Huang Xilian, also stated that the Philippines is “adding fuel to the fire” by allowing the US to expand its access rights to military bases, which he portrayed as an attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs.
Earlier, during a press conference in February, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Uông Văn Bân warned that the Philippines should not “play with fire” by deploying troops near Taiwan.
However, the Philippine Department of National Defense countered, stating that China has no right to comment on the country’s military decisions within its own territory.
“Batanes is Philippine territory, and China has no right to warn the Philippines about what it does within its own territory,” declared the Philippine Department of National Defense.
Additionally, Philippine military spokesperson Michael Logico disclosed earlier this month that the annual US-Philippines Balikatan military exercise, scheduled for the next two months, will be held in key locations, including those facing Taiwan.
“[The military will] exercise deterrence in the context of political risks in the Taiwan Strait,” said Cabalza.
In conclusion, China’s strong warning over the US-led harbor project in Batanes demonstrates the ongoing tensions in the region and the geopolitical importance of the Luzon Strait. The Philippines, supported by the US, aims to enhance its strategic capabilities in the South China Sea, while China asserts its concerns about any foreign interference near its borders.
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