PHILIPPINE INTERESTS AND POSITIONS ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTES

Remarks at a Forum on the South China Sea

Organized by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation and 

Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore

17 October 2011, Manila Polo Club

On this occasion, I wish to focus my remarks not on the legal and technical dimensions of the Philippine claims on the South China Sea, about which there has been much discussion already and for which there are far more capable legal scholars and experts. I will instead focus on what I understand to be Philippine interests in the South China Sea, drawing from my background in the study of politics and international relations; and exploring specifically how the territorial disputes and the maritime jurisdiction questions relate with broader issues such as the future of Chinese power, Sino-American rivalry for influence over East Asia, and the value and efficacy of an ASEAN-centered regional approach to the problems. 

I wish to briefly address three points, based on my continuous observation and research on the subject:

1.     What are the Philippines’ “core interests” in the South China Sea?

2.     What has historically been the Philippine approach to the territorial and maritime jurisdiction disputes?

3.     What are the elements of the emerging Philippine policy toward the South China Sea under the Aquino government, and how do they reflect Philippine interests in the evolving regional context?

AQUINO POLICY ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: ARE WE READY FOR TOUGH TIMES AHEAD?

The Philippine Star, October 24, 2011, p. 25

By Aileen San Pablo-Baviera

The territorial disputes and maritime jurisdiction issues in the South China Sea will be a continuing bone of contention between the Philippines and its neighbors, especially China which is the most powerful and determined among them, for many years to come.

Since the 1990s, the Philippines has been pro-active in seeking cooperative, rules-based approaches to managing the disputes, relying on both bilateral as well as multilateral diplomacy. Bilaterally, the Philippines entered into agreements with China and Vietnam in 1995 and 1997 pledging self-restraint and urging cooperation on non-sensitive areas. Many high-level exchanges were held, including among military officials. Even at the height of tensions over Mischief Reef, bilateral trade and people-to-people ties between Beijing and Manila thrived.

Multilaterally, the Philippines also spearheaded the 1992 Manila Declaration by ASEAN states, the negotiation of an ASEAN-China code of conduct (COC) which resulted in the 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC), and even the ill-fated Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam which was allowed to lapse after being implicated in alleged corrupt and treasonous activities of the previous regime.

CAN AND WILL REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE PRODUCE NORMS TO HELP RESOLVE DISPUTES AMONG MEMBER STATES?

Based on Remarks at the Asia Foundation’s Asia Perspectives Program on

“The Evolving Nature of Asia’s Regional Architecture: Views from ASEAN”, 8 November 2011, 9:00-11:00 a.m., Washington, D.C.

[The views expressed are the author's own and do not represent those of the sponsoring organization]

CAN AND WILL REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE PRODUCE NORMS TO HELP RESOLVE DISPUTES AMONG MEMBER STATES? 

Aileen S.P. Baviera

I assume ‘regional architecture’ here to mean the multiple multilateral cooperation arrangements, using the definition by Nick Bisley in 2007: “a reasonably coherent network of regional organizations, institutions, bilateral and multilateral arrangements, dialogue forums, and other relevant mechanisms that work collectively for regional prosperity, peace, and stability.” In east Asia and the Pacific, some of these are projects involving the building of a regional “community”, ideally one based on a shared identity and a “we-feeling”. ASEAN is clearly moving in that direction, and for ASEAN Plus 3 or APT, a similar aspiration had been expressed in the original vision document prepared by the East Asia Vision Group. Geographic contiguity, shared history and economic interdependence play a big role in infusing ASEAN and APT with a sense of a shared destiny.