11 August, 2017
THE Philippine government sees nothing "objectionable" with a U.S. destroyer sailing near China's man-made islands in the South China Sea, a Palace official said on Friday.
Washington's critical actions came as it courts the help of China, North Korea's most important economic partner, in taming Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions and ending its missile tests.
The operation was illegal and carried out without permission from Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
Abella fielded questions on the issue in a news briefing 3 days after Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano echoed China in saying Beijing had stopped its reclamation in the South China Sea in mid-2015, which was disputed by the AMTI photos.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Manila on Monday that Beijing completed its South China Sea reclamation activities two years ago.
According to the Chinese Defense, Chinese navy guided missile frigates "took immediate action to identify and verify the United States ship, and warned and dispelled it".
In the latest sail-by, USA military officials notified Philippine counterparts of the maneuver, a Philippine official said, adding Filipino forces were not involved.
It continued that the United States sailing had violated both global and Chinese law and, at the same time, had posed a threat to Beijing's security and sovereignty. The US move would "compel China to take measures to further raise its capacity to defend national territory", he said.
The United States has criticised China's construction of islands and build-up of military facilities in the sea, and is concerned they could be used to restrict free nautical movement. 12 nautical miles from shore marks the territorial boundary for all nations.
The United States does not recognize China's claim of sovereignty in that location and regards the area as worldwide waters.
This is the third time that the US Navy has conducted a "freedom of navigation operation" or "fonop" under the Donald Trump presidency.
The U.S. military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and they are separate from political considerations.
US navy warship enters China's water.
The Defence White Paper also claimed that Chinese ships have frequently "encroached upon Japan's territorial sea". USA officials say the military will continue to sail, fly and operate wherever permitted by worldwide law.
Tensions have risen recently after North Korea carried out two nuclear tests past year and two ICBM tests last month, prompting a strong round of UN sanctions which angered Pyongyang who threatened to teach the United States a "severe lesson".
The operation occurred at an awkward and tense moment, amid the war of words between the United States and North Korea.
