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China 'anxious' with PH efforts to assert sovereignty in West PH Sea: analyst

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Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Japan Coast Guard (JCG), and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) conduct trilateral maritime exercises for the first time off the coast of Mariveles, Bataan on June 6, 2023. The trilateral agreement between the coast guard agencies aims to enhance each of their capabilities and interoperability in securing the Indo-Pacific region. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/tvpatrol/11/03/20230606-pcg-trilateral-maritime-exercises-md-34.jpg"/><figcaption>The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Japan Coast Guard (JCG), and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) conduct trilateral maritime exercises for the first time off the coast of Mariveles, Bataan on June 6, 2023. The trilateral agreement between the coast guard agencies aims to enhance each of their capabilities and interoperability in securing the Indo-Pacific region. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — China has become anxious with how the Philippines is strengthening its efforts to secure its maritime domain and assert its rights in the West Philippine Sea, an expert said on Friday. Observers and other experts have urged the Philippines &quot;to immediately conduct regular joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea with like-minded states&quot; which include the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, and the European Union in the face of &quot;coercive&quot; Chinese activity in the West Philippine Sea. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/23/joint-west-philippine-sea-patrols-urged-after-chinas-coercive-actions">Joint West Philippine Sea patrols urged after China&#x27;s &#x27;coercive&#x27; actions</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/08/23/joint-patrols-in-south-china-sea-to-begin-very-soon-envoy">Joint patrols in South China Sea to begin &#x27;very soon&#x27; - envoy</a></li></ul>Geopolitical analyst Don Mclain Gill said based on recent developments, China is already &quot;expressing its dissatisfaction.&quot;&quot;Based on its disinformation campaigns, it makes it seem like it is in Manila&#x27;s best interest not to do anything about securing its sovereign rights,&quot; Gill said on ANC. &quot;It is anxious with the way we are overtly now engaging in a way that reflects our interests, our sovereignty, our sovereign rights and territorial integrity,&quot; he added. An official last week said the military was exploring possible joint resupply missions with other countries in the West Philippine Sea following a diplomatic row with China over two collisions in the area. Late last month, Chinese ships allegedly tried to block Philippine resupply vessels on their way to Ayungin Shoal, leading to collisions that damaged BRP Cabra and civilian ship Unaizah May 2.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/23/joint-west-philippine-sea-patrols-urged-after-chinas-coercive-actions">Joint West Philippine Sea patrols urged after China&#x27;s &#x27;coercive&#x27; actions</a></li></ul>Gill said it was important, however, for the Philippines to be consistent with its joint patrols with allied nations and institutionalize this to prevent these actions from being &quot;shrugged aside&quot; by China. He added that Philippines is just defending its rights without &quot;provoking the status quo&quot; and based on the international law. &quot;We do not want that level of complacency to be seen. We have to illustrate that we are serious about this, we are steadfast in defending our sovereign rights and cooperating with like-minded partners that have similar interests at a time when the Indo-Pacific maritime security continues to face significant fluctuations,&quot; he said. <div>PH AND JAPAN</div>Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will visit the Philippines later in the day for a bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Among the topics that will be discussed are the issues in the West Philippine Sea, according to the foreign affairs department. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/31/23/palace-japan-pm-in-manila-for-official-visit-this-week">Marcos Jr., Japan PM Kishida to discuss &#x27;areas of mutual concern&#x27; in official visit</a></li></ul>Asked if Japan could serve as a counterweight for China in the region, he said Manila&#x27;s partnership with the former would show the answer. &quot;Japan&#x27;s position as a partner of choice not only in the Philippines but in the entire Southeast Asian nation continues to improve,&quot; he said. &quot;The Philippines continues to choose Japan as a partner of choice in security and defense... amid the turbulence faced within the US-China power competition,&quot; he said. The expert noted that this also showed that the Philippines &quot;could operate our partnership with Japan independently.&quot;Marcos, Jr. earlier this year said Japan is supporting the improvements in the capacity of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) because it wants to assure the “freedom of passage” in the contested South China Sea. The President added that Japan’s cooperation with the Philippines in developing the PCG “has been ongoing.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/08/23/marcos-jr-japan-wants-more-patrols-in-south-china-sea">Marcos Jr. says Japan wants more patrols in South China Sea to &#x27;assure freedom of passage&#x27;</a></li></ul>

China has become anxious with how the Philippines is strengthening its efforts to secure its maritime domain in the West Philippine Sea, an expert said on Friday.

China 'anxious' with PH efforts to assert sovereignty in West PH Sea: analyst

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China 'anxious' with PH efforts to assert sovereignty in West PH Sea: analyst

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 03, 2023 10:03 AM PHT

Read More:

China

West Philippine Sea

Japan

South China Sea

diplomacy beijing

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