‘Harmful’ sonar action by China condemned by Philippines

Philippines security officials have condemned China’s use of sonar near Australian Navy divers this month as ‘irresponsible’.

A Chinese vessel, left, identified by the Philippines as ‘maritime militia’ blocks the ML Kalayaan chartered supply boat in the South China Sea last week. Picture: AFP

Senior Philippines security officials have condemned China’s use of sonar near Australian Navy divers this month as “irresponsible” and at odds with President Xi Jinping’s new rhetoric of co-operation.

Philippines military spokesman Colonel Medel Aguilar told The Australian the Chinese military destroyer’s actions in Japanese waters as Australian divers attempted to clear fishing nets from the HMAS Toowoomba’s propeller were “really harmful and irresponsible”, while one of the government’s most experienced security officials expressed concern at Beijing’s continued “bellicose actions”.

Clarita Carlos, former national security adviser to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and now chief security policy adviser to the parliamentary speaker, was not surprised by the November 14 incident, given continued Chinese harassment of Philippines vessels in their own waters. “We are seriously concerned at these increasing bellicose actions from China,” Professor Carlos, also a former president of the National Defence College, said.

“We continue to point out to Chinese officials that the articulations of their leader about shared resources, a shared future and shared prosperity do not square with their actions in the East and South China Seas.

“We hear Xi Jinping in California talking about the US and China working out a partnership rather than an adversarial relationship. It seems some people did not get the memo.”

Philippine support for Australia comes after the two nations agreed in September to upgrade their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership and to conduct joint maritime patrols of the South China Sea, the first of which could occur next month.

But it was a lonely voice in the ASEAN bloc, where member states have taken a largely head-in-the-sand approach to Chinese maritime harassment in the hope they won’t be next.

At least one diver was injured when a Chinese military vessel activated its sonar near the Toowoomba, despite being advised diving operations were under way. The Toowoomba was taking part in a UN sanctions enforcement mission within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, described China’s actions as “one of the most unprofessional in a long string of unprofessional acts by the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) in international waters of late”.

Beijing has been ratcheting up aggression across the East and South China seas with the aid of its powerful coast guard and a huge militarised fleet of fishing boats. In recent months The Philippines has faced almost weekly encounters with those vessels, including dangerous interceptions of its navy resupply missions – a few of which have resulted in collisions.

Earlier this month 38 Chinese ships encircled Philippine vessels headed for a naval outpost on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.