Carpio: Expect no miracles in new PH-China ‘hotline’
Manila “should not expect miracles” from the expansion of the maritime communication mechanism on the South China Sea, considering China’s unresponsive behavior in past incidents, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Wednesday.
Carpio expressed his doubts to the Inquirer regarding the expanded mechanism agreement earlier this month between Beijing and Manila establishing direct contact between the representatives of President Marcos and China’s President Xi Jinping.
“It’s somehow a good sign that at least some communication has been established. But when we called last time no one was answering when there was a need to talk to them because there was an incident,” Carpio said. “But we should not expect it will result in miracles.”
No answer
Carpio was referring to the Aug. 5, 2023, incident at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal where a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship blocked and fired its water cannon at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre, the military’s outpost in the shoal.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) then, Beijing did not immediately answer Manila’s call during the incident.
According to National Security Council spokesperson Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, they were calling China on a special landline established to deal with such encounters.
“No one was answering,” Malaya said in an interview a few days after the incident. “Our side expressed disappointment on why we kept calling but no one was answering. They answered eventually but only when the tension was over.”
Multiple channels
On Wednesday, the DFA told the Inquirer that the “Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms” provided several channels.
These include lines between the offices of the two presidents; the DFA and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), including at the foreign secretary and undersecretary levels, or through their designated representatives; and between the CCG and PCG.
“The DFA is in discussions with the Chinese side on the guidelines that will govern the implementation of this arrangement,” the DFA said.
Marcos-Xi meeting
The maritime communication mechanism was first established when Mr. Marcos met with Xi during his state visit to China in January 2023, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
The direct line was touted to avoid miscalculation and miscommunication.
The PCO reported then that it was Mr. Marcos who proposed the establishment of a direct communication channel between the foreign ministries of China and the Philippines.
The agreement was among over a dozen deals made during the President’s Jan. 3-5 state visit, which also formalized procedures for contacts between the two countries.
The communication mechanism was to be opened between the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office of the DFA and the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China’s MFA, according to the PCO.
Obligations
Dindo Manhit, president of think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, shared Carpio’s sentiments.
“Apart from its implementation, it is imperative for China to recognize its obligations under international law, such as the arbitral award and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. There is a need to ensure that this new agreement is more than just a piece of paper,” Manhit told the Inquirer on Wednesday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) discussed as early as July 2015 the setting up of a foreign ministers’ hotline to deal with emergencies in the South China Sea.
In September 2016, leaders of Asean and China supported the creation of a hotline to respond to maritime emergencies in the implementation of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, a nonbinding agreement to de-escalate maritime conflicts among claimants to all or parts of the South China Sea.
Between coast guards
In January 2020, the PCG explored ways to step up cooperation with the CCG during a meeting of the Joint Coast Guard Committee of the Philippines and China.
The official notes on the high-level meeting held on Jan. 16, 2020, included a “hotline communication mechanism” and “communication protocol for engagement at sea between coast guards” that would serve as provisional operational arrangement between the PCG and CCG. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
