Jay Tarriela —Richard A. Reyes

MANILA, Philippines — The silence of other Southeast Asian nations on Beijing’s “illegal actions” in the South China Sea is detrimental to peace in the region, according to the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea.

Addressing Australian media on Tuesday, Commodore Jay Tarriela expressed disappointment at the lack of support from Manila’s neighbors in the face of the hostile behavior shown by Chinese forces.

“While it is understandable that some Southeast Asian nations prioritize their national interest, particularly economic engagement with China over exposing the illegal actions of Beijing, this approach unfortunately contributes to China’s boldness in defying international law,” Tarriela said in a speech before the National Press Club of Australia.

READ: Vietnam condemns China’s ‘brutal behavior’ in fisher attack

“This situation serves as a reminder of how the international community has turned a blind eye allowing China to illegally occupy these maritime features and carry out reclamation activities for military purposes,” he said.

The Philippines is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The regional bloc also includes Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Tarriela added that “allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on.”

This, he warned, could “lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery, and barbarism in check.”

The South China sea issue, according to Tarriela, was not just a fight for Philippine sovereignty but “a fight for everyone.”

This month, the Philippines recorded a record high of 251 Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea, the term Manila uses to refer to its 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the disputed waters.

Tarriela said China, despite being signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, had recklessly disregarded its provisions to invoke its “illegal and fictitious” 10-dash-line maritime claim.

This blatant disregard of international law and the 2016 arbitral ruling was “extremely troubling” as the Asian superpower had become “unreserved in using its economic and military power to advance its unlawful actions in the South China Sea,” he added.

Tarriela said China “excels in rhetoric but fails to turn promises into action.”

“Absolutely, it is jeopardizing the integrity of the rules-based international order and undermining regional peace and stability,” he said.

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In 2016, an arbitral tribunal voided Beijing’s sweeping claims to almost the entire South China Sea and affirmed Manila’s sovereign right to fish and explore resources within its EEZ, a decision China has refused to recognize.

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