China’s bid to break Asean unity bound to fail – Teodoro

West Philippine Sea composite image from Inquirer, AFP, Reuters file photos

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday said China is “trying to break apart” the unity of Southeast Asian nations as the region continues to grapple with overlapping claims of several countries in the South China Sea. 

Teodoro, however, expressed confidence that China will not succeed.

“What is China trying to do? Trying to break us apart,” Teodoro said during a forum organized by the United States’ Indo-Pacific Command.

“And that, fortunately, will not happen, because I believe firmly that our leaders realize that in this region, China is the biggest disrupter of international peace in the Asean region,” he added.

Apart from China and the Philippines, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also claimants of maritime territories within the South China Sea.

Maritime features of the Spratlys inside the western section of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines — locally known as the West Philippine Sea — are being referred to as the Kalayaan Island Group.

 Despite the overlapping claims, China asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, through its s0-called 10-dash-line.

A July 2016 arbitral award which stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013 already invalidated Beijing’s then nine-dash-line.

Beijing, which continues to reject the historic ruling, employed methods like firing water cannons and flares against Manila’s vessels and aircraft, respectively, operating inside the latter’s exclusive economic zone. 

On the other hand, the coast guards of the Philippines and Vietnam recently conducted unprecedented maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea, which saw the practice of water cannon capabilities of both nations. 

Teodoro also said he expects the military ties between the two countries to further advance.

Meanwhile, Teodoro reminded Asean member nations not to allow China to define what Asean centrality means.

 “We should get together in Asean and protect each other’s sovereign rights and sovereignty while setting our internal disputes between and amongst ourselves within the context of the Asean circle,” he said.