Enough of the war of words? Philippines urges its own officials to cool China rhetoric ahead of Asean summit

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - The Philippines and China have been involved in repeated confrontations in the disputed South China Sea, with tensions increasingly spilling into public exchanges between officials. — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) handout/AFP pic

MANILA, Nov 8 — The Philippines’ foreign ministry issued a rare rebuke to government officials and agencies today over public comments about China, stressing the need for a unified voice as the country heads into a key regional summit.

The uniformed services of the Philippines have been engaged in a long-running war of words with the Chinese government over the South China Sea, a busy waterway that Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.

Multiple senators also called last month for Beijing’s ambassador to be declared persona non grata after he suggested China could “easily win” any confrontation with the Philippines.

Beijing subsequently accused Manila of “erecting multiple obstacles” to its attendance at an Asean defence ministers’ meeting, pointedly sending only an embassy defence attaché.

“Public statements that undermine the government’s diplomatic approach do more than complicate the work of our diplomats,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said, without specifying particular incidents.

“They risk eroding the country’s credibility in international affairs and project an image of internal division that external parties can exploit. Such actions can ultimately weaken the Philippines’ negotiating position.”

The statement specifically addressed the country’s national security establishment and uniformed services, which have engaged in months of heated exchanges with the Chinese Embassy on social media.

US ally the Philippines has been engaged in years of confrontations with China at sea over disputed areas of the strategic waterway, with repeated incidents occurring in recent months.

Today’s statement said that while the armed services were indispensable in documenting incidents, “civilian authority directs the country’s international relations”.

It noted that the 2016 international court verdict that broadly dismissed China’s claims to the South China Sea came via “rigorous legal proceedings under international law, not through public messaging or social media”.

Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro was banned from visiting China this year, with Beijing citing “irresponsible remarks”.

Chester Cabalza, a Manila-based security analyst, said the foreign ministry had gone public with its message to “assure its counterparts, particularly China, that they are in control of the Philippines’ foreign policy”.

“(The defence department and coast guard) are obliged to carve out the security policy of the country but not its foreign policy. DFA’s statement is an assertion of their role in the bureaucracy.”

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, urged the Philippines in a phone call with counterpart Theresa Lazaro last week to rein in politicians who had “smeared” Beijing and crossed its “red lines”.

Lazaro called the conversation “frank and constructive”, adding that “both sides emphasised the need for continued diplomatic dialogue and the proper management of differences anchored on mutual respect”.

Manila is set to host a major Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit next week, with attendees to include US President Donald Trump and recently re-elected Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Beijing has yet to announce publicly who it will send. — AFP