Philippines Mulls Expelling Chinese Ambassador Amid Escalating Tensions in South China Sea

A Philippine flag flutters next to navy ships anchored at the Philippine-occupied Thitu island in the disputed South China Sea, on April 21, 2023.(Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images)

As the Chinese regime escalates its aggression in the South China Sea, the Philippines warned that it would not rule out expelling the Chinese ambassador. Meanwhile, the United States, Japan, and the Philippines have vowed to strengthen cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the region.

On Dec. 11, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned China’s ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, to lodge a diplomatic protest over the provocations by the Chinese coast guard against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea for two consecutive days. The spokesman also said the Philippines was “seriously considering” declaring Mr. Huang a “persona non grata” and expelling him from the country.

On Dec. 9 and 10, Chinese coast guard vessels intercepted, attacked, and rammed Philippine supply vessels in disputed waters in the South China Sea. The chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Romeo Brawner Jr., was on board one of the rammed vessels.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller issued a statement on Dec. 10, condemning China’s actions against the Philippine ships. The statement described these acts as “jeopardizing the safety of the Filipino crew.” It called on China to abide by the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling, which invalidated Beijing’s extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.

The incidents took place near Scarborough Shoal, which is strategically located along crucial international waterways. It is part of the Spratly Islands, approximately 560 miles from China’s Hainan Island and 150 miles from the Philippines, and both countries claim sovereignty over it. In 1983, China renamed it “Huangyan Island.” In 2012, China seized control of the island from the Philippines and permanently stationed coast guard vessels there.

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), countries have jurisdiction over natural resources within 200 nautical miles (230 miles) of their coasts.

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The South China Sea is a vital maritime trade route worth over $3 trillion annually, partly claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and others.

‘World War’

In response to the Chinese regime’s growing aggression in the region, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez warned that conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea could ignite at any time. In an interview on Dec. 7, he told Nikkei Asia that the South China Sea “is the flashpoint, not Taiwan.”

“If anything happens in our area, it’s like the beginning of another war, world war,” said Mr. Romualdez.

To avoid an escalation of the conflict over disputed waters, Mr. Romualdez said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tried to discuss the issue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the APEC summit last month. However, Xi “wasn’t in the mood” and seemed “very evasive” and “noncommittal,” saying that he would leave it to defense and diplomatic officials to discuss the issue, the diplomat told Nikkei.

Mr. Romualdez called on the international community to launch joint patrols in the South China Sea as a demonstration of multilateral collaboration to counter the provocations of the Chinese regime.

Strategic Partnerships With US, Japan

On Dec. 11, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown Jr. spoke with his Filipino counterpart, Mr. Brawner, regarding the two countries’ strategic security interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The two military leaders discussed stepping up military cooperation, such as enhancing capabilities for coordinated operations, information sharing, and increasing training exercises.

On Dec. 13, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Japanese national security adviser Takeo Akiba, and Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano held a trilateral call to reiterate their countries’ commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and international law in the South China Sea, as well as the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region.

According to a readout from the White House, the three national security advisers committed to continue implementing trilateral efforts to: “enhance defense and security capabilities, particularly on cyber security; maintain a free and open maritime order; enhance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; and maintain a free and equitable economic order.”

Following the meeting, the White House stated in a press release that Mr. Sullivan “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad alliance commitments to both Japan and the Philippines.”

Also, on Dec. 13, the American and Philippine defense secretaries discussed China’s behavior in the South China Sea. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “expressed US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights in accordance with international law,” according to a readout of the meeting.

Mr. Austin cited the U.S.–Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, which applies to the armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft of both countries anywhere in the Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.