Indo-Pacific nations must stay the course on peace despite rising militarization and instances of aggression in the region, including in the West Philippine Sea, or WPS, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said during the 3rd European Union, Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum Roundtable Discussion in Brussels, Belgium.

“Flashpoints that are flagged as risks to regional peace and stability have existed for a while,” Manalo added.

“If Indo-Pacific is to remain as an engine of global growth and human flourishing, especially amid global uncertainties we face and sharpening geopolitical conflicts, we need to firstly keep to the path of peace and secondly build resilience.”

The DFA chief attributed the escalating tension in the region to a series of events, particularly in the WPS.

He said actions undertaken in the maritime conflict have violated the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 1982 Manila Declaration of the Peaceful Settlements of Disputes, and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS.

Heightened tensions in the East China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Straits disrupt the established security regime that has for decades supported “the vitality of our region as an economic force.”

Not a superpower rivalry

“Over-characterizing these developments mainly as a function of the US-China strategic rivalry does not help in understanding the situation. For one, it puts the distinct and legitimate rights and interests of countries such as the Philippines aside, and secondary to the interests of the rivals,” Manalo said.

He underscored the importance of peace and resilience, which can be attained through stable, predictable and order-based rules.

“Peace, rule of law, and the pursuit of more prosperous, just, inclusive societies, should not be sacrificed in the altar of transformative shifts in geopolitics,” he said.

“We have to keep our eye on our collective responsibilities in the face of change. We need to reinforce the fabric of multilateralism that allows us to work together for common purposes, despite our differences,” Manalo added.

The 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, held in Brussels on 2 February, brought approximately 70 participants from the EU institutions and EU member states, Indo-Pacific countries, and various regional organizations from across the Indo-Pacific region spanning the East coast of Africa to the Pacific island states.