Manila, Beijing hold talks over WPS tensions

The Philippines and China are holding their first Bilateral Consultation Meeting (BCM) this year to discuss various topics, including Beijing’s deployment of its large vessel within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

This was announced by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Wednesday during his bilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi who is in Manila on an official visit.

“Yeah, I think it is going on now as we speak. So really, I don’t want to prejudge what the events or outcome will be, but what I can say is that they will, of course, be discussing the situation in the region, in the South China Sea, in the West Philippine Sea, including the recent developments,” Manalo said when asked if the Philippines would raise to China the presence of the China Coast Guard ship in Zambales.

Manalo was referring to the reported presence of the CCG ship 5901, dubbed the “monster ship” due to its massive size of 12,000 gross register tons, off Capones Island in Zambales.

Last week, the Philippine Coast Guard reported the presence of the CCG vessel about 54 nautical miles off Capones Island, which was replaced by another CCG ship after more than a week in the area.

On Saturday, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said the Chinese monster ship had returned to its previous location off the coast of Zambales.

According to Manalo, the Philippine delegation is headed by DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro.

Lazaro will meet with her counterpart, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, whom she also met with during last year’s BCM in Beijing.

Manalo said Lazaro and Chen are expected to discuss other areas of cooperation, including the potential collaboration between the PCG and CCG.

“We hope to establish cooperative measures and engage in positive activities, but this would need to be formalized through a memorandum of understanding between the two parties,” he explained.

During the 9th BCM last year, the DFA noted that Manila and Beijing agreed to continue discussions on maritime cooperation between their coast guards, including the potential resumption of the Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC).

The Philippines, under the administration of then President Rodrigo Duterte, entered into a memorandum of agreement with China that created the JCGC.

The JCGC was set up for a potential collaboration in “capacity building areas” and to establish a hotline mechanism for agreed areas within the region.