China's armed forces have vowed to
"fulfill their duty" to safeguard the country's territory in the
South China Sea, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
"China's
military forces will collaborate closely with related governing bodies,
including fishery administration and maritime law enforcement, to jointly
ensure the country's maritime rights and interests," Geng Yansheng said in
Beijing.
This
was the first official remark from the armed forces following a standoff with a
Philippine warship in waters off China's Huangyan Island on April 10.
Analysts
said the comments were also in response to growing domestic demand to ensure
sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Earlier,
Defence Minister Liang Guanglie said that any military action will be based on
the needs of diplomacy.
Media
reports said that China has sent a nuclear-powered submarine to the South China
Sea, but the spokesman did not confirm or deny the accuracy of the reports.
Beijing
has shown reason and restraint in handling the dispute and tried to calm
tension by withdrawing patrol ships, yet Manila's recent decision to send more
vessels to the waters worsens the situation, Yang Baoyun, a professor at Peking
University, said.
"In
the meantime, China should beef up infrastructure, tourism and administration
on islands in the South China Sea to avoid further disputes," Yang added.
Manila's
standoff against Beijing has entered the seventeenth day and Beijing has not
sent warships to the area.
Huangyan
Island has been an integral part of China's territory for centuries and the
Philippines admitted China's sovereignty over the island before it started to
officially lay rival claims in 1997.
On
April 10, 12 Chinese fishing boats were harassed by a Philippine warship while
taking refuge from stormy weather in a lagoon near the island. Two Chinese
patrol ships in the area later came to the fishermen's rescue, and the warship
left.
The
Chinese fishermen returned home, but the standoff continues. Philippine vessels
were reportedly still in China's territorial waters on Thursday.
"China's
military shoulders the mission of guarding the country's territorial
sovereignty as well as maritime rights and interests, and it has persisted in
fulfilling its duty under the country's unified deployment," Geng added.
Beijing
has reiterated its willingness to settle the dispute through diplomatic
consultation and the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, once again, called Manila to
"jointly work to de-escalate" the situation.
Manila
bases its claim over the island by saying that the island is "within"
its so-called exclusive economic zone.
Beijing
believes the Manila claim is both "groundless" and not applicable to
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Liu
also rejected Manila's suggestion to take the dispute to the International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Taking the dispute to international courts is
"totally out of the question", said Liu, as unilateral action will
not resolve the situation.
Meanwhile,
the Philippines has reiterated its plan to discuss the dispute with Washington
during US-Filipino talks, scheduled to start on April 30 in Washington.
Manila
said on Thursday that it would seek more US military help during the top-level
talks.
The
Philippine claim and its tough stance on the South China Sea stems partly from
its alliance with the US, said Chu Hao, a researcher in Southeast Asia studies
at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
"A
tighter bond with the US instead of China is now a mainstream of Manila's
policy making," Chu said.
The
12-day US-Philippine joint military exercise, Balikatan, is scheduled to wrap
up on Friday.
The US
is beefing up its military presence in the South China Sea and this will make
the regional situation more complex, China's Liberation Army Daily warned last
week.
Defence
Minister Liang also said that Washington should do more to contribute to the
peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
Cui
Haipei in Beijing contributed to this story.
Zhang
Yunbi
China
Daily
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