China Wants Closer 'Strategic' Ties With Philippines Amid Manila-Washington Collaboration

Beijing is concerned over Manila’s closer relations with Washington, and views the US as the biggest destabilizing actor in the region.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong has called for deepening “comprehensive strategic cooperation” between Beijing and Manila, which should “keep to the general direction of friendly relations.”

The statement came ahead of Sun’s talks with his Philippine counterpart Theresa Lazaro in Manila, where the Chinese diplomat arrived on March 22 for a two-day visit.

The negotiations are being held against the background of strained ties between China and the Philippines, with Beijing being especially concerned over Manila’s closer military collaboration with Washington. Separately, Manila draws Beijing’s attention to what it describes as the “unauthorized presence” of scores of Chinese naval and coast guard vessels in Philippine territorial waters over the past months.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei told reporters late last month that Beijing is unhappy over the US getting access to four new military bases in the Philippines and that China views Washington as the biggest destabilizing actor in the Asia-­Pacific region.

“China is closely following these tendencies and expresses serious concern over this. We have always believed that military and security cooperation between countries should contribute to the protection of peace and stability in the region and not be directed against the third parties or harm their interests," the spokesman pointed out.

According to Tan, the US has repeatedly tried to increase its military presence in the region, which leads to tensions and a crisis of trust.

"It once again proves that the US is the most dangerous factor and the biggest source of chaos, that increases regional tensions and undermines regional peace and stability," he added.

Tan spoke after Washington and Manila agreed last month to expand the US' access to four more military bases in the Philippines as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), thus, bringing the total number of EDCA sites to nine. The EDCA, which was inked in 2014, is the first substantial military agreement between the two countries since the 1990s. One of the deal's primary purposes is to counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region, including in the South China Sea and ensure the availability of US troops in the Philippines to help Manila respond to natural disasters.

In a separate development this month, Washington and Manila kicked off the large-scale military exercise Salaknib (Shield) at the largest military reservation in the Philippines, Fort Magsaysay, a drill that involves about 3,000 personnel.

The first stage of the annual exercise will run through April 4, and the second is scheduled for the second quarter of the year. The exercises are aimed at strengthening the cooperation of Filipino and American troops in a spectrum of military operations, according to Philippine Army Commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.