The DFA is Downplaying China’s Latest Travel Advisory Vs. the Philippines

As maritime tensions between the Philippines and China don’t seem to be letting up anytime soon, China has put out a travel advisory painting the Philippines as a place with a deteriorating security situation, which it says could not be entirely safe for Chinese citizens.

The embassy also said there were supposed instances of Chinese citizens and businesses in the Philippines falling victim to harassment and incessant inspections from local law enforcement.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has since debunked the narrative being perpetuated by Beijing's Embassy in Manila, which cautioned its citizens of what it called “malicious crimes” targeting Chinese individuals. 

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“The relevant travel advisories issued by China mischaracterize the situation in the Philippines,” according to the DFA, noting that the Philippine government is in constant communication with relevant stakeholders to resolve these issues. “Instances of crimes reported or known to law enforcement authorities are being vigorously addressed."

The DFA also reaffirmed Manila’s commitment to explore law enforcement cooperation with Beijing to keep citizens safe from crime.

The regional neighbors have been constantly locking horns over the South China Sea, which Beijing claims more than 80 percent of. The waterway is a major trade route with more than $3 trillion worth of goods passing through it.

Shaping the Discourse on Philippine-China Relations

Raphael Cortez, who teaches diplomacy and international relations at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance, said Beijing is aiming to shape public discourse around the Philippines as more countries align themselves with the Southeast Asian nation.

“Given that more and more countries are rallying behind us in our clamor for territorial sovereignty over the disputed waters, which if ever, could also challenge the Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy, then China must undertake such actions in order to depict the Philippines as a perilous nation,” he told Esquire Philippines in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“This can also be a justifying tool for them to show their people that the dangerous maneuvers and patrols they do over our archipelagic waters are justifiable — all for the sake of promoting their national security,” he added.

The government of Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has been firmer about affirming Manila’s sovereign rights over the waterway and disputed features, with hundreds of diplomatic protests being filed against Beijing over skirmishes.

The South China Sea has been a regional flashpoint for the international community as more countries agree to help bolster Manila’s defense capabilities via equipment deals and joint patrols.

Last month, a Chinese warship collided with one of Beijing’s own coast guard vessels after the latter chased a Philippine Coast Guard vessel at “high speed,” but ultimately missed its mark.

One of the Chinese ships lost its bow after it hit the warship. Philippine Coast Guard crew were on a mission to distribute aid to Filipino fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal around the South China Seal, which is being claimed by states.

China’s coast guard, which has made it troublesome for Manila to enforce a United Nations ruling that struck down Beijing’s claim over the waterway, claimed that it had taken “necessary measures” to kick out Philippine vessels from the shoal.”

Philippine President Marcos has said he will keep the country’s vessels on the shoal, which Manila calls Bajo de Masinloc, even after aggression from its neighbor.

On September 1, Monday, the Philippine National Maritime Council reaffirmed its “provisional understanding” with China on resupply missions in the waterway even after increased assertiveness from China.

Both countries landed the aforementioned deal in July last year after skirmishes and standoffs in the waterway, which was intended to minimize tensions in the region.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has characterized the so-called deal as a “temporary arrangement” which the DFA said was subject to regular reassessment.

Philippine Navy spokesman for the South China Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad earlier reported an influx of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, with an uptick of 20 militia boats in the waterway.

“The current tenor of Chinese communique is consistent with its attitude with us since the Aquino years: if the government is not seen as deferential enough they will be seen as hostile,” Halsey Juliano, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in an online exchange. “We just need to ensure the Philippine audience continues to be inoculated from pro-Chinese propaganda.”

The Philippine Navy in June dispelled reports from China’s military of Beijing’s own “coordinated air and sea patrols” carried out in the South China Sea simultaneously with Manila and Tokyo’s joint military drills in the area.

Manila and Tokyo have inked a Reciprocal Access Agreement that would pave the way for the entry of defense and military equipment and troops on each other’s soil, a crucial arrangement amid burgeoning tensions with Beijing.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has been pushing for a code of conduct on the waterway after aggressive actions by the Chinese Coast Guard and its vast fishing fleet. The pact is the first of its kind in Asia, inked at a time marked by China’s sweeping and expansive claim over the way.

The United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration has voided China's claim of 80 percent of the South China Sea for violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Philippines is aiming to enhance its defense industry to counter-act aggression in the crucial waterway, as Manila earmarked P35 billion to bolster its military capabilities in the next decade.

Navy spokesman Trinidad also revealed that the Philippine government is mulling over a new arbitration case against Beijing and the accompanying maritime dispute.

“While we say that it’s an option, it will [need to] be studied very carefully,” he said. “What and when we will file that, it depends now on the Executive.”

Manila has also pursued stronger military ties with its allies such as the US, Australia, and Tokyo. It has visiting forces agreements with all of these nations and are seeking newer pacts with other countries amid China’s growing assertiveness in the waterway.

“Whether we like it or not I'm inclined to think our own pro-China disinformation networks are trying to cast it the same way international criticism of PH is seen as an embarrassment,” said Juliano, the political science instructor. “They try to cast it as if the PH will be embarrassed the way US or UN censure embarrasses our liberal voting population, but you can't speedrun that.”