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MANILA – Sweden’s defense chief has expressed alarm over Beijing’s repeated bad maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pronouncing such actions threaten security, undermine steadiness and underscore the wish to make investments “for our security and freedom.”
Defense Minister Pål Jonson spoke Thursday evening in a diplomatic reception in Manila for Sweden’s nationwide day after assembly his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on increasing defense family members. Sweden is likely one of the imaginable resources of supersonic fighter jets that the Philippines plans to procure as its army shifts focal point from a long time of preventing communist and Muslim insurgencies to territorial defense.
“Let me express my deep concern on the repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippines vessels that have been taking place in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, Jonson said. He did not mention China in his speech but drew applause from an audience that included top Philippine military and security officials and Western and Asian diplomats.
Jonson used the name the Philippines has adopted for the stretch of waters called the exclusive economic zone extending from its western coast to the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety and guarded closely with its coast guard, navy and other ships.
Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine government ships over two disputed shoals have flared alarmingly since last year, causing collisions.
China’s use of powerful water cannons had damaged Philippine vessels, injured several Filipino navy personnel, and strained diplomatic relations. Manila has filed diplomatic protests and publicized Chinese actions against the Philippine coast guard and navy vessels in an effort to gain international support.
“These acts put human lives at risk, they undermine regional stability and international law and they threaten the security in the region and beyond,” Jonson mentioned. “These are not only threats to your national security but threats to our common global security.”
The Philippines coast guard belatedly reported Friday that one in every of its high-speed boats used to be blocked and surrounded through Chinese coast guard vessels because it approached a Philippine territorial outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal on May 19 to get a in poor health Filipino army sailor from a army boat deployed close to the shoal outpost.
“Despite informing the Chinese coast guard via radio and public address system about the humanitarian nature of our mission for medical evacuation, they still engaged in dangerous maneuvers and even intentionally rammed the Philippine navy boat while transporting the sick personnel, the Philippine coast guard said. Despite the dangerous blockings, the Philippine coast guard said the medical evacuation was carried out successfully.
Chinese officials had no immediate comment on Jonson’s remarks and the Philippine coast guard report, but in the past they have accused the Philippines of instigating the hostilities by repeatedly straying into what they say are Chinese territories.
Video issued by the Philippine coast guard showed Chinese coast guard vessels closely blocking and surrounding the Philippine boats in a tense faceoff with a Filipino telling the Chinese coast guard “We’re going to medivac some personnel. We have a sick personnel on that boat.” A Chinese officer spoke back in Chinese and each side took video and images of one another.
While Sweden and the Philippines deeply price peace, Jonson mentioned, “we also understand that we get peace through strength” and underlined the strategic want for making an investment “for our security and freedom.”
Aside from the Philippines, Sweden were strengthening defense ties with the United States, Japan and Australia, Jonson mentioned, citing his country’s decision in March to join the NATO alliance, turning clear of a long policy of neutrality after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Sweden, he mentioned, stands company at the back of the decision of the European Union and different governments for restraint and entire appreciate for global legislation in the South China Sea “to ensure peaceful resolution of differences and a reduction of tensions in the region.”
The United Nations constitution, the U.N. Convention at the Law of the Sea and different an identical global laws that intention to offer protection to civilians at sea “should be respected at all times,” he mentioned.
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