G7 leaders concerned, oppose China actions in West PH Sea

PCG ship BRP Bagacay hit by water cannons of the China Coast Guard. Screengrab from drone video shot by Raffy Tima

The Group of Seven (G7) leaders expressed serious concern and opposition to China’s actions in the South China Sea, particularly the “increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels."

In a Saturday communiqué, the leaders of the G7 - composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States - reiterated their strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the South China Sea by force or coercion.

The G7 leaders were at Borgo Egnazia in the city of Fasano in Apulia, Italy for the June 13-15, 2024 50th G7 summit.

“We continue opposing China’s dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea and its repeated obstruction of countries’ high seas freedom of navigation,” the G7 Leaders’ Communiqué read.

Further, the G7 reiterated that China’s expansive territorial claims had no legal basis and opposed China’s militarization, and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea.

“We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirm UNCLOS’ important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas,” they said.

“We reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on 12 July 2016 is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings, and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.”

GMA Integrated News had sought the Chinese Embassy in Manila's comment on the G7 Leader's communiqué, but the embassy had yet to respond as of posting time.

For National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, the ''resolute stance of the G7 nations against the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea, particularly the obstruction of  high seas freedom of navigation, is a significant affirmation of the principles of international law and the rules-based international order.''

''We appreciate the G7's explicit condemnation of the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels. This acknowledgment underscores the international community's recognition of the threats faced by our nation and reaffirms the importance of upholding the rule of law in maritime disputes,'' he said in a statement on Saturday.

Año reiterated that China's maritime claims lack legal basis.

The 2016 arbitration ruling upheld the Philippines' exclusive economic zone over China's claims in the disputed South China Sea under UNCLOS. But China has never recognized the decision.

Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea - the section of the South China Sea covered by the Philippines' exclusive economic zone - has prompted serious concern and condemnation from several countries after the China Coast Guard, on several occasions, blasted water cannons, used military-grade lasers, and blocked Philippine government ships from carrying out resupply missions on the Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal.

Collisions between Chinese and Filipino vessels and several injuries on the Philippine side have also been reported.

The Philippines had officially asked the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend its boundary farther into the disputed West Philippine Sea by registering its entitlement to an extended continental shelf in the West Palawan Region.

On Saturday, Beijing began implementing a policy that allowed the China Coast Guard to detain "foreign trespassers" in its territorial claims for up to 60 days without trial.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration alone, Manila had filed 153 diplomatic protests against Beijing. — DVM/VBL, GMA Integrated News

This article G7 leaders concerned, oppose China actions in West PH Sea was originally published in GMA News Online.