MANILA – A Chinese naval training vessel docked in the Philippines on Wednesday for a rare port visit as the two countries compete for South China Sea reefs and seas.
A brass band and dragon dancers greeted the 165-meter Qi Jiguang as it arrived in Manila for its penultimate leg on a Southeast Asian tour that included Vietnam, Thailand, and Brunei.
“It’s a goodwill visit,” said Huang Xilian, China’s ambassador to the Philippines, without providing any specifics.
The ship, which was commissioned in 2017, “conveys the concept of mutual trust concerning China’s peaceful development,” according to a pamphlet provided to guests by its crew.
Beijing claims the majority of the crucial South China Sea, including waters near Philippine beaches, despite a 2016 international tribunal verdict that invalidated its claims.
According to Manila, Chinese coast guard or navy vessels often obstruct or trail Philippine ships on supply missions to islands in the disputed sea that house Philippine garrisons.
Manila accused a Chinese ship of beaming a military-grade laser at a Philippine coast guard boat escorting a supply convoy to the Spratly Islands in February.
The Qi Jiguang is the largest Chinese navy ship to visit the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was elected president last year.
As regional concern increases over China’s maritime actions, Marcos has declared that Manila “will not lose an inch” of territory.
Last week, he stated that ties between the Philippines and China were “evolving,” but he rejected any shift away from Beijing.
“Certainly, there are differences between China and the Philippines, but they will not define our relationship,” Marcos concluded.
His more assertive stance contrasts with that of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who sought to embrace the Asian power in order to obtain infrastructure deals and other investments.
During his presidency from 2016 to 2022, the Duterte administration welcomed many Chinese navy warships to the Philippines.
In 2017, he personally boarded three Chinese boats, including a destroyer and a frigate, that moored in his hometown of Davao City.
The Philippines’ then-defense secretary welcomed three more Chinese military vessels, including two missile frigates, to Manila in 2019.
The Qi Jiguang will be open to the public for two hours each day until Saturday, according to the Chinese embassy.
Source: AFP
