Philippines vows to continue maritime exercises in South China Sea

MANILA, May 2 (Reuters) - The Philippines will continue
maritime exercises inside its 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) in the South China Sea, the country's defence minister
said on Sunday, despite a call by China to stop actions that it
said could escalate disputes.
The Philippine coastguard and fisheries bureau started
maritime exercises last month, having boosted its presence in
the area to counter the "threatening" presence of Chinese boats.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through
which about $3 trillion worth of ship borne trade passes each
year, despite a 2016 ruling by an arbitration tribunal in The
Hague that Beijing's claim was inconsistent with international
law.
"The conduct of maritime patrol in the WPS (West Philippine
Sea) and Kalayaan Island Group by the Philippine Coast Guard and
the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will continue,"
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement, using
the local name for the South China Sea.
"The government will not waver in its position," he said.
The lingering presence of hundreds of Chinese boats in the
Philippines' EEZ has revived tensions between the countries,
despite President Rodrigo Duterte's friendship with Beijing.
Lorenzana said his comments echoed the stance of Duterte on
the issue, citing the latter's "very firm and straightforward"
orders for the Philippine military to "defend what is rightfully
ours without going to war and maintain the peace in the seas".
While Duterte still considers China as "a good friend", the
Philippine leader last week said: "There are things that are not
really subject to a compromise ... I hope they will understand
but I have the interest of my country also to protect."
Lorenzana said the Philippines "can be cordial and
cooperative with other nations but not at the expense of our
sovereignty and sovereign rights".