中國首次公開其聲稱的2016年與菲律賓的協議 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on -line reported the following:

China publicizes for the first time what it claims is a 2016 agreement with Philippines (2/2)

Associated Press -CHRISTOPHER BODEEN

Fri, May 3, 2024 at 6:45 a.m. PDT·5 min read

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Duterte, who nurtured cozy relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his six-year presidency while openly being hostile to the United States for its strong criticism of his deadly campaign against illegal drugs.

While he took an almost virulently anti-American stance during his 2016 visit to Washington's chief rival, he has said he also did not enter into any agreement with Beijing that would have compromised Philippine territory. He acknowledged, however, that he and Xi agreed to maintain “the status quo” in the disputed waters to avoid war.

“Aside from the fact of having a handshake with President Xi Jinping, the only thing I remember was that status quo, that’s the word. There would be no contact, no movement, no armed patrols there, as is where is, so there won’t be any confrontation,” Duterte said.

Asked if he agreed that the Philippines would not bring construction materials to strengthen a Philippine military ship outpost at the Second Thomas Shoal, Duterte said that was part of maintaining the status quo but added there was no written agreement.

“That’s what I remember. If it were a gentleman’s agreement, it would always have been an agreement to keep the peace in the South China Sea,” Duterte said.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Marcos’s cousin and political ally, has ordered an investigation into what some are calling a “gentleman’s agreement.”

China has also claimed that Philippine officials have promised to tow away the navy ship that was deliberately grounded in the shallows of the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to serve as Manila’s territorial outpost. Philippine officials under Marcos say they were not aware of any such agreement and would not remove the now dilapidated and rust-encrusted warship manned by a small contingent of Filipino sailors and marines.

China has long accused Manila of “violating its commitments” and “acting illegally” in the South China Sea, without being explicit.

Apart from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the sea that is rich in fishing stocks, gas and oil. Beijing has refused to recognize a 2016 international arbitration ruling by a U.N.-affiliated court in the Hauge that invalidated its expansive claims on historical grounds.

Skirmishes between Beijing and Manila have flared since last year, with massive Chinese coast guard cutters firing high-pressure water cannons at Philippine patrol vessels, most recently off Scarborough Shoal late last month, damaging both. They have also accused each other of dangerous maneuvering, leading to minor scrapes.

The U.S. lays no claims to the South China Sea, but has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets in what it calls freedom of navigation operations that have challenged China’s claims.

The U.S. has warned repeatedly that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines — its oldest treaty ally in Asia — if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

 Translation

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杜特爾特在六年的總統任期內與中國國家主席習近平建立了融洽的關係，同時公開敵視美國，因為美國強烈批評他的打擊非法毒品的致命行動。

儘管杜特爾特在 2016 年訪華期間採取了近乎惡毒的反美立場，但他表示，他也沒有與北京達成任何可能損害菲律賓領土的協議。 不過，他承認，他和習近平同意維持爭議海域的「現狀」以避免戰爭。

杜特爾特說: 「除了與習近平主席握手之外，我唯一記得的就是現狀，就是這個詞。 那裡不會有接觸、沒有行動、沒有武裝巡邏，現況那樣就那樣，所以不會有任何對抗」。

當被問及他是否同意菲律賓不會攜帶建築材料來加固仁愛礁的菲律賓軍艦前哨時，杜特爾特表示，這是維持現狀的一部分，但補充說，沒有書面協議。

杜特爾特說: 「這就是我所記得的。 如果這是君子協議，那麼它就永遠是維護南海和平的協議」。

馬可斯的表弟和政治盟友、眾議院議長 Ferdinand Martin Romualdez 已下令對某些人所說的「君子協議」進行調查。

中國也聲稱，菲律賓官員已承諾拖走1999年故意擱淺在仁愛礁淺灘、作為馬尼拉領土前哨的海軍艦艇。 馬可斯領導下的菲律賓官員表示，他們不知道有任何此類協議，也不會拆除這艘由一小批菲律賓水手和海軍陸戰隊員守護着, 現已破舊且鏽跡斑斑的軍艦。

中國長期以來一直指責馬尼拉在南海 “違反承諾” 和 “做出非法行為” ，但沒沒有加以清楚說明。

除了中國和菲律賓之外，越南、馬來西亞、台灣和汶萊也對這片富含漁業資源、天然氣和石油的海域提出了重疊的主權聲索。 北京拒絕承認2016年海牙聯合國附屬法院做出的一項國際仲裁裁決，該裁決以歷史為由宣告中國的廣泛主張無效。

自去年以來，北京和馬尼拉之間的小規模衝突不斷爆發，中國海警巡邏艦向菲律賓巡邏船發射高壓水砲，最近一次是上個月末在黃岩島附近海域，造成雙方船隻受損。 他們也互相指責對方採取了危險的行動，導致了輕微的擦傷。

美國沒有對南海提出主權聲索，但已部署海軍艦艇和戰鬥機進行其所謂的航行自由行動，挑戰中國的主權主張。

美國一再警告說，如果菲律賓軍隊、船隻或飛機受到武裝攻擊，包括在南中國海裡，美國有義務保衛菲律賓 - 其在亞洲最古老的條約盟友。

              So, China has publicized a statement to say that there is an unwritten 2016 agreement with the Philippines over access to South China Sea islands. The statement says that Duterte has agreed, among other things, to restrict the access of his military, coast guard and other official planes and ships to the 12 nautical mile (22 kilometer) limit of territorial waters. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  has denied the existence of such an agreement. Probably conflicts and disputes in this region will continue.