Japan to Supply 10 Patrol Boats for Philippines Coast Guard
The Japanese government plans to finance the deal in its fiscal 2013 budget starting in April. (photo : Militaryphotos)
THE Philippines
will receive 10 Coast Guard patrol boats from Japan to enhance its
capability to prevent illegal intrusions in its maritime area.
Foreign Affairs
Spokesman Raul Hernandez said the acquisition of the patrol boats is
not directed at any country in the ongoing disputes on the South China
Sea that the Philippines has renamed West Philippine Sea.
The new boats
are on top of the two 40-year-old refurbished US Coast Guard cutters
that were bought from the United States—BRP Gregorio del Pilar that
arrived last year and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz that is expected by April.
Japan earlier
offered to donate two of the boats, costing $11 million each, but the
deal turned into a loan for a total of 10 boats as requested by the
Philippine government.
The Japanese
government plans to finance the deal in its fiscal 2013 budget starting
in April and hopes to sign the supply contract early next year, the
Nihon Keizai Shimbun business daily reported.
Japan will
provide the Philippines with the newly built patrol vessels, which will
cost more than ¥1 billion ($11 million) each, the newspaper said,
without specifying the number of boats on offer.
Both countries are locked in separate territorial disputes with China.
The Philippines
is one of several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, that
are in conflict with China over claims to several islets, reefs and
shoals on the West Philippine Sea.
Two of the hot spots are the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal.
Japan, on the
other hand, is locked in a dispute with China over a group of
uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkakus in Japan
and the Diaoyus in China.
The simmering
row over the islands intensified in September when Tokyo nationalized
part of the chain, triggering fury in Beijing and huge anti-Japan
demonstrations across China.
China and Japan sought to cool down tensions in January when Chinese Communist Party chief Xi Jinping told an envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he was committed to developing bilateral ties.
Xi will
consider holding a summit meeting with Abe, Natsuo Yamaguchi, a senior
lawmaker and head of the junior partner in Japan’s ruling coalition,
told reporters after his talks with the Chinese leader.
The meeting came as China took the dispute over a series of uninhabited islands to the United Nations.
Taking the
issue to the United Nations is an effort to underscore China’s legal
claim to the islands, but also a way to reduce tensions in the region,
said Ruan Zongze, deputy director of the China Institute of
International Studies, a think tank affiliated with the Chinese Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
“It’s two
things: it’s part of the legal efforts, and we want to exert our legal
claim in a less confrontational way,” Ruan said. “We don’t want to see
escalation, particularly with fighter jets. That would be very dangerous
from any point of view.”
Since China has
brought the issue against Japan to the UN, Hernandez was asked whether
it is an indication that China would recognize our case in the South
China Sea which we also brought before an arbitration tribunal of United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
Hernandez said:
“That is the friendly way of addressing the issue with other states
and, hopefully, we get clarification and, award us regarding our
position in the West Philippine Sea.”
The Philippines
has until February 11 before it could expect China to answer whether
they recognize our complaint before the Unclos and whether they will
participate in the arbitration.
If not,
Hernandez said the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea would
choose whom to represent China and allow the case to move forward.
In this connection, the Department of National Defense (DND) said the acquisition of two warships for the Navy to boost is maritime security would be fast-tracted.
News reports quoted Defense Spokesman Peter Galvez as saying the Navy would give itself “until the end of the first quarter to finalize bidding for the frigates.” “We are confident that we can follow the timeline and we can do it within the first quarter.”
Earlier, defense officials said about P11.7 billion would be allotted for the warships.
Originally, the
government had intended to acquire the vessels through
government-to-government transactions. However, offers from different
countries had prompted senior security officials to opt for public
bidding.
Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin was quoted as saying public bidding would
ensure transparency and allow the comparison of the ships being offered.
Six countries
have offered to provide frigates to the Navy. Among them are the US,
South Korea, Spain, Israel, Croatia and Australia.
Earlier, the DND said it is eyeing the possibility of acquiring Maestrale frigates that Italy is currently phasing out.
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