PH has ‘faith’ in China despite dredger

FILE: Newly-appointed Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. (VALERIE ESCALERA/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Malacañang is hoping that China will stand true to their word that they will not retrieve land in the Scarborough Shoal after reports that  a massive dredger named the island-maker would be “deployed in the South China Sea or the Pacific Ocean.”

“The President recognizes the principle of good faith in international relations. China has told the President they do not intend to reclaim Scarborough and we leave it at that,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“We need to rely on good faith, because otherwise there will be no predictability in international relations,” he added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday the Philippine government is closely monitoring the 140-meter-long ship named Tian Kun Hao, the biggest dredger vessel in Asia, capable of building artificial islands.

“We have reports that they launched their big dredger, but we don’t know where it is going. We are constantly monitoring the movement of this ship,” Lorenzana said.

However, Roque said the Philippines is not just “trusting” China as it previously secured a landmark victory in its case against China in the international court in The Hague, Netherlands.

He added that maritime conflict in the West Philippine Sea will not stop the Philippines from strengthening its economic relations with China.

“What the president has done is, that’s self-executory, what else must be done?” Roque said.

“I think we are seeing new heights in terms of Philippine-Chinese relations and it has resulted in very tangible results particularly economic investments,” Roque added.